City Council strikes DWP deal and keeps LAPD hiring

The City Council went ahead today and approved the same level of electricity rate hike it offered two weeks ago, but this time the increase — of 0.6 of a cent per kilowatt hour — met with the pleasure of Mayor Villaraigosa and the head of the Department of Water and Power. The DWP board, which challenged the council last time, is expected to take it up tomorrow and I have to bet they'll go along this time. Especially since Villaraigosa, who appointed the board, called it in a statement this afternoon "a reasonable compromise which protects ratepayers, the financial health of the Department of Water and Power, and commits the DWP to renewable energy."

The City Council also rejected an effort to to freeze hiring at the LAPD, which the mayor has wanted to continue.