July 15 marked the two-year anniversary of Garcia becoming mayor of Long Beach.
“I’m proud that Long Beach is becoming more progressive,” Garcia said during the briefing. “Our economy is getting stronger, and our education system is among the best in the country. I greatly appreciate the continued support of the community as we work toward making Long Beach the best city it can be.”
In his briefing, he focused on four key areas he said were priorities in his tenure— economic development, education, civic innovation and livability.
Economic development
Garcia pointed out low unemployment in his briefing Monday. A Sept. 25, 2015 press release reported a seven-year low in the unemployment rate, dropping down to 7.6 percent as of August 2015, according to city officials.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Los Angeles County declined to 4.9 percent in May 2016, according to the Labor Market Information Division of the State of California Employment Development Department.
Garcia also mentioned the development of a minimum-wage ordinance. This year, the minimum wage increased to $10, and reaction to the decision to raise it has been mixed. The Long Beach Council of Business Associations (COBA) conducted two studies regarding the minimum wage that mull over a potential increase to $15 sometime in the future.
The overall findings, according to COBA, were that most businesses and nonprofits are strongly against a straight minimum-wage increase to $15 by the year 2020.
However, the results also showed some signs of support. Businesses and nonprofits suggested endorsing the increase with the following stipulations: setting the minimum-wage target at $12.50 instead of $15; factoring in the amount of benefits an employer provides to an employee; and providing a delayed implementation period for small businesses and nonprofits to adjust operational cost and revenue to accommodate for a potential new wage.
In his briefing, Garcia also noted record tourism— which he said has a $300-million annual economic impact— growth at the Port of Long Beach and the development of BizPort, a website that helps new businesses navigate the licensing and permitting process.
He also added that there has been a net gain of 1,912 new businesses in Long Beach in the last two years.
Education
Garcia emphasized the success of the Long Beach College Promise, a program that began as a local endeavor in 2008 to offer ways for Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) students to prepare for, enter and complete college.
Statistics show that 75 percent of LBUSD graduates attend college within one year and that 80 percent of students attend after two years, according to a Sept. 25, 2015 Signal Tribune article.
The College Promise program is made possible through public funding and private investors. One of the program’s goals is to provide kids better access to preschool education. Universal preschools are part of an international program that utilizes public funding to ensure children have that opportunity.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”500px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Garcia-2.png” credit=”Graph courtesy City of LB” align=”right” lightbox=”on” caption=”A press briefing on July 18 featured visuals that reflected Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia’s work over his first two years in office. Garcia focused his presentation on the areas of economic development, civic innovation, education and livability. ” captionposition=”right”] Locally, the Long Beach College Promise Scholarship at Long Beach City College (LBCC) was expanded to a full year of tuition for students, according to Mayor Garcia’s office. More than 12,000 students are offered free tuition at LBCC.
The Long Beach Internship Challenge has also paved the way for an additional 2,600 internships for local students.
Garcia also mentioned that libraries around the community have added Sunday hours.
Civic innovation
Long Beach has been named a “Top-10 Digital City” for the sixth consecutive year, according to Mayor Garcia’s office.
Services such as “Inspector Gadget,” used to improve the building-inspection process, and the “Go Long Beach” app are among the technological resources the City has utilized.
The “Go Long Beach” app is designed to provide residents, businesses and visitors the opportunity to access city hall 24/7 from any location, according to the City of Long Beach.
Users can submit service requests for issues such as graffiti, potholes and sign damage and send the information directly to City staff.
According to Garcia’s office, a record number of service requests were completed using the “Go Long Beach” app.
Garcia also mentioned an increased investment of $3.6 million toward civic innovation— with resources provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies, SBA, Microsoft, Code for America and the Knight Foundation.
Livability
Garcia highlighted the passage of both Measures A and B— which will support public safety and infrastructure with an investment of $384 million over the next 10 years.
Measure A, also known as the Transactions-and-Use Tax measure, would raise sales taxes by 1 percent for the next six years, followed by a drop of one-half of a percent over the next four years.
Measure B, the Budget-Stabilization Fund, is linked to Measure A.
The first 1 percent of new tax revenue would be set aside in a rainy-day fund to maintain city services and to balance the budget.
The measures have received their fair share of criticisms, however, with many blasting the amount of spending, as reported by the Signal Tribune on June 9, 2016. One group, known as Long Beach Reform, wrote in a statement that Measure A is misleading voters— implying that Long Beach officials are providing false promises.
Garcia defended the measure by arguing that, in order to win a campaign in Long Beach, “you have to raise a lot of money.”
The measures are anticipated to take effect on Jan. 1, 2017.
Garcia also pointed to other successes— including changes to street-sweeping times in an effort to alleviate early-morning sweeping in parking-impacted areas, the launch of the Long Beach Bike Share program— a system in which people can rent bikes at on-street stations with a credit card and return them to other nearby locations— and the start of the San Pedro Bay Ecosystem Restoration Study.
The study is researching the feasibility of removing the Long Beach breakwater, an 8.5-mile, man-made structure that stretches along San Pedro and Long Beach, according to a March 17, 2016 Signal Tribune article. The purpose is to evaluate possible ecosystem restoration, recreational opportunities and general improvements on the shore in parts of Long Beach within East San Pedro Bay.
A national survey also named Long Beach a top-10 bikeable and walkable city— becoming the only city in Southern California with these recognitions, according to Mayor Garcia’s office.
Other media sources reported that Garcia’s focus for the next two years in office is to: continue development in the downtown core in order to secure future investments in the city and local businesses; continue progress on the San Pedro Ecosystem Restoration Study, which is anticipated to develop a “first draft” of possible projects in the fall; and to push for continued efforts in improving public safety.
“Being mayor of the city I love is an incredible honor, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done,” Garcia said. “We still have work to do, but Long Beach is in a great position, and our best days are just ahead.”
