[41] One example is three small buildings at historic Sunset Junction that were demolished to make way for a large condominium development, but which in fact remained vacant land for more than a decade.

As no candidate received a majority of the primary votes to be elected outright, the top two finishers (Garcetti and City Controller Wendy Greuel) advanced to a runoff.

[55] In April 2014, he unveiled a "hold-the-line" budget for the coming fiscal year, which proposed modest increases in a number of city services and zero reduction in the business tax.

His financial proposal of $8.1 billion required approval from the city council and closed the $242 million gap "in part by relying on increased tax revenue projections and reductions in vacant positions".

He also announced other changes, such as creating a $1.4 million innovation fund to transform city services, breaking the command structure at the Los Angeles Fire Department into four geographic regions, and hiring 140 firefighters to cope with attrition.

"[61] Business leaders warned that boosting pay too quickly could stifle the slowly rebounding local economy (California's minimum wage then was $9, having increased from $8 on July 1).

[64] In June 2014, while calling the long wait times at the VA's Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System unacceptable,[65] Garcetti pledged to secure 10,000 jobs for veterans by 2017.

On the one hand, the jobs initiative, which offers tax credits to employers who hire veterans, has been generally successful, even surpassing Garcetti's original goal.

[69] In a 2017 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Garcetti said that he deserved credit for housing 8,000 veterans, as well as persuading voters to pass Proposition HHH in 2016, which sought to drastically expand the number of apartment units built in the city.

[73][74] Garcetti responded to the report by saying "Skyrocketing rents statewide and federal disinvestment in affordable housing, combined with an epidemic of untreated trauma and mental illness, is pushing people into homelessness faster than they can be lifted out".

"[75] Later that month, he confirmed Los Angeles would help shelter immigrant children who have been detained after crossing the border and had begun talks with a federal agency about doing so.

[76] Garcetti worked together with Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis to create the $10 million L.A. Justice Fund, which provides legal services to illegal immigrants facing deportation.

[77] In April 2019, Garcetti opposed President Donald Trump on his plan to release immigrant detainees into sanctuary cities calling his strategy "hateful" and a "waste of time".

[88] He also appointed former ambassador Nina Hachigian as Deputy Mayor for International Affairs to help coordinate the Olympics as well as broadening the city's global relations in general.

Protective League President Tyler Izen said that while the union understood the mayor's intentions, he believed speaking directly to the officers could violate fair bargaining rules.

[90] Garcetti found a way around the legal threats by posting a video on YouTube on July 24, noting that under the proposed contract, salaries for officers hired during the recession would be increased and overtime would no longer be given as time off, instead paid in cash.

[98][99] Garcetti nominated four new appointees to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners: Jill Banks Barad, Michael F. Fleming, William W. Funderburk Jr., and former congressman Mel Levine.

[103] The deal was largely worked out before Garcetti took office the previous month; he initially balked at the contract before coming around when negotiators tweaked the proposal to allow for further talks on the issue.

[114] In May 2020, Mayor Garcetti joined Rep. Ted Lieu, CNN host Van Jones, and other leaders in civil rights and public service to speak out against racism — including Anti-Asian hate — during the COVID-19 pandemic at an Asia Society forum.

[117] On his first full day as mayor, Garcetti proclaimed that Los Angeles was beginning to leave behind its culture of car ownership and to focus on "walkability and transit".

[138] Battalion Chief Stephen J. Ruda of the LAFD reported the female pedestrian "was stable and alert, responding to our paramedics" before she was rushed to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

"[140] On June 16, 2014, while speaking at the championship celebration for the Los Angeles Kings hockey team, Garcetti cautioned: "There are two rules in politics – never be pictured with a drink in your hand, and never swear."

The report states: "a significant number of requests by political figures to check on specific addresses of homes to ensure their protection distracted from Department leadership to accomplish priority objectives.

"[146][147] On August 5, 2020, Garcetti announced that he was authorizing the city to shut off water and power service to houses hosting parties, or violating public health orders during COVID-19.

[148] On October 19, 2020, journalist Yashar Ali reported allegations that Garcetti had been aware of sexual misconduct committed by his senior advisor, Rick Jacobs, and did not take proper action.

[154] Garcetti came under wide scrutiny from Los Angeles residents, including the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, for supposedly focusing on his presidential ambitions over his mayoral duties.

"[160] In October 2020, Garcetti expressed support for Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying: "I urge our leaders in Washington to conduct the sustained and rigorous diplomacy necessary to bring peace to the Artsakh region.

[162] At the end of April 2020, Garcetti was named a member of the vetting committee for the selection of presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Biden's running mate.

[203] From 2010 to 2012, then City Councilman Garcetti appeared as "Ramon Quintero", the mayor of Los Angeles, on the fictional TNT television show The Closer and its spin-off Major Crimes.

Eric Garcetti also made a cameo appearance as a desk security guard working in the mayor's office, in the pilot episode of the TBS series Angie Tribeca.