Villaraigosa wants 'emergency' cuts

Facing a $110 million gap in this year's city budget, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called for 3% cuts in most departments — 1% in the public safety departments. "It is no longer sufficient to delay purchases, cut travel and sweep savings from accounts," he said in a letter this afternoon. The mayor asked department heads to submit new budgets by Dec. 1 and said he would send a revised budget to the City Council within ten days, expecting passage by Dec. 31. LAT, DN