Some Long Beach libraries may stay open on Mondays after all.
Mayor Rex Richardson announced Tuesday he has reversed course on a controversial cost-saving plan to cut library hours. Instead, he’s asking a City Council committee to find enough money — about $1.27 million — to keep the Bay Shore, Burnett, El Dorado, Harte and the Michelle Obama libraries open on Mondays. They’re the only city libraries open that day.
Richardson and City Manager Tom Modica originally proposed slashing their Monday hours as part of wider-ranging cuts and layoffs to help close Long Beach’s $58 million budget deficit. But the idea sparked public backlash from residents and librarians who packed City Council meetings, signed petitions and started social media campaigns. The Long Beach Post reported on their concerns that the cuts would strip away one of the last free public spaces in the city at a time of increasing need.
“At last week’s budget hearing, we heard more public comment about our library than any other hearing, and the message was clear, ‘Keep our libraries open on Mondays,’” Richardson said in a social media post.
Keeping them open will likely require cuts elsewhere. In a phone call Tuesday, Richardson said it will be up to the City Council’s Budget Oversight Committee to decide where that money comes from, though he did offer city staff a short list of possible reductions to make room for restoring the libraries. He declined to share specifics.
“I would not have recommended it if it didn’t meet the criteria that I set forward previously … ensuring that there is a way to pay for it that’s sustainable and doesn’t expand the deficit,” he said.
Richardson has consistently said he’s looking for long-term solutions for the budget, adamant that any ongoing programs or positions shouldn’t rely on one-time funding.
Library director Cathy De Leon said Tuesday that the mayor’s plan would restore 12 of the 14 positions originally proposed to be cut from her department: five library clerks, four library assistants, one general librarian and two part-time page positions. The plan makes no mention of restoring a mental health associate position that had also been on the chopping block.
In a separate deal, the nonprofit Library Foundation agreed to invest $750,000 to front the cost of running the library’s Creativity Lab for three years, which had relied on federal grant funding set to expire this year.
The library restorations are part of a series of changes that Richardson and council members have proposed since the budget season began last month. The mayor also asked for funding to restore quality-of-life police officer positions, while Councilmember Kristina Duggan asked for the city to undo its planned elimination of Fire Engine 14, and Councilmember Suely Saro asked for the city to restore homeless outreach efforts on the weekends.
You can weigh in on the budget at Tuesday’s 5 p.m. City Council meeting by emailing a public comment to [email protected] with a subject line that specifies which item you’re referring to. You can also watch the meeting virtually on YouTube or PrimeGov. For those looking to give online public comment remotely, use this link or call in at 213-338-8477. The Meeting ID is 928 7873 1826. The full agenda is available here.
All these changes must be hashed out in the next few weeks before the council members can pass the city’s $4 billion budget. Details on how the library hours could be restored, as well as the fates of other positions and programs, are expected to be brought forward at next week’s Budget Oversight Committee.
The library is just one piece of a far larger budget fight. Long Beach is confronting a $58 million deficit, driven by rising legal payouts, worse-than-expected tax revenue and scheduled raises for city employees.
Closing the deficit could require laying off more than 260 city workers and eliminating more than 200 additional vacant positions, roughly 4% of the city’s 6,000-person workforce.