L.A. City Council looks at a hiring freeze for police, fireCouncil members' comments suggest Villaraigosa's pledge to hire more police officers may be at risk.

The Los Angeles City Council on Monday took its first crack at addressing a $110-million shortfall in this year's budget and signaled that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's pledge to hire more police officers may be at risk.

Councilman Bernard C. Parks, who chairs the council's Budget and Finance Committee, asked the city's top financial analyst to examine the potential savings of a hiring freeze at the Los Angeles police and fire departments from January until the end of June. A similar freeze has already been imposed on other city departments.

Parks' comments came as the council's budget committee considered $55 million in proposed cuts to the city's parks, libraries, tree-trimming program and other services. Last week, Villaraigosa called for an "emergency overhaul" of the city's budget because of declining tax revenues, ordering all agencies to propose additional cutbacks by Dec. 1.

During the hearing, one of the council's staunchest supporters of public safety programs, Councilman Greig Smith, expressed frustration that almost every city agency was facing painful spending reductions except for the police and fire departments. Those departments account for 70% of the city's $4-billion discretionary budget.

"I continue to be amazed that we're not talking about the 800-pound gorilla in the room, and that's police and fire," Smith said during a budget committee hearing Monday.

"This is not the time to be hiring more people. This is survival time. This is keep-our-nose-above-water time."

Villaraigosa has said all city spending will be examined, but emphasized that Los Angeles will not lose sight of those core missions that are essential to residents and employers, such as public safety and transportation.

The mayor has said in the past that he will not abandon his promise to add 1,000 new police officers.

"The easiest way in the world to balance the budget is to cut police and fire, but we're not paid to do what's easy. We're paid to do what's right," said Matt Szabo, the mayor's spokesman.

Monday's budget hearing showed just how difficult a task the council faces in the months ahead.

Council members rescinded proposals to cut crossing-guard programs, park personnel, tree-trimming services and trash pickup along city right-of-ways.

Those were among the $55 million in cuts proposed by the city's top budget analyst, interim City Administrative Officer Raymond P. Ciranna, who warned the council that even deeper cuts will be required in the months ahead.

He said the budget shortfall could grow if the economy continues to decline and if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposes new cuts to cities and counties.

"This is only half the way there. We need to go a lot farther," Ciranna told the council shortly after the hearing began.