Los Angeles controller warns taxpayers may shoulder huge 2028 Olympic overruns

In a video posted on X, Los Angeles controller Kenneth Mejia warned that the city’s role as the financial backstop for the 2028 Olympic Games could expose taxpayers to multi-billion-dollar overruns. He argued that missed votes in 2021 and this week’s Enhanced City Resources and Monitoring Agreement eliminated opportunities for tighter fiscal protections and transparency. Historical examples include Montreal’s 1976 Games, which ballooned from a $360 million bid to $2.9 billion, and Rio’s 2016 Games with a 352% overrun.

Mejia pledged to use all charter tools to monitor spending. Susan Shelley of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association said the city’s agreement makes it the ultimate backstop, with the state covering the first $270 million of overruns and the remainder falling to Los Angeles residents.