It is a pleasure to present the FY 2023 Budget in partnership with City Manager, Tom Modica. This is my eighth and final budget that I am presenting to the City Council, and like the previous seven, it is balanced and responsible. This $3.2 billion budget makes substantial new investments in infrastructure repairs, public safety, homeless services, and creates a new Office of Climate Action.
The budget also continues to strengthen our recovery from the largest public health crisis of our lifetime. As we continue this recovery, we are taking important steps to address pandemics and strengthening our public health response to keep our community safe – this includes continued investments from the Long Beach Recovery Act to fund positions and initiatives focused on pandemic response and preparedness as well as economic recovery.
A Bold New Infrastructure Plan
The FY 2023 proposed budget proudly presents a five-year, $522 million plan to improve infrastructure across the city. This includes $322 million for mobility improvements such as street, alleyway and bridge repairs in addition to bike and pedestrian upgrades; over $48 million for park improvements; and $50 million for public facilities like our Senior Center, libraries and fire stations. Over the same time period we will also invest over $80 million in other city infrastructure including accessibility improvements to our sidewalks, investments in water quality at Alamitos Bay, climate action and adaptation measures, our Colorado Lagoon Open Channel Project and Broadway corridor LGBTQ+ cultural district project.
We are able to continue making these historic investments in public safety, emergency response and our city’s infrastructure thanks to Measure A, which was approved by voters in 2016 and extended by voters in 2020 and will provide over $238 million towards this five- year plan.
Our Homelessness Crisis and Action Plan
Addressing and finding local solutions to the nationwide homelessness crisis continues to be a top priority for the City. This budget provides a total of $77 million for housing services, including more than $50 million in interim and permanent housing opportunities, $20 million in services to the those in the city who are unhoused, and $6 million for our Multi- Service Center operations. Thanks to Measure A, we are also able to invest $5 million towards Project Homekey in our city, which allows us to convert existing hotels into supportive housing for residents experiencing homelessness. This budget also expands our Restorative Engagement to Achieve Collective Health (REACH) teams from two to three, enhancing our ability to assist and better support our unhoused community.
Additional annual funding through Measure B at Tier II for the Cambodian American Cultural Center and Latino Cultural Center—providing these Cultural Centers with annual funding at the same level as the African American Cultural Center—as well as for the South Coast Chorale LGBT chorus. I am also asking the City Manager to put a moratorium on adding additional programs funded through Measure B for the next three years, at which time a review can be done to measure the effectiveness of Measure B investments;
Formalize and expand the City's program to waive or offset parking citations for people experiencing homelessness in order to help reduce barriers to housing and services; 50,000 towards the Long Beach Heritage Museum for preservation initiatives; $150,000 invested into the African American Cultural Center (AACC) for the purposes of establishing a museum and cultural exhibit highlighting the impact of Hip Hop in Long Beach and the United States; and an additional $250,000 for the restoration of the historic VIP Records sign, totaling in a $400,000 joint project between AACC and VIP Records;
A Safe City for All
Long Beach also remains committed to ensuring we protect the public’s safety and this budget proposes additional investments, including significant funding for the Community Crisis Response program to focus on responding to mental health, substance use and other quality of life calls for service. We are also adding 20 new police officer positions, including four new Quality of Life Officers and 16 positions to enhance Neighborhood Walks and create a new team of bike officers to focus on neighborhood outreach, community engagement and immediate public safety needs.
A New Climate Office
Additionally, the FY 23 proposed budget creates a new Office of Climate Action and Sustainability in the General Fund under the City Manager. This development was initially proposed by my office and will be made up of nine full-time positions. Their work will be dedicated to climate action and they will manage a coordinated City response to climate change in a manner that addresses public health disparities, fosters economic opportunity and builds climate resilience and sustainability in our community. The office will also help advance the goals and strategies outlined in the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Long Beach and expand carbon neutrality efforts.
New Investments
In addition to these historic investments in the budget as presented, I am also proposing the City Manager include:
$300,000 over two years to fund the Long Beach Economic Partnership for business attraction and citywide marketing activities;
$100,000 towards developing an LGBTQ+ cultural center and museum; $300,000 towards pre-K tuition assistance, technology and administration by partnering with the Long Beach Early Childhood Education partnership; And $125,000 in structural funding for a full-time education officer position created to be responsible for supporting the Long Beach College Promise and other education initiatives undertaken by the City.
These items will be funded from the Long Beach Recovery Act Funds under Securing our City’s Future that is anticipated to be available at the end of FY 22 due to improved FY 22 projections. The structural addition ($125,000) can be covered with this one-time funding source for FY 23 but will need to be addressed with structural solutions in FY 24.
We are incredibly grateful for our strong partnerships at the state and federal level that have allowed us to build on the progress we have already started, and make historic investments in our economic recovery and infrastructure. Our city has worked hard to make sure that our budget is responsible and reflects the priorities of our residents. I look forward to working with the Council to adopt and implement this budget.
For more information on the budget, community budget meetings, and budget survey, visit: longbeach.gov/finance
2022 City of Long Beach