Aug 11: Councilwoman Schipske Blasts "Proposed Devastating Cuts" To Fire, Paramedics, Police, Senior Center, Nature Center, Park Rangers, After School/Youth Sports Programs & Library Library Services "While City Sits on $17 Million Surplus"

Aug. 13: Vice Mayor Garcia Says On Facebook He "Doesn't Support Proposed City Budget Cuts To After-School Parks & Recreation Programs"

(August 13, 2012, text added/updated 2:55 p.m.) -- On Saturday (Aug. 11), Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske uploaded a flyer onto Facebook, echoed on GerrieSchipske.com, blasting a number of Mayor/City Management proposed budget reductions and inviting all Long Beach residents to attend an August 20, 2012 public meeting (6 p.m.-9 p.m., LB's Water Treatment Plant, Redondo Ave. @ Spring Street) stating in pertinent part:

"Come Hear About the Devastating [proposed] Cuts to Long Beach:

Fire, Paramedic and Police services

Senior Center and Nature Center programs

Park Ranger Patrols

After school and free youth sports programs

Public Swimming Pools

Library Services

While the City sits on a $17 million surplus!

This morning (Aug. 13) in a Facebook dispatch, Vice Mayor Robert Garcia wrote: "I do not support the proposed city budget cuts to our after school Parks & Recreation programs. We need to keep our kids active, safe, and off the streets."

Garcia has scheduled an Aug. 15 "community conversation" about the proposed budget at the Kress Market, 443 Pine Ave. starting at 6:30 p.m.

Last year, then-Councilman Garcia voted against a budget alternative offered by Councilmembers Schipske, Neal and Gabelich that would have used a portion of LB's uplands oil revenue to avert cuts in LB's Dept. of Parks, Recreation and Marine (proposal was to restore program and service cuts in Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Marine of $750,000).

The Council rejected the Schipske-Neal-Gabelich alternative 3-6; Councilwoman Gabelich has since exited the Council, replaced by Councilman Al Austin.

Later today (Aug. 13), 7th district Councilman James Johnson will hold what he calls a "Community Budget Meeting" starting at 6 pm at Vista Del Mar, 3360 Magnolia Ave. Last year, Councilman Johnson joined with the Council majority in rejecting the Schipske-Gabelich-Neal proposed use of oil revenues to avert parks and recreation cuts.

On Tuesday (Aug. 14), the City Council is scheduled to hold a formal budget hearing [start time unspecified on the agenda] to discuss city management's proposed FY13 budgets for the Fire Department, Police Department, Library Services and Parks, Recreation and Marine.

The Council meeting begins at 5:00 p.m....and LBReport.com plans to provide LIVE video coverage on our front page at www.LBReport.com.

At the Aug. 7 Council meeting, Mayor Bob Foster reiterated his position against using oil revenue -- which he calls "one-time revenue" (citing its price volatility) -- to pay for on-going expenses (while supporting its use for "one-time" cost-items such as infrastructure).

As previously reported by LBReport.com, on August 6, Vice Mayor Garcia (whom Foster appointed in 2010 as chair of the Council's Public Safety Committee) sent the following mass emailing:

Last week [Aug. 1], Mayor Foster and the City Manager released the FY 2013 budget and their recommendations. The budget presented includes reduced funding for all city departments to close a $17 million deficit.

The City Council will consider these recommendations, make any changes it finds necessary, and approve a balanced budget in the next few weeks.

I want to thank the Mayor and the City Manager for putting together a responsible budget proposal and budget recommendations in a very difficult fiscal climate. There's no doubt our City budget will continue to get leaner, and that services will be reduced. Some of these budget decisions and deliberations will be difficult, in particular when we are talking about possibly reducing services and programs in our parks and our libraries. In the proposed budget, I am most concerned about the reduced staffing for police and fire. I have already begun meeting with public safety personnel and city staff to discuss the proposed reductions. I am certain that my colleagues will work together to find the best solution possible to address these proposed cuts.

I do want to applaud the Mayor and City Manager for including a new Police Academy class in the budget - this new Academy will be critical in rebuilding our Police force citywide. I also strongly support the Mayor's call for pension reform with the IAM, our largest employee group. Our Police and Firefighter Unions did the right thing when they agreed to pension reform last year, and I am hopeful the IAM will do the same in the coming weeks.

I would like to encourage you to get involved in the City's budget process. The decisions that we make about the budget strongly impact the future of Long Beach, and your participation is important. To view all the city budget information, including the community budget book and schedule of meetings, please click here.

We will be making some important decisions that affect everything from our public safety resources to our parks and our libraries. Get involved and feel free to send me your ideas by email, a facebook message, a tweet, or by calling my office at (562) 570-6919.

Additionally, I will be hosting a community coffee to discuss the budget and other matters at the Kress Market at 443 North Pine, Wednesday, August 15th, at 6 pm. Please join us for refreshments and a discussion of the budget and other important issues.

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