Los Angeles city leaders moved Tuesday to strengthen financial protections ahead of the 2028 Olympics, directing staff to finalize within 14 days an agreement that would require Games organizers to reimburse the city for public safety, services and infrastructure costs.
The motion, approved on a 14-0 vote without discussion, comes after months of concern from city officials that Los Angeles could be left covering significant costs if negotiations with the private LA28 organizing committee fail to fully protect taxpayers.
“This motion is about capturing our shared commitment to a no-cost Olympics in a way that protects the people of Los Angeles, and I’m proud to work alongside LA28 as partners in getting there,” Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who introduced the motion, said in a statement provided to the Southern California News Group Tuesday.
The proposed agreement, known as an Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement, or ECRMA, outlines how Los Angeles will be repaid for services tied to hosting the Games.
Under the proposal, the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2028, known as LA28, would be required to cover costs that exceed the city’s normal operations, including public safety, transportation and sanitation services.
The motion also calls for reimbursement at the time services are delivered and for LA28 to pay for infrastructure improvements requested specifically for the Games. LA28 would also be required to meet all its financial obligations to the city before any surplus funds from the Games are distributed.
A spokesperson for Councilmember Monica Rodriguez said Tuesday the plan aligns with her push to codify a “zero-cost principle,” into the City Charter, aimed at ensuring taxpayers are not left covering Games-related expenses.
Rodriguez and other city officials have also raised concerns about how any surplus funds from the Games would be used, including whether money could be directed toward a proposed “Legacy Fund” to support youth sports programs and related projects before the city is fully reimbursed.
Mayor Karen Bass supports Harris-Dawson’s motion, her office said, noting that it “furthers the fiscal responsibility Mayor Bass has been calling for and protects Los Angeles taxpayers.”
While negotiations have been ongoing, Tuesday’s action marks a more formal push to lock financial protections into a binding agreement and sets a two-week timeline for staff to deliver it.
The ECRMA was originally expected in October 2025 but has yet to be finalized, raising concerns among city leaders about the scope of LA28’s financial responsibilities, the timing of reimbursements and the potential impact on the city’s budget.
In a previous letter to LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover, Rodriguez warned that the city lacks “clear, enforceable protections over hundreds of millions of dollars in public exposure” tied to Games-related services.
City officials have also raised concerns about uncertainty surrounding federal security funding for the Games, which could exceed $1 billion. While Congress has allocated funding for Olympic security, officials have said it remains unclear how much Los Angeles and other host jurisdictions will ultimately receive and when those funds would become available.
LA28 earlier this year increased its overall Games budget from $6.9 billion to $7.2 billion, though that figure does not include security costs.
The uncertainty has added pressure on city leaders to secure clear reimbursement terms before the Games.
In a statement provided to SCNG, LA28 Vice President of Communications Jacie Prieto Lopez said the organization is continuing to work with the city to finalize the agreement.
“LA28 has been working actively alongside City leadership to finalize the Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement, which will establish the framework for reimbursing the City for services above normal and customary levels in direct support of the Games,” Prieto Lopez said.
“LA28 remains committed to delivering the safest, most secure, and fiscally responsible Games that will benefit Angelenos for decades to come,” Prieto Lopez added. “We remain engaged in good faith negotiations and look forward to our continued partnership with the City of Los Angeles.”