At a July 31 press conference, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and City Manager Pat West unveiled the proposed fiscal year 2018 budget for city council consideration. According to Garcia, the $2.647 billion budget is balanced and fiscally responsible.
“We believe it is fiscally prudent. It is a budget that does not overspend but ensures that we continue to pay down our pension liabilities and that we continue to ensure that we’re responsible about where we want to spend all of our dollars,” Garcia said. “I think it’s important to note that this year we are seeing revenues that are coming into the city at a new level, which is pretty exciting as well.”
While both Garcia and West were eager to note the budget is structurally balanced, West’s presentation included projections for fiscal years 2019 and 2020 with shortfalls – $10.4 million and $8.7 million respectively. West cited continued challenges with increased pension liabilities for city employees as the leading driver of future budget gaps.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and City Manager Pat West presented a $2.647 billion 2018 budget proposal during a July 31 press conference. The proposed budget, which the mayor described as balanced and fiscally responsible, puts heavy emphasis on infrastructure and police and fire. Pictured from left: Garcia; West; Tom Modica, assistant city manager; John Gross, director of financial management; Lea Eriksen, assistant director of financial management; and Grace Yoon, budget officer. (Photograph by the Business Journal’s Brandon Richardson)
The Long Beach City Council began the review process of the proposed budget with a 90-minute special meeting on August 1, and a focus on police and fire department proposed budgets at its August 8 meeting.
According to a presentation by Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna, the department’s proposed budget is $241.8 million, with 92% coming from the General Fund, 5% from the Tidelands Fund, 2% from grants and 1% from Proposition H (targeting homelessness). He said the budget amount represents an increase of more than 9.5% over last year.
During 2016, Luna said the department dispatched officers to 211,000 calls for service, which breaks down to about 578 per day. These numbers and the city’s overall 5% reduction in crime are due in large part to the return of South Division, the recent contract to patrol Long Beach’s Metro station and continued police academies, with the fourth consecutive academy already receiving 800 applications.
“With your assistance and support, we will continue to expand our technological capabilities. We will employ a data-driven approach to our enforcement and investigative strategies to maximize our resources, reduce crime and improve the quality of life.”
During the August 8 hearing, 3rd District Councilmember Suzie Price voiced concern over the lack of police body-worn cameras. Luna explained that the department would complete its body camera pilot program in November, at which time an extensive report would be brought to council. Luna noted the significant financial commitment the program would require, which is not budgeted for in 2018.
“It is rare to see an agency not have body cameras, especially a large agency, and I don’t want to be one of the only agencies that doesn’t have one if that’s where the industry is headed,” Price said. “I think it speaks to the credibility of the agency in terms of responding to and adopting trends and standards.”
According to a presentation by Long Beach Fire Chief Mike Duree, the proposed budget for the fire department is $116.9 million, with 74% coming from the General Fund, 27% from the Tidelands Fund, 2% from Prop. H and 1% from Certified Unified Program Agencies.
In the past 12 months, Duree said the department has responded to 71,000 fire, emergency medical, marine safety and other emergency calls for service. He explained that the proposed budget would continue the Homeless Education and Response Team (HEART) program, allow for additional staff and continue the operation of Engine 8 and Rescue 12 – recently reinstated with Measure A funds. The new budget also calls for a $217 increase in ambulance transportation fees for advanced life support and a $105 increase for basic life support.
While Duree noted the continued challenge of improving response times citywide, he noted the reinstatement of Rescue 12 has reduced the response time from 8 minutes and 40 seconds to 5 minutes and 36 seconds in North Long Beach, and by 30 seconds citywide.
“The fact that folks had to wait that long and we’re finally addressing that with shaving three minutes off, that’s something the entire city council and everyone who supported Measure A should be proud of,” Vice Mayor Rex Richardson said. “And I do want to say that citywide, that 30 seconds is significant. That means our system is healthier; it is stronger.”
