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Rodriguez warns LA28 ‘bankruptcy cannot be the legacy of these Games’

April 7, 2026

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, in a pointed letter to LA28 on Tuesday, criticized the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games local organizing committee’s lack of “financial transparency” and its failure to reach an agreement with the city that protects hundreds of millions of dollars in city funds used for Games-related services.

An Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement was supposed to be completed by October 1, but LA28 officials remain in negotiations with city officials over which expenses beyond “normal and customary” city services LA28 will compensate the city for.

“With just 830 days remaining until the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, the City of Los Angeles still lacks clear, enforceable protections over hundreds of millions of dollars in public exposure,” Rodriguez wrote to Reynold Hoover, LA28 CEO, in a letter obtained by the Southern California News Group. “This is not a minor gap; it is a critical failure that must be fixed now.”

“Bankruptcy cannot be the legacy of these Games,” Rodriguez writes later in the letter to Hoover.

Rodriguez’s letter comes amid rising frustration among city council members and top city officials with LA28 and mounting concerns about how $1 billion in federal funding for security for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics will be allocated.

The city council has approved resolutions from Rodriguez requesting “LA28 provide a detailed presentation on the new federal Olympics task force, its purpose, jurisdiction, anticipated activities, and the implications for the City’s planning and preparation for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This should also include guidance on what guardrails the City can enact to ensure that the City’s most vulnerable communities are protected.”

Rodriguez’s frustration with LA28 and concerns about the city’s financial exposure because of the Olympic and Paralympic Games were evident in her letter to Hoover. In particular, Rodriguez stressed that any surplus revenue from the Games must be used to cover city expenses before going into a legacy fund.

“Let me be clear, I will not support any agreement that prioritizes a Legacy Fund over taxpayer protection and the delivery of core City services,” Rodriguez wrote. “LA28 must act immediately to provide full financial transparency and to codify these protections in the ECRMA. Anything less jeopardizes City solvency and fails to meet the standard of accountability the public rightfully expects and deserves.”

LA28 officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement (ECRMA) must guarantee that the City is fully reimbursed for all costs before a single dollar is directed to an LA28 Legacy Fund. Taxpayer protection comes first,” Rodriguez also wrote. “Every dollar owed to the City must be reconciled and paid before any surplus is retained or repurposed.”

LA28’s budget has increased to $7.2 billion from $6.9 billion, LA28 officials informed the International Olympic Committee in February. LA28 earlier informed the Los Angeles City Council of the increase. The $7.2 billion figure does not include the Games’ $1 billion security price tag.

LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman, responding to IOC member questions about LA28’s budget and ticket prices at a February meeting in Milan, said Los Angeles’ third Olympic Games must deliver on a balanced budget.

“At worst, we break even,” Wasserman said.

But Rodriguez, echoing other council members, remains concerned about Games-related expenses for the city.

“These costs are uncertain, volatile, and likely to increase,” Rodriguez said in the letter to Hoover, referring to the LA28 budget. “Federal support is not guaranteed, and jurisdictions across the country will be competing for the same limited funding.

“These projections also fail to account for real-world risks like emergencies, weather events, and unforeseen operational demands that could increase the City’s financial burden.

“At the same time, the City is expected to stand behind these commitments without meaningful financial transparency into LA28’s financial operations. Under the current framework, LA28’s expenses, including executive compensation, bonuses, and vendor contracts, are reimbursed ahead of the City’s costs, yet the City lacks adequate visibility into how those funds are being spent. That is unacceptable.

“We cannot ask taxpayers to assume financial risk without full accountability. At a time of significant fiscal pressures, the public deserves complete transparency into how funds are being obligated, prioritized, and protected. Anything less undermines public trust.

“This is not just a contract issue; it is a matter of public responsibility. Los Angeles taxpayers must not be placed in a position where they subsidize a Legacy Fund while the City remains exposed. This kind of financial roulette could result in reduced city services.”

Orange County Register

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Rodriguez warns LA28 ‘bankruptcy cannot be the legacy of these Games’

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