Good morning, Long Beach. It’s Monday, May 4. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

City meetings

Mayor Rex Richardson wants his City Council colleagues to endorse a countywide sales tax increase. At their meeting this Tuesday, he’ll ask them to throw their support behind a ballot measure that would raise L.A. County’s rate by a half-percent. In other words, an extra half cent on every dollar spent.

The city and county have already raised their respective sales taxes in recent years to fund things like infrastructure improvements, public safety salaries and homelessness prevention. But Richardson and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors say there’s a new, dire need for another increase.

The city and county are bracing for major cuts to their health systems, in large part due to federal policy shifts. Long Beach is already feeling the pinch, having to cut 44 health department jobs and programs like nutrition classes and mobile HIV testing after losing about $18 million in federal funding.  

L.A. County’s health department, meanwhile, is projecting it’s going to lose $800 million annually, thanks in large part to H.R. 1 — Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The county’s public hospitals and medical clinics anticipate being hit especially hard by provisions in H.R. 1 that will strip Medi-Cal coverage from hundreds of thousands of L.A. County residents. Proponents say this will cause a ripple effect, forcing clinics to close and driving up prices for everyone.

Richardson warned that “reductions in healthcare capacity regionally would place additional strain on local emergency rooms, increase wait times, and reduce access to preventative and primary care, resulting in worse health outcomes and higher long-term costs.”

L.A. County voters will have the ultimate say on the tax, known as Measure ER. It could be a tough sell in Long Beach. A poll late last year found the local electorate was in a “highly pessimistic mood” and had little appetite for new taxes.

We’ll soon find out if the rest of the county feels the same. Measure ER is up for a vote in the June 2 Primary. That’s right, it’s less than a month to Election Day. Your ballot is probably already in your mailbox or on its way.

When you start filling it out, be sure to use our local voter guide at LBPost.com/elections. It won’t tell you how to vote, but it will arm you with facts about all the candidates and measures so you can make an informed decision that you feel good about.

Other City Council items to know about:

  • Council members will also retake a discussion on Tuesday on whether to approve a contract for security guards to patrol Belmont Shore. The item was tabled last month after criticisms from the public and Councilmember Kristina Duggan questioning the effectiveness of security to curb disorderly conduct along the popular tourist strip.

Business events and information

  • Here’s your most important event reminder: Mother’s Day is Sunday. Don’t wait until the last minute to send that card or book that brunch.
  • Back to business. If you live or work downtown, consider attending this candidates’ forum Saturday, where five people vying to be the area’s City Council member will answer questions. It’s from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Shannon’s At the Top events space, 105 W. Broadway, Long Beach. It’s followed by a meet-and-greet at the Secret Island tikibar downstairs. RSVP here.
  • Lastly, in case you hadn’t heard, a major Long Beach nonprofit announced some big news last week. The Long Beach Post and Long Beach Business Journal (that’s us!) are joining forces with The LA Local, which already does stellar work covering other areas of Los Angeles County. It’s great news for us. And it means we’re hiring!

ICYMI — California and national news

  • How tariffs and war are hurting California small businesses (CalMatters)
  • The truth about business in California — the Golden State hasn’t lost its luster (Los Angeles Times)
  • He recorded his quest for tariff refunds. It shows why billions may never get repaid (NPR)

Jeremiah Dobruck is executive editor of the Long Beach Post where he oversees all day-to-day newsroom operations. In his time working as a journalist in Long Beach, he’s won numerous awards for his investigative reporting and editing. Before coming to the Post in 2018, he wrote for publications including the Press-Telegram, Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times. Reach him at [email protected] or @jeremiahdobruck on Twitter.