It’s crucial for residents to know how their tax dollars are being spent. This week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved our supplemental budget—a $44.6 billion spending roadmap for county services. The budget includes many of my priorities, including public safety, homelessness, mental health, and youth services, all with fiscal prudence in mind.

Almost three-quarters of our budget goes to the most vulnerable populations in L.A. County, supporting health, mental health, social services, and child welfare. The county is the safety net for these residents. Through this budget, we allocated $216 million to address the homelessness and housing crises. Additionally, we invested $30 million in the Department of Mental Health for mental health urgent care centers and crisis residential treatment programs.

It’s important that we continue to invest in keeping our communities safe. Our budget allocated $19.4 million to provide two more Sheriff’s academy classes so we can add deputies to our rank-and-file, plus 205 additional positions.

Our budget also provides enrichment programming for all residents. I’m excited that we allocated $7 million to the Parks After Dark program to ensure fun and safe activities for families. We are also extending the summer aquatics season from 10 weeks to 22 weeks starting next summer, as well as hiring more than 1,000 youth for the Lifeguard Ready Training program. To support the well-being of our four-legged friends, we funded 390 employees in the Department of Animal Care and Control.

This is just a glimpse at a few of the programs included in our budget. If you’d like to learn more, visit this website for a breakdown. It’s important to stay informed about how your county is operating, spending and working for you.