Mayor Garcia's Choice To Chair Budget Oversight Committee, Vice Mayor Lowenthal, Announces She "Strongly Endorses" Mayor Garcia's Budget Recommendations Before Holding Any Committee Meetings On Them...But Says Her Committee Will Meet To Review Them And Offer Recommendations

(July 22, 2014) -- Mayor Robert Garcia's choice to chair the City Council's Budget Oversight Committee, newly Council-named Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal, has announced that she "strongly endorses" Mayor Garcia's budget recommendations before holding any committee meetings on them...but indicates her Committee will review them at upcoming meetings and offer its recommendations to the decisiomaking City Council.

Below is a statement released by Vice Mayor Lowenthal's office in the 11 a.m. hour today (July 22):

As the incoming chair of the Budget Oversight Committee, I want to strongly endorse Mayor Garcia's budget recommendations. I fully support strengthening our reserves and recommitting ourselves to economic development, historic preservation, and our libraries. The BOC will be reviewing the Mayor's proposals at our upcoming meetings and providing our recommendations to the city council.

The other two members of the Budget Oversight Committee named by Mayor Garcia are Councilman Patrick O'Donnell (vice chair) and Councilwoman Stacy Mungo (member.)

To view the full list of Garcia's Council Committee choices, click here.

Long Beach Council committees have no independent enacting authority; their approval isn't necessary for the Council to take action; unlike legislative committees in Sacramento or Washington, Council committees have no power to block an item from coming to a Council decisionmaking vote. A Council Commiuttee majority (two of its three memebrs) can make a recommendations...but the full Council can then choose to enact, amend or "receive and file" (take no action on) a Council Committee's recommendations.

However political mathematics also comes into play: if a Council committee recommends approval of a certain action (which can take place with two or three affirmative Committee votes) that means only two or three more affirmative Council votes are needed to get the item enacted by the full Council.

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.)