Los Angeles makes new hire for debt collection

The city of Los Angeles has "millions of dollars" in debt owed from taxes and other services, the Daily News reports. In order to recoup the funds, a new inspector general was hired to oversee debt. Fernando Campos, a former director of grants administration at the Harbor Department, was recently appointed by mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Los Angeles officials have been discussing the switch for more than a year. Campos comes with 10 years of experience in the public sector and is expected to go after the city's $238 million deficit, the Encino-Tarzana Patch explains. "I think (Campos) can focus on some key areas, such as parking lots, parking tickets and EMS (emergency medical services) billings," Committee on Revenue Enhancement chairman Ron Galperin told the Daily News, praising the new hiring. The Patch notes that Villaraigosa recently proposed a plan to eliminate 438 unfilled city jobs, as well as lay off some workers. The move would save the city $26 million. "To keep our fiscal house in order, we're going to have to reduce the long-term budget cost drivers: labor, health care and pension costs," Villaraigosa said during a news conference, as quoted by the media outlet.