Welcome to Long Beach 101, a print and digital guide intended to equip regular people with tools and pathways to engage with local government.

This guide is the result of new community energy and attention that emerged from our coverage of the federal government’s immigration crackdown in June. In the aftermath of that coverage, we conducted a survey and found that most residents don’t have a basic understanding of how our local government works, nor how to get involved in meaningful ways.

We hope to produce this guide annually as a resource for the readers we serve, but as a nonprofit newsroom, we can’t do that without support from the public. This first edition was possible thanks to a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as well as donations from readers.

Please support our work by giving generously.

Need a copy of the printed guide? Email Isamar Morin: [email protected].

How to find trusted news and candidate information

Read reputable publications

Take advantage of free tools

  • CalMatters Digital Democracy database – A free tool that lets you track legislation by issue or legislator, check bill status, review voting records and more.
  • VoteCal –  The state’s centralized voter registration system. Check your registration, polling location, and vote-by-mail ballot status.
  • VOTE411.org (League of Women Voters) – Enter your address to see a personalized ballot, compare candidates side by side, and read their answers to issue questions.
  • Fair Political Practices Commission Transparency Portal – Campaign finance filings, lobbying reports, enforcement actions, and top contributor lists.

Look for official sources of information

Access election filings

Election forms: See donation amounts to candidates, who gave the money and how funds were spent. Search here for the city clerk’s campaign finance portal by candidate name, district and more (see search options on the left side of the screen).

See all forms filed so far by candidates for the June 2, 2026 primary here.

Form 700: Annual disclosure of income, investments, real estate holdings and gifts for public office holders

Form 802: See who got gifts and tickets, and how much they are worth.

Form 803: Behested payments, which are donations made at a politician’s request to a nonprofit or government entity

Lobbying: See reports on registered lobbyists in the city, and which officials they met with

Public Records 

The California Public Records Act is a state law that gives the public the right to inspect or obtain copies of government records. It’s rooted in the idea that transparency is essential to democracy: Residents should know what their government is doing.

How to make a request: 

  • Click Login (or Login and Submit) and choose create account.
  • Enter your email, name, password, and any contact info you want the city to use. You’ll be able to track requests and receive email updates once logged in.
  • You may submit anonymously, but then you must save the confirmation/reference number and check the portal yourself for updates. You will not receive emails.
  • Start a new request
  • From the portal home, choose Make a public records request (or similar), then select the department or category most likely to hold the records (e.g., City Manager, City Clerk, Public Works, etc.). (Police requests should be filed in the LBPD portal linked above.)
  • Write a precise description
    • In the description box, be specific about:
    • What you want (record types, subjects, keywords).
    • Who is involved (names/titles/offices).
    • When (date range).
    • Format you prefer (electronic copies if available).
      You can upload supporting files or lists of keywords. The portal has FAQs if you need help framing a request.
  • Submit and save your confirmation number
    • After submitting, note the confirmation/reference number and keep it for your records (especially if you filed anonymously)

Timeline & what to expect

  • The city must respond within 10 calendar days to say whether it has disclosable records and how it will proceed; it may take an additional 14 days in “unusual circumstances.” Records should be produced promptly thereafter.
  • You may receive: records for download, a request for clarification, a notice of no responsive records, or a citation to a legal exemption.

Tips for filing a request

  • Search first: some records are already online (contracts, crime stats, etc.) at RecordsLB.
  • Narrow scope: a clear date range and specific keywords speed things up.
  • Be flexible: you can accept rolling releases (as records are located) and electronic formats to reduce costs/delay.

What records can you get?

The law presumes all records are public, including:

  • Emails, letters and memos created in the course of public business
  • Budgets, contracts, invoices and receipts
  • Meeting materials, reports, data sets and statistics
  • Police logs and arrest records (with some limitations)

What agencies can withhold

Certain categories of records may be withheld under exemptions, such as:

  • Personnel files (to protect privacy)
  • Investigatory records in active law enforcement cases
  • Attorney–client privileged documents or attorney work product
  • Drafts and notes that are not considered final records
  • Trade secrets or sensitive financial information submitted by contractors
  • Security-sensitive information (such as building blueprints or cybersecurity systems)

Even when exemptions apply, agencies must release any reasonably segregable portions of the record — meaning they can redact sensitive parts but must still provide the rest.

Contact your local elected leaders

First, find your City Council district

Look up your representatives all across the state (Congress, Assembly, State Senate, etc) using an address search bar on the California Secretary of State website.

There are nine City Council Districts, and each elected representative has one vote on city business. Councilmembers not only make decisions that shape the city, they and their staff can help constituents with practical concerns like trash pickup, street paving, nuisance complaints, zoning questions and more.

District 1: Mary Zendejas

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (562) 570-6919

District 2: Cindy Allen

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (562) 570-2222

District 3: Kristina Duggan

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (562) 570-6300

District 4: Daryl Supernaw

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (562) 570-4444

District 5: Megan Kerr

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (562) 570-5555

District 6: Suely Saro

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (562) 570-6816

District 7: Roberto Uranga

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (562) 570-7777

District 8: Tunua Thrash-Ntuk

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (562) 570-6685

District 9: Joni Ricks-Oddie

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (562) 570-6137

Participate in a public meeting

How to read a City Council or commission agenda

City Council and other boards publish their agendas online before each meeting. You can view agendas, staff reports, and supporting documents at the city’s PrimeGov portal.

Here are some key terms and procedures:

  • Consent calendar: Routine or non-controversial items are grouped together and approved in one vote, without discussion. Any councilmember can request that an item be “pulled” from consent for separate debate.
  • Closed session: Meetings begin with a private “closed session” for legally sensitive matters such as litigation, labor negotiations, or real estate deals. The public can comment before closed session begins, but the discussion itself is not open.
  • Regular agenda items: These are debated in open session. Each item typically has a short staff presentation, public comment, council discussion, and then a vote. Supporting documents (called “staff reports”) are linked directly from the agenda.
  • Supporting documents: On the PrimeGov portal, click into a meeting date, then select an agenda item to view attached staff reports, contracts, maps, or other background material.

Connect within your neighborhood

We contacted every neighborhood association listed on the city’s neighborhood group directory, and we heard back from these organizations throughout the city.

Active Neighborhood Groups

Willmore City Community Association

Promenade Area Residents Association

Ocean Residents Community Association

Rose Park Neighborhood Association

Deforest Park Neighborhood Association

  • Meetings
    • When: Third Thursday of every month (except December) at 7 p.m.
    • Where: DeForest Park Clubhouse, 6255 DeForest Ave., Long Beach.

Belmont Heights Community Association

South of Conant Neighborhood Watch

Friends of Bixby Park

Nehyam Neighborhood Association

Los Cerritos Neighborhood Association

El Dorado Park Estates Neighborhood Association

Bluff Park Neighborhood Association

Wrigley Neighborhood Association