An annual budget review had tensions running high during Tuesday night’s city council meeting as members allocated a leftover $10.7 million from 2022 revenues.
Long Beach ended the previous year with an $11.5 million shortfall, but thanks to federal Recovery funds and higher than projected revenue increases, the city had an extra $10.7 million in one-year funds to funnel into priority projects.
The 56-page 2022 year-end budget report details the priority projects that the last city council body laid out, which include library resources, language access, support for the Justice Fund, youth programs and $5.4 million to tackle homelessness.
On the last pages of the report is a memorandum Mayor Rex Richardson sent out on Jan. 30 that requests $1.3 million from the one-time funds to add positions to the mayor’s office and additional staffers for each council member. Each proposed position in the mayor’s office will be appointed by Richardson.
“This is the most we’ve ever done to address our most pressing issues facing our city—homelessness and economic growth,” Richardson said. “I think we can’t claim to focus on these issues without being able to invest resources and capacity necessary to take these challenges head-on.”
Positions include a Housing Deputy and an Economic Development Deputy, though residents pointed out that there are no job descriptions for the roles.
Councilmember Jonie Ricks-Oddie requested an amendment for an additional $383,000 to hire a legislative assistant and additional staffer for each councilmember. This money will be taken from homelessness resources allocations ($212,000) and from a Public Service Pathways Program that the mayor introduced as part of his budget ($171,000).
The suggested positions will be created using one-time funds, meaning the city will have to find funding in the general budget by next year and may have to cut funding from other projects or emergency needs.
“In any other normal year if we didn’t have any resources from COVID we would be making actual reductions … that’s what we’ve done all the time in the past,” said City Manager Tom Modica.
Budget Manager Grace H. Yoon clarified that these recommendations could not be passed under the same item as the year-end budget review, but will have to return to council as a separate item.
Council support came to a halt when Councilmember Al Austin, who has been on the Budget Oversight Committee for eight years and has chaired the budget process for the last three years, voiced his concerns.
“There’s been no real council deliberation or input, but an 86% increase in the legislative budget on a single council item is egregious. We don’t give an 86% increase to any department ever,” Austin said. “What we are doing here and what is being proposed in this budget will dramatically shift the governance and foundation of this city and I really would ask my colleagues to think about what you’re doing tonight and what you’re agreeing tonight because it is big. You are giving away your authority as a city council to govern the city.”
Austin asked the city council to approve the allocations set by the previous council and send the rest of the recommendations to the Budget Oversight Committee.
Councilmember Daryl Supernaw supported Austin’s motion, saying that he has a seven-year track record of not needing additional staff. He suggested that the Public Works Department receive the hiring funds instead, in order to push city projects through the pipeline more quickly.
Councilmember Kristina Duggan asked why these recommendations weren’t shared with the public during community budget meetings held over the past month, and questioned why it hasn’t been present in the budget process. She held up a thick stack of papers, saying that she’s been receiving questions about the proposal from the community that she’s been unable to answer.
“I just have concerns that we’re adding positions and we’re adding to the deficit,” Duggan said. “I couldn’t in good conscience vote for [Richardson’s] motion that was made. I know I’m in the minority, but I couldn’t vote for that.”
Richardson’s motion received support from councilmembers Ricks-Oddie, Robert Uranga, Suely Saro, Cindy Allen, Meghan Kerr and Mary Zendejas, most of whom cited the need for more staff.
Residents nearly unanimously took to the podium to voice their objections at the motion.
“If we have a deficit, I strongly ask everybody to just tighten your belt and live within your means, because that’s exactly what we need to do as taxpayers of this city, because when the prices of the gas shoots up to the roof, what we get from the city is a very nice shiny flier telling me that I have to turn down my thermostat,” said Long Beach resident Paris Stew.
The mayor’s budget has been steadily increasing in recent years. In 2014, the mayor’s budget was $850,000 and rose to $1.4 million under former mayor Robert Garcia. If the recommendation is approved, it will bring the mayor’s budget to over $2 million.
“There’s this constant conversation about transparency and trusting the process, but when different things are done like this, it makes us really have to work harder to do the job that you all have been elected to do,” said Long Beach resident Joleen Tatum. “The idea that additional layers are going to be created in the mayor’s office only creates more bureaucracy, preventing communities from being able to connect with the people they need access to.”
Councilmembers Austin, Supernaw and Duggan were the only votes against Richardson’s motion, and it will return to council for a final approval.
“The concept of a deputy is not a new idea. Priorities may be different,” Richardson said. “Mayor Garcia, we supported an innovation deputy and a million dollars to establish the Innovation Fund at the February end of year report when he first became mayor. My priorities are housing and jobs and that’s what I’m focusing on and that’s what I’m presenting.”
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