The Garcia-Foster recommended/city management proposed FY15 budget would (if not changed by a Council majority) basically maintain cuts to police and firefighter budgets. Long Beach currently has roughly 200 fewer budgeted sworn citywide-deployable police officers than in 2009, no structural funding for now-former 22-sworn officer field anti-gang units (proposed for complete elimination in FY15), three fire stations (8, 17 and 18) without fire engines capable of extinguishing fires and a management-favored less costly paramedic deployment system (similar to one used in most of CA but not in LA or OC) now being tested on LB residents (LBFD Chief DuRee says it's working seamlessly; the LB Firefighters Ass'n, which opposed its implementation, says it's brining unintended poorer results.)

Councilwoman Price's office indicated that she's in the process of scheduling a Public Safety Committee meeting for September (agenda topics not yet indicated.)

During her campaign for Council office, candidate Price cited her background as a prosecutor in the Orange County District Attorney's office and told voters on her campaign website that she wants "to raise my children in a community that is safe...[and] [i]n order for that to happen, we need to work together to keep our streets safe." Her campaign website text continued:

[SuziePriceforCityCouncil.com text]...I want to work with our residents and City officials to maintain high public safety standards in the 3rd District...Public Safety includes restoring the services of our Fire Department. The men and women of the Long Beach Fire Department have worked diligently to maintain a high level of service and patient care in difficult economic times. They have endured some of the deepest budget cuts in our City. As a member of the new City Council I would work with my colleagues to make police AND fire a priority in our budgeting. I believe that restoring our Fire Department services and maintaining the highest standard of patient care is essential to keeping each and every one of us safe and protected. The Long Beach Fire Department sets a statewide example for their high level of service. We need to give them the resources they need to be prepared to disarm any future threat to our residents.

In her published ballot statement, mailed at public expense to all registered voters, candidate Price told voters in pertinent part:

...I earned my law degree - dedicating my career to serving as a Deputy District Attorney, currently as a homicide prosecutor in Orange County. I'm a wife and mother and a passionate community and PTA volunteer who will bring innovative leadership to City Hall by:

Maintaining High Public Safety Standards as my top priority. I understand first hand the impact that crime has on quality of life and the value of a top-notch fire department. I'm committed to restoring the Police and Fire departments to acceptable equipment and staffing levels...

Candidate Price was endorsed by the LB Police Officers Ass'n PAC and LB Firefighters Ass'n PAC as well as outgoing Mayor Bob Foster. As part of a field of five 3rd district candidates, Ms. Price drew roughly 55% of the vote in April, avoiding a June runoff.

Councilwoman Price's office informed LBREPORT.com that the Council's Budget Oversight Committee will be holding meetings in August regarding the proposed FY15 budget.

The Council's Budget Oversight Committee is now chaired by Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal who indicated during Aug. 5 Council colloquy that she plans to hold an Aug. 19 meeting regarding police (and we presume fire) items. (The agenda isn't online yet.) On being named by Mayor Garcia to chair the Budget Oversight Committee, Vice Mayor Lowenthal issued a statement saying that "as the incoming chair of the Budget Oversight Committee, I want to strongly endorse Mayor Garcia's budget recommendations."

Per Mayor Garcia, the Budget Oversight Committee is comprised of chair/Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal, vice chair Patrick O'Donnell and Councilwoman Stacy Mungo. The Public Safety Committee, chaired by Councilwoman Price, includes vice chair Councilman Al Austin and Councilwoman Stacy Mungo.

Since taking office in mid-2006, Vice Mayor Lowenthal voted with few exceptions for police and fire budgets as recommended by now-exited Mayor Foster. In Sept. 2012, Lowenthal joined then-Budget Oversight Committee chair DeLong in recommending the addition of roughly $1 million in "one time funds" for LBPD after Foster recommended the complete budgeted elimination of LBPD's two field anti-gang units. The Lowenthal-DeLong recommended addition, plus roughly $1 million added in a floor budget motion by Councilman Patrick O'Donnell, ended up maintaining LBPD's field anti-gang units at half strength in FY13. In FY14, LBPD management maintained a skeleton field anti-gang unit by using patrol officers and backfilling their ranks with overtime. The Garcia recommended FY15 budget proposes the complete budgeted elimination of the field anti-gang unit, as Foster recommended two years earlier.

Council committees have no independent enacting authority; their approval isn't necessary for the Council to take action on an issues (unlike legislative committees in Sacramento or Washington, they have no power to block an item from advancing to a Council decision making vote.)

The Mayor chooses each Committee chair and vice chair, and committees meet on the call of the chair or, if he/she refuses or is unable to act, on the call of the Mayor; committee items can be agendized at the direction of the committee chair, vice chair or committee member. (Source: LB Municipal Code section 2.03.06.) A committee quorum consists of two of three committee members, meaning items can be approved in committee by two of three committee members.

Council committees may vote to refer matters to the full Council for a committee-recommended action. The full Council may approve, change, or not approve what Council committees recommend.. Political mathematics comes into play in this: if a Council committee recommends approval of a certain action, that means there are at least two and perhaps three Council votes for full Council passage and accordingly, only two or three more Council votes are needed to get the item through the full Council.

The full City Council must enact its own FY15 budget by September 15 or city management's recommended budget goes into effect.