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Budget negotiations are down to the wire
Librarians. Police officers. A fire engine. It’s decision week in Long Beach.
After a summer of public hearings, walk-backs and last-minute rescues, the city’s Budget Oversight Committee is expected Tuesday to send its list of recommendations to the City Council — the last stop before lawmakers must adopt a balanced budget by the end of the month.
How we got here: The city in late July unveiled its fiscal year 2027 budget, hamstrung by a $58 million shortfall and exhausted reserves that pushed the mayor and city manager to recommend millions of dollars in cuts and layoffs. Through a series of hearings and presentations, the public was told these cuts would result in fewer library days, longer response times and an overall less effective city government. Many pushed back, demanding funding for libraries, for firefighters and paramedics. They packed council meetings, circulated petitions and eventually got the mayor to publicly reverse his stance on cuts to library programs.
But nothing is yet secure. The mayor and council have asked the three-member Budget Oversight Committee — chaired by Councilmembers Joni Ricks-Oddie, Roberto Uranga and Cindy Allen — to find the cash in the budget to accommodate, among other asks, $1.27 million for libraries, $1.22 million for Quality of Life officers who mostly handle non-emergency calls, $477,000 for job training among those re-entering the workforce and money to restore homelessness outreach on the weekends.
And without a new source of revenue, these items will have to come at the expense of other programs and services. One suggestion has been to cut from the city’s marketing budget. Public frustration over the spending on a “Vibe City” advertising campaign prompted questions about whether that money — currently restricted to the city’s Special Advertising and Promotions fund — could be moved to pay for other things.
The city said in a Sept. 1 memo it is having its legal team assess if the fund — ordinance-approved but complicated by restrictions set under Proposition 218 — can be redirected and if it would take a City Council vote or a public referendum.
For now, Tuesday at 1 p.m. is the day to hear out the final recommendations. To voice your opinion in a written public comment to the committee, follow the link here and click the speech bubble corresponding to the committee meeting.
Quick sips of the latest news
- City Council to begin voting on department budgets, fees: As part of the 2027 budget season, the City Council on Tuesday will be asked to adopt a number of resolutions and advance toward final approvals for this year’s $4 billion spending plan. This includes resolutions and ordinances on the proposed recommendations, Budget Oversight’s own recommendations, citywide fees and utility rates, employee salaries, capital improvements for the year and separate approvals for the Harbor and Utilities departments.
The City Council has until Sept. 15 to approve the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, while the mayor has until Sept. 20 to make any line-item vetoes. The budget is to be adopted on Sept. 30. You can review the city’s entire proposed budget here.
- Fighting for 30 more minutes: Thirty minutes means a lot in the world of parking. That’s why Councilmember Mary Zendejas, who represents downtown Long Beach, is asking the city to amend its new rates on the City Place Parking Garage (one hour free with $2 per hour afterward) to 90 minutes free and $2 per thirty minutes. In a council meeting last week, Zendejas explained this will help accommodate people parking downtown for exercise classes and shopping. In a memo, she wrote the change will also bring $250,000 more in annual parking revenue.
- Hundreds on voucher assistance will keep their homes: Long Beach appears to have avoided a sudden wave of several hundred people falling back into homelessness. The Long Beach Housing Authority confirmed it has enough Housing Choice Vouchers — known as Section 8 — to transition the nearly 500 households set to lose assistance in November. According to my colleague Jacob Sisneros’ latest report, 400 homes will move onto the authority’s own HCV program, while the other 80 households will be absorbed by other jurisdictions. This is possible, the authority says, because of funding from HUD.
- Burnout, turnover hampered the Long Beach Justice Fund: Demand for immigration legal services is outpacing the supply of immigration attorneys, as those taking cases are increasingly scaling back or exiting the field over significant burnout and stress, according to a city report published last week on the effects of the Long Beach Justice Fund from 2019 to 2025. This turnover, while not specific to Long Beach, has led to the city’s need to switch legal providers multiple times (it most recently contracted Public Counsel in November). Under the Justice Fund, attorneys took 164 cases in those six years and gave 192 legal consultations.
This comes as the Mayor is recommending $1 million for the Justice Fund while local rights groups, including some of those contracted to carry out the Justice Fund’s goals, are saying it needs $3 million to meet the growing demand for immigration legal services.
Helpful/interesting links
- Long Beach will mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with a citywide moment of silence and ceremony on Friday at 9:11 a.m., viewable by livestream here.
- The city will host a job fair Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Long Beach Workforce Innovation Network Adult Career Services Center (4811 Airport Plaza Dr.). Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP online. Registration will remain open through the event. It is open to all but is aimed at helping people reenter the workforce after a criminal conviction.
- As much as the city loves talking about the 2028 Olympics, they also like to hear your thoughts about it. Give your opinion on the upcoming Games in a city-run survey here.