Four years ago, Los Angeles City Councilman Monica Rodriguez stood on the steps of the city hall to celebrate the establishment of the Youth Development Department.

She has been pushing the department since 2018, which oversees young people’s programs, including the Youth Council, to educate them about the city’s education.

On Tuesday, Rodriguez begged Mayor Karen Bass not to get rid of the department as the city's budget crisis occurs.

In her proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Bass suggested that the city fold the investments of the Department of Youth Development as well as the Department of Aging, as well as the Department of Economic and Labor Development, and the Family sector.

Although some of its functions will be retained, the Ministry of Youth Development will no longer exist. According to the bass proposal, the budget specifically targeting these functions will be reduced from $2.3 million to $1.6 million. Eight employees were fired, leaving 10 employees.

"Don't ruin and eliminate all these years of work," Rodriguez said in a press conference at the Town Hall on Wednesday.

She called the mayor's proposed budget "an axe with many plans that Angelenos relied on" and said some of the proposed cuts had no "rhyme or reason."

The city’s deputy mayor of finance, innovation and operations, Matt Hale said the three sectors that community investment absorbs investments into the family sector sometimes overlap.

“Like most things in cities, we divide them into silos and then search through our gates and people who say 'I need help',” Hale said.

Hale said at a city council budget committee meeting Tuesday that the merger would save $5 million and “provide better results and more effective services.”

Bass spokesman Zach Seidl said the mayor's office is not considering reversing the course in terms of mergers.

The bass budget was considered by the Budget Committee at a few weeks of hearings, trying to end a $1 billion shortfall due to rising personnel costs, high legal spending and a slowdown in the local economy. The mayor's budget eliminates more than 2,700 city jobs, of which about 1,650 have passed layoffs.

In addition to running the 30-member Youth Council, the Ministry of Youth Development has organized youth summits and youth fairs, with annual events that help young people get jobs and internships. The department is also reviewing city plans to determine whether they are attracting and meeting young people’s needs.

If the mayor recommends cuts, the Ministry of Youth Development will reach about 6,900 voters, down from 10,000 last year.

"The withdrawal of (department) now will not only be a regression, but a betrayal of young people ... should be invested, not overlooked," Monica Rodriguez said.

Councilman Rodriguez said the department should not grow, rather than be merged, suggesting that the gang’s reduction and youth development programmes should be subject to its terms of reference. The program provides gang intervention and prevention services and community engagement programs, with a proposed budget of nearly $40 million under the mayor's office.

"The ministry doesn't have to leave. The ministry can sustain itself," said the council member. "This budget document needs to reflect the city's values ​​and is currently conveying the voices of young people are subordinate to other priorities, which is not possible."