Los Angeles Mayor Names Close Advisor As Interim City Budget Chief

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LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has appointed Rich Llewellyn, a close advisor, as interim city administrative officer while he searches for a permanent replacement for outgoing CAO Miguel Santana.

"During such an important budget season, it's critical that we keep our momentum going with a fair and objective leader in this position who won't back down from a challenge, and who has the experience to navigate the highly complex fiscal landscape of our City," Garcetti said.

Santana, who has been instrumental in crafting the city's budget, announced in December he had accepted a positon with the Los Angeles County Fair Association.

Llewellyn, currently special legal counsel to the mayor, was Garcetti's chief of staff when he was a council member. He starts the position Feb. 1. The mayor plans a national search for a permanent CAO.

"Rich has spent decades working for numerous public officials in a variety of roles — building budgets, managing public finances, and finding creative solutions to our most difficult problems," Garcetti said. "As we conduct a search for our next permanent CAO, I know Rich will develop the budget we need, deliver on the promise of Proposition HHH, [the $1.2 billion bond measure to house the homeless] keep our bid for the 2024 Olympics on track, and continue moving us closer to the other key priorities of the City Council and this administration in the coming year."

Llewellyn has worked as chief of staff to former City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and Councilman Paul Koretz. He also worked in the 1990s as special counsel to Garcetti's father, then-Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti.

"Rich's experience in local government and his intimate knowledge of the city's finances will be valuable as we begin the budget process," said City Council President Herb Wesson.

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