Los Angeles spending $500,000 to install Olympic flags at City Hall, controller says
LOS ANGELES - The 2028 Olympic Summer Games may be four years away, but Los Angeles is already gearing up for what's anticipated to be one of the biggest events to be hosted in the city.
How is LA preparing four years away from the major event? Apparently with Olympic flags.
"The City of LA is suffering from a Budget Crisis, so what better way to spend $500,000 from the General Fund's Capital Improvement Fund?" LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Not on actual capital/infrastructure improvements (which we direly need), but on installing OLYMPIC FLAGS at City Hall!"
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Social media users were quick to chime in on the city's alleged spending.
"Can anyone explain how installing flags cost half a million bucks??" one person said.
"Ridiculous! Let the US Olympic Committee pay for that or put it in a closet for 4 years!" another said.
"L.A. wants to pretend like we’re on a@NobuRestaurants budget, when in reality it should be @McDonalds $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu, someone else joked.
"Or you could build 5/6 of one unit of affordable housing," another commented.
FOX 11 has reached out to the city for comment but has not yet heard back.
The official Olympic flag arrived in LA just a couple of days ago after Mayor Karen Bass received the flag during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
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Mayor Bass has promised a "no-car games," announcing that the city will expand its public transportation system and encourage businesses to allow employees to work from home during the 17 days of the Olympics to avoid traffic jams.
"We're already meeting with businesses about procurement, especially small businesses. And I'll say that that's something that I admire Paris is doing, making a commitment that a percentage of the business goes to small businesses here, we're already working to create jobs by expanding our public transportation system in order for us to have a no car games. And that's a feat in Los Angeles, because we've always been in love with our cars, but we're already working to ensure that we can build a greener Los Angeles," she said.
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Although most Olympic events in Los Angeles will be accessible only via public transit, some large venues such as SoFi Stadium are still expected to permit on-site vehicle parking.
New sports will make their Olympic debuts, picked by organizers in LA who also are bringing back others that left the program more than 100 years ago. This includes flag football, squash and obstacle racing. Lacrosse and cricket will return after more than a century.
Los Angeles is set to host the Olympic Games July 14, 2028 and the Paralympic Games August 15, 2028. LA previously hosted the games in 1932 and 1984.
The July 30 end date in Los Angeles is the first time a northern hemisphere Summer Games will finish so early since the 1924 Olympics closed July 27 in Paris.
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Check out full coverage of the upcoming 2028 Olympics by tapping or clicking here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.