Mayor Karen Bass, delivering the first of two State of the City addresses planned this year, urged Angelenos on Monday to come together ahead of the 2028 Olympics while announcing a push to clean up Los Angeles’ busiest streets in the run-up to the Games.
The mayor spoke at the Expo Center in Exposition Park in front of hundreds of city workers and politicos. A second address is planned for April.
After both the UCLA and USC marching bands played to welcome the mayor, she fittingly homed in on a theme of unity as the region prepares to host the World Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Super Bowl, among other events. She also said Angelenos needed to unite in the face of immigration raids, the homelessness crisis and the fires that burned in the city last year.
“Even in this difficult chapter in our history, great events — moments of unity — are possible. And they are coming,” Bass said.
“As we prepare for … the greatest Olympic and Paralympic Games in history — we will continue to focus on the fundamentals, the things that shape how a city feels to the people who live here and the millions who will visit,” Bass said.
The preparation will include a continued focus on cleaning up encampments through Bass’ signature program, Inside Safe, she said. Bass also announced a new clean streets initiative dubbed Clean Corridors, which she said would “accelerate beautification” of major thoroughfares throughout the city in advance of the Olympics.
“We will crack down on any illegal dumping, those who cut corners, avoid disposal fees, and leave a mess for workers and neighbors to deal with,” she said.
The announcement comes just months after the head of the city’s Bureau of Sanitation left her post.
During the speech, the mayor also announced 100 free watch parties during the World Cup throughout the city, $14 million in rental assistance for Angelenos and the relaunch of the city’s House Our Vets program, which helps veterans find stable housing.
The mayor also focused on the Trump administration’s continued immigration raids that have led to protests in downtown Los Angeles and across the country. She spoke about the shooting of Keith Porter Jr. by a federal agent in Northridge.
“Staying silent or minimizing what is happening is not an option. This administration does not care about safety. They don’t care about order. And they most certainly do not care about the law,” she said.
The mayor also spoke about the Palisades fire, saying she and Councilmember Traci Park would head to Sacramento next week to call for more investment in the rebuild of Pacific Palisades. Already, 400 homes are under construction there and hundreds more are approved and ready to be built, she said.
“We are not just rebuilding — we are rebuilding smarter, faster and safer,” she said. “Families are returning home.”
The announcement came after a week in which President Trump criticized the city’s rebuild for going too slowly and said he would preempt its ability to issue permits for people rebuilding after the Palisades fire. The president announced in an executive order that victims using federal aid money could self-certify to federal authorities that they complied with local health and safety standards.
Bass, who is running in the June 2 election for a second term, took the unusual step of delivering two State of the City speeches within a three-month span. Monday’s speech took place on the first day for candidates to file paperwork to run for mayor.
Traditionally she and other mayors have made a single speech in April before releasing the proposed annual budget for the new fiscal year.
The mayor said the first of the two speeches would serve as a countdown to the World Cup, which will feature eight matches at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium. Her second State of the City is likely to focus more on budget issues.
Last year the mayor and City Council had to close a $1-billion budget shortfall. During her State of the City last April, the mayor announced layoffs to city workers were likely in order to produce a balanced budget.
The city ultimately avoided making layoffs through other cuts and agreements with city unions. But the city likely is facing another tough budget in the upcoming fiscal year.
Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed to this report.
