The LA Metro Board of Directors has signed off on a $9.7 billion spending plan for fiscal year 2026–27, locking in a budget that leans hard on daily operations, cleaning, and public safety while easing off the gas on big construction projects.
According to the Metro Board Agenda, the FY27 blueprint authorizes $9.7 billion in consolidated expenditures and sets staffing at 12,321 full-time equivalents, with 10,024 of those in represented positions. The plan also includes compensation changes, including an average 3% merit increase for non-represented employees and a 5% adjustment to non-represented pay grades, and gives the CEO authority to pursue debt issuance and a continuing resolution for Metrolink funding. The full budget book and backup attachments are posted on the Metro Budget Portal.
Where the money goes
Nearly $3 billion is set aside to run bus and rail service, roughly a 2.9% bump from FY26, to make service more reliable and frequent. Cleaning gets about $311 million, and public safety roughly $430 million. Within that safety pot, $87.6 million is earmarked for care-based services, $80 million for Metro transit security, there are contracts with outside law enforcement, and $5.8 million goes to the in-house Department of Public Safety, figures highlighted by MyNewsLA.
Capital downshift and projects to watch
On the construction side, transit infrastructure development drops to about $2 billion, a 7.7% decline from the previous year. Metro links that slide to the wind-down of heavy building work after recent openings like the LAX/Metro Transit Center and the A Line extension to Pomona. Even with that downshift, the FY27 materials keep money flowing to a slate of bus rapid transit and corridor efforts, including the Vermont BRT, the North Hollywood-to-Pasadena BRT, and upgrades to the G (Orange) Line. For a closer look at those projects and the capital program, see coverage from Railway Age.
Board reaction and next steps
The board adopted the budget on a 9-0 vote. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, Inglewood Mayor James Butts, and Glendale Councilman Ara Najarian were absent for the vote, according to MyNewsLA. Interim Chief Financial Officer Michelle Navarro called the spending plan “balanced” but noted that inflation and uncertain federal funding made the process a grind. Supervisor Janice Hahn pointed to Metro’s public outreach and said it showed riders’ priorities have remained consistent. Metro has posted the adopted items and attachments, and implementation of the FY27 plan will start with the new fiscal year.
If the numbers hold, riders should see continued emphasis on cleaner stations and steadier service, even as long-term operating pressures stay on the radar while capital spending eases. For the full packet, public comments, and downloadable budget materials, visit the Metro Budget Portal and the board documents on the Metro Board Agenda.
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