The Los Angeles City Council approved $13.04 million in debt financing for 107 LAPD vehicles tied to the 2028 Olympics. Three council members voted no Wednesday, Sept. 9, warning the city's total vehicle tab could top $40 million.

The 8-3 vote authorized Municipal Improvement Corporation of Los Angeles (MICLA) financing for a package of non-patrol vehicles, The Eastsider LA reported. The fleet includes 30 dual-purpose vehicles, 30 unmarked investigative vehicles, seven substations, four van substations, hazardous materials response trucks, major incident response trucks and utility carts for venue perimeters. The spending had been approved in the 2026-27 budget. Wednesday's action released the financing.

Council members Eunisses Hernandez, Ysabel Jurado and Nithya Raman voted no. Four members were absent: Bob Blumenfield, John Lee, Monica Rodriguez and Hugo Soto-Martinez.

Hernandez, who represents District 1, estimated the city's total Olympic vehicle costs will likely exceed $40 million. She called the spending a broken promise.

"You cannot tell Angelenos they are getting a no-cost Olympics and then come back expense-by-expense and tell us the city has to pay because the Olympics are coming," Hernandez said.

Hernandez said the LAPD acknowledged no other city or department funding sources were available to cover the vehicles in the required timeline.

The vote came as a separate $30 million request for 300 patrol cars remains stalled. Budget and Finance Committee Chair Katy Yaroslavsky expressed deep skepticism about that larger request at an Aug. 31 committee hearing. As we reported Sept. 1, Yaroslavsky told LAPD officials she was "incredibly uncomfortable with spending $30 million on cars" for a month-long event.

The committee deferred the patrol-car decision and asked the City Administrative Officer (CAO) for more information on costs, payment options and alternative funding. On Wednesday, the full council directed the CAO to report back on the fiscal impacts of that $30 million request. No deadline was specified.

According to a July 15 report from LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, the department needs more than 900 patrol vehicles across all Olympic venues during an estimated 87-day operation. The operation spans eight competition sites and roughly 550 miles of race courses. After borrowing vehicles from units paused during the Games and retaining older cars, a gap of 300 vehicles remains.

McDonnell's report noted patrol vehicles carry an 18-to-20-month manufacturing lead time before delivery and outfitting. The LAPD does not expect reimbursement for vehicle costs. Federal Olympic funding is expected to go toward personnel across multiple jurisdictions, vehicle eligibility for reimbursement is unconfirmed, and the LA28 organizing committee has said it has no budget line for law enforcement operations, according to the department.

On peak days, the LAPD's venue staffing requirement approaches 6,700 officers. The department can supply about one-third from its own ranks.

The CAO report-back on the $30 million patrol-vehicle request remains pending.