Social Media Words Fly, Some Talk Of Recall On Social Networks, After Councilwoman Mungo Tells Homeowners Concerned About Allowing Int'l Flights That City Would Collect More Property Tax Revenue If They Left

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Social Media Words Fly, Some Talk Of Recall, After Councilwoman Mungo Tells Homeowners Concerned About Allowing Int'l Flights That City Would Collect More Property Tax Revenue If They Left

Statement goes unreported by other LB news outlets

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(July 8, 2015, 11:45 p.m.) -- Sharply worded criticism was visible on social networks including Facebook and NextDoor -- with some calling for a recall -- after 5th district City Councilwoman Stacy Mungo told residents who voiced concern for their family home values if the City allowed a federal customs facility at LB Airport [that could invite multiple international operators, cargo and passenger, to seek flight slots now filled under the City's protective Airport ordinance] that the City would collect more property tax revenue if they left.

Councilwoman Mungo made the statement (quote and audio below) during a July 7 agendized item in which the pending motion was whether the Council should grant the City Manager authority to proceed with the work necessary to determine the feasibility, financial or otherwise, of a federal inspection (customs) service facility at Long Beach Airport. [As previously reported by LBREPORT.com, Airport management -- without Council voted authority or public discussion -- commissioned an economic feasibility study in mid-2013 that concluded a federal customs facility at LGB would have mixed results. To see the extent of Airport management's work on the issue without public transparency, click here.]

After multiple residents spoke about the importance of their home values and neighborhood quality of life, Councilwoman Mungo stated:

"I want all of you to stay in the homes you're in, but quite frankly if you moved, the city would actually increase its property tax revenue. Because of Prop 13 and your protections, we are not making a decision to get rid of you or move you and..."

Councilwoman Mungo's words sparked audible audience displeasure, to which she responded by stating "I'm a budget director and I just have to tell you the facts." As the audience reaction grew, Mayor Garcia intervened and effectively invited Mungo not to say more: "You're all done, Councilwoman?" the Mayor asked, to which Councilwoman Mungo replied "sure."

To hear an audio clip of this exchange, click here.

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As of 11:30 p.m. on July 8, Councilwoman Mungo's July 7 public statement was unreported to our knowledge by every other Long Beach media outlet. However it was reported on LBREPORT.com and was a major topic of discussion on Facebook and NextDoor.

Although free-swinging opinions and criticism aren't unusual on social networks, the responses to Councilwoman Mungo's statement were uniformly negative and quite strongly stated.

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Councilwoman Mungo's July 7 Council statements follow a March 2015 Council statement by her, which she read from prepared text, in which she called it "pandering to the crowd" for two Councilmembers she didn't name [Austin and Uranga had agendized an item] to seek a pause in previously secret Airport staff work [not shared with the public but shared with the Council in July and November 2013 memos] that was effectively laying the ground work for a federal customs facility.

Councilmembers Austin and Uranga sought a pause in the non-transparent staff-driven process in order to allow a Council driven public process after a new 4th district Councilmember had been in office for at least 60 days. The Council voted 4-3 to allow the pause; Counciwoman Mungo voted (with Lowenthal and Andrews) to oppose it.

Following the election of 4th district Councilman Daryl Supernaw, city staff agendized the issue for the July 7, 2015 Council meeting at which Councilwoman Mungo seconded a motion (by Lowenthal) to approve conducting what amounts to a second feasibility study on the federal customs facility. Several public speakers in opposition ridiculed the proposed second study as an attempt by City Hall to obtain results that it wanted but didn't get under the first study. After Councilmembers Austin and Supernaw moved to receive and file the proposed second feasibility study, Mungo made a substitute-substitute motion (seconded by Lowenthal) to approve conducting the second feasibility study with the addition of at least two "community meetings" plus some items sought by Austin. The Mungo-Lowenthal motion carried 6-3 (Austin, Supernaw and Uranga dissenting.)

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A federal customs facility, which LB Airport's largest commercial passenger tenant JetBlue has asked the City to request from the Dept. of Homeland Security, couldn't be limited to a single operator. Opponents have cited a potential unintended consequence: a customs facility would effectively invite an entire category of international operators -- both cargo and passenger flights -- to seek flight slots (previously unavailable to them) that are currently filled and thus unavailable under the city's protective Airport ordinance.

LB's Airport ordinance currently protects the City from unlimited numbers of take-offs and landings at all hours of the day and night on all runways, including those used now by small planes. JetBlue has repeatedly voiced support for and pledged to abide by LB's Airport ordinance, but LB City Prosecutor (and former LB Airport Advisory Commission member) Doug Haubert has said that allowing international flights could risk challenges to LB's Airport ordinance from that new category of operators; if any of those challenges were successful, Long Beach would suddenly face unlimited numbers of take-offs and landings at all hours of the day and night on all runways. In that respect, the 5th Council district arguably has among the most to lose if the City were to lose its protective Airport ordinance.

Councilwoman Mungo was elected to the 5th Council district seat in June 2014 succeeding two term Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske.

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