(Sept. 15, 2015) -- As seen LIVE on LBREPORT.com, the City Council voted 9-0 tonight (Sept. 15) to approve with only minor changes Mayor Robert Garcia's FY 16 budget recommendations (which were released alongside city management's proposed FY16 budget in late July.)

Following the Council's vote, Mayor Garcia (reiterating a phrase he used in July) called the budget "responsible and balanced."

No Councilmember made any motions to restore any part of LBPD's former field anti-gang unit at levels taxpayers received until FY13 or (apart from plans to restore LBFD's former paramedic level per a County agency directive) restore LBFD service levels taxpayers no longer receive (including fire engines now unstaffed at three eastside fire stations.)

After adopting a FY16 budget that basically continues current service levels, no Councilmember pressed city management or the Mayor on how they proposed to deal with a forecast $7 million deficit (City spending exceeding revenue) one year from now, and a similar deficit two years from now...or made any motions to reduce spending now to prepare. The Council will ultimately deal with the results, likely after April/June 2016 elections in four Council districts: 2, 4, 6 and 8.

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Only one individual testified at the Council budget session: a boardmember of LB Public Library Foundation who said she's pleased w/ inclusion of sums to expand Sunday hours to three branch libraries. No other person or entity, neighborhood group or business association testified.

Councilman Al Austin asked Police Chief Robert Luna about $2.2 million allocated to police overtime, and the Chief indicated he wants discretion on how to spend it...giving the Chief flexibility in using it as necessary for operations that may include gangs, violent crime or for other purposes. No Councilmembers made any motions to restore separate funding for LBPD's former field anti-gang unit, which former Mayor Foster first proposed to eliminate in his recommended FY13 budget. At that time, the Council balked, and approved "one time funding" for up to half of the unit, but a year later entering FY14, the Council quietly let the unit's one-time funding disappear.

LBPD does have a gang unit, which mainly handles investigations and the like, and operates mainly inside an office. In contrast, LBPD's former field unit enabled officers to view conditions firsthand on a daily basis, gathering intelligence and interacting with residents in gang-impacted areas.

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During the FY15 and FY16 budget cycles, the Council's Public Safety Committee (chaired by Councilwoman Suzie Price) held no hearings on any public safety aspects of the budget recommended by Mayor Garcia who appointed her chair. In so doing, Councilwoman Price followed the practice of her predecessor, former Public Safety Committee chair then-Councilman/Vice Mayor Garcia, who held no hearings on the public safety impacts of budgets recommended by Mayor Foster who appointed him chair. .

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Councilwoman Price has however scheduled a meeting of her Public Safety Committee for Sept. 22 on topics not yet publicly disclosed. At the Committee's last meeting in April 2015, Councilwoman Price DID address a budget matter, asking LBFD and LBPD management to offer ways to save money and/or generate new revenue as the city headed into forecast deficits in FYs 17 and 18. In April, LBFD Chief Mike DuRee indicated he'd seek Council approval for a "first responder fee" and did so in July, which the Council approved without dissent.

Per a recommendation of the Council's Budget Oversight Committee (Lowenthal, Mungo, Price), the Council approved setting aside $30k to match $30k that a private group is seeking to raise to enable an extra week of Municipal Band concerts. Per an addition proposed by Councilwoman Mungo, if private group doesn't raise $30k, city's $30k sum will be used to improve area(s) where Muni Band concerts are held.

Councilman Rex Richardson commented that when LBFD's former paramedic system is restored (which an L.A. County agency required the City to do, entailing additional costs), he may seek to revisit some budget items that the Council just approved. [A Council majority, subject to a Mayoral veto that six Councilmembers can override, can revisit nearly all General Fund budget items "on any Tuesday.")

The FY16 budget continues most city service levels, and even increases a few...but no Councilmembers sought to discuss how the City will deal with a staff forecast $7+ million deficit (city spending exceeding expected revenue) one year from now plus a similar deficit two years from now.

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In a mass emailing (sent on his personal email domain during the Council meeting), Mayor Garcia again called his budget "responsible and balanced" and (as he did in in July) said his recommended budget contained "an additional $2.2 million for gang enforcement and violent crime suppression."

However the $2.2 million is actually annually required overtime, approved every year by the Council to cover unscheduled police operations (such as shootings and other exigent circumstances that require officers to stay beyond scheduled shifts.) Such operations may -- or may not -- involve gang enforcement or violent crime; the Council previously funded necessary annual LBPD overtime AND funded LBPD's field anti-gang unit.