12 August, 2017
"This opportunity is too great, we can not pass it up", said council President Herb Wesson Jr.
Los Angeles' City Council have voted "unanimously" to authorise the signing of a Host City Contract with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics.
The City Council voted 12-0 to endorse documents at the heart of its plan to stage the Summer Olympics for the third time since 1932. However, the extra four years pose challenges for Los Angeles from maintaining public interest to rewriting deals for stadiums, arenas and housing that were all hooked to 2024.
More than 50 Olympic and Paralympic athletes and City leaders joined LA 2028 in Council Chambers to express their support for bringing the Games back to LA.
Yet it is hustling to approve a new deal within days.
The contract gives the city a greater share of any financial surplus from the Games and includes an International Olympic Committee contribution of US$2 billion ($2.5b) but also leaves Los Angeles with any cost overruns associated with the $5.3 billion sporting event.
LA 2028 Chairman Casey Wasserman said: "Since our announcement that we would pursue the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we've worked closely with the City Council to ensure the 2028 Host City Contract is the best deal for our city and all Angelenos".
The Californian city is due to be officially confirmed as 2028 host at the IOC Session in Lima on September 13. However, an independent analysis of a new budget in the works for 2028 would not likely be completed for months. Nor will they have an independent evaluation of that updated budget. "Together with the united support of the City Council and the people of Los Angeles, we will deliver the greatest Games possible in 2028".
Olympic champions Carl Lewis and Janet Evans, who are part of a private committee behind the bid, urged approval of the plan.
Despite not yet having a full budget, both the Office of the Chief Legislative Analyst and the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer have recommended that the City Council approve the host city contract and MOU. With the Legislature on recess, it is not guaranteed that the state will approve the same amount for 2028 by a deadline of August 18 when the council would need to take a number of actions.
The 2028 plan is expected to remain largely unchanged, without building any new, permanent venues.