City Manager Pat West, top right, is pictured on the 13th floor of city hall with several of his management team, including Rebecca Guzman Jimenez, who serves as assistant to the city manager. Seated left is Tom Modica, assistant city manager, who has served in the position for nearly three years and has held several leadership positions since joining the city as a management assistant in July 2002. The newest member of the team is Deputy City Manager Kevin J. Jackson, who was appointed to the position in May. He came to Long Beach from Champaign, Illinois, where he served as neighborhood services director. (Photograph by the Business Journal’s Larry Jackson)
The following is a breakdown of Measure A and non Measure A funding for public safety, infrastructure and other focus areas included in the proposed 2018 budget:
Measure A investments in public safety
• $6.3 million in continued support for the priority public safety restorations originally approved in FY 2017, including:
○ South Police Division with eight sworn police positions and two civilian positions
○ Fire Engine 8, which includes 12 sworn fire positions
○ Police academy operations with nine sworn police positions
○ Paramedic Rescue 12, which includes six sworn fire positions
• $8.3 million to maintain existing fire department and police department programs and operations, saving the equivalent of 53 sworn positions in FY 2018
• Enhancements to public safety using one-time funds, including:
○ Funding a $1.0 million Neighborhood Safe Streets Initiative
○ Allotting $4.3 million to support the fourth back-to-back police academy with a
maximized number of recruits
○ Allotting $750,000 for safety camera network modernization and expansion
Non-Measure A funded public safety initiatives
• Adding 28 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers for Metro Blue Line enforcement
• Structural funding of the fire department’s Homeless Education and Response Team (HEART)
• Adding two firefighters/investigators to conduct marijuana inspections and assist with team-based marijuana enforcement
Measure A investments in public infrastructure
• $14.3 million in new funding for mobility programs, including arterial street improvements, paving unpaved alleys, curb cuts and other sidewalk repairs, smart street lights, signage and finishing the slurry seal for every residential street started this year
• $4.3 million in new funding for public facilities repair and improvements to public safety buildings, libraries, a health facility, the convention center, and to initiate a facility condition assessment
• $6.1 million in new funding for the city’s parks and recreation infrastructure, including funding to improve the Houghton Park Community Center, Fourth Street Senior Center, athletic fields, the historic ranchos, and citywide irrigation upgrades
• $1.6 million to improve and repair the city’s stormwater pump stations
Additional strategic focus areas
• Mobility
○ Formation of a Transportation Mobility Bureau
○ Additional staffing for mobility initiatives including transit and biking
○ Addition of a pothole crew
○ Address the city’s ADA requirements
• Homelessness – Use Measure MA (marijuana tax, 2016) to fund:
○ Two additional sworn firefighter/paramedic positions to permanently staff the HEART
team
○ Quality of Life teams
○ Homelessness rapid response
○ Multi-Service Center operations
• Improving Cleanliness
○ Addition of two more Clean Teams
○ Focus on recycling and waste diversion
• Economic Development
○ Increase staffing in the Economic Development and Development Services Departments
• Arts and Culture
○ Two Beach Streets events
○ Support for arts (Museum/Arts Council/PowWow)
• Innovation and Efficiency
○ Continue locally funded Innovation Team
• City Departments’ New Initiatives
○ Improvements to hiring process
○ Animal Care Services – two new positions
○ Develop a single phone number system for the city
○ Develop new digital platforms
○ Invest in geographic information system (GIS) based open data enhancements
○ Website improvements
○ New fiber installation and many more technology investments
Additional budget hearings are scheduled for tonight, August 15, and August 22. At its September 5 meeting, the city council is scheduled to hold another budget hearing and has the option to adopt the proposed budget. If not adopted, a fifth and final budget hearing will be held on September 12.
Council District Budget Meetings
Budget overview meetings have been scheduled in each of the nine city council districts (District 2 was held August 12), allowing residents an opportunity to ask questions and voice opinions before the proposed budget is voted on next month. Following is a list in date order:
Council District 1 (English)
August 16, 6 p.m.
Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum
695 Alamitos Ave.
Council District 6
August 17, 6 p.m.
McBride Park &
Cal Rec Community Center
1550 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave.
Council District 9
August 21, 6 p.m.
Michelle Obama Library
5870 Atlantic Ave.
Council District 8
August 23, 6:30 p.m.
Expo Art Center
4321 Atlantic Ave.
Council District 5
August 24, 6:30 p.m.
El Dorado Park Community Center
2800 N. Studebaker Rd.
Council District 7
August 28, 6 p.m.
Miller Family Health Education Center
3820 Cherry Ave.
Council District 4
August 30, 5 p.m.
Los Altos Library
5614 E. Britton Dr.
Council District 1 (Spanish)
August 30, 6 p.m.
Birria Tepechi Mexican
1440 Santa Fe Ave.
Council District 3
August 31, 6 p.m.
District 3 Field Office
340 Nieto Ave.