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Reference
Caveat: Use dated material accordingly.
LB BUDGET/CITY HALL SPENDING
June 2007: Council Votes 7-2 To Approve "Sales Tax Rebate" For Marina Pacifica Landlord To Woo Tenant
June 2007: City Mgm't Warns Council: Revenue Trending Below Target, Expenses Trending Above; If Spending Patterns Don't Change, Prepare For "Reallocations Of Resources And Curtailment Of Planned Services"; Council's Budget Oversight Committee Recommends: "Receive & File"
April 2007: Mayor Foster Schedules Two ELB "Town Hall" Meetings...Before May 1 Election On City Hall-Sought Ballot Measures
April 2007: Several LB Libraries Launch Restored Hours
April 2007: No Councilmembers Speak (Except Gabelich, Dismayed) As Council Casts Final Vote Letting Developers With Pending Projects "In The Pipeline" Avoid Paying [Our Estimate] $4+ Million In Police/Fire Impact Fees
April 2007: Perspective: By Our Calculation, Council Vote Sparing Developers Police & Fire Impact Fees Attributable To Now-Pending Developments Could Cost Taxpayers $4+ Million; Second Vote Scheduled April 10
April 2007: Further Perspective: Councilwoman Schipske's Blog Cites Limits On City Hall Imposing/Using Developer Fees...And Says Council Needs Urgency Ordinance (To Prevent Rush Of Applicants Trying To Beat Effective Date)
April 2007: City Auditor, LB Police & Firefighters In TV Ad Blitz For Prop H (Fee Increase On LB Oil Producers, Revenue For Public Safety)
April 2007: Senior City Mgm't Asks Dept. Heads For Options On Cuts/Reduced Spending If Council Wants More Cops Or Favors Other Added Spending
April 2007: Council Exempts Pending Developments From Public Safety Impact Fee; Action Estimated To Cost $2.7 Million In Revenue For Police & Fire Infrastructure; Mayor Backs Action, Councilwoman Gabelich Objects
April 2007: Five Neighborhood Branch Libraries To Restore Hours Starting Sat. April 14; Main Library Reopens Seven Days A Week Monday
March 2007: Credulity Then, Debt Now: How 1999 Council Action Left Taxpayers Facing Debt...And Controversial City Hall Plan To Pay For It Now
Jan. 2007: City Auditor Urges Raising LB's Oil Production Tax, DeLong Backs It & Wants Revenue Split Between Public Safety & Infrastructure Improvements
Jan. 2007: City Mgmt Says City Hall's Largest Gen'l Fund Revenue Source Is Real Property Taxes; Says Council-Approved Pay Raises With Police Officers' Ass'n Will Consume Most If Not All Of City Hall's Projected Net Structural Revenue Growth For Next Three Years
Jan. 2007: Mayor Foster/State of the City: "I'll Ask Council & City Mgmt To Work With Me To Find Money To Fund Add'l 100 Police Officers in FY 08 Budget"; We Post Text
Dec. 2006: Most LB Branch Libraries Won't See Restored Hours Till Feb. Or April 07, City Mgmt. Tells Council, Citing Need To Hire New Librarians
Nov. 2006: Police/Firefighter Levels Agendized As Mayor & Councilmembers Expected Nov. 27 At ELB's Marshall Middle School To Discuss Possible City Charter Changes
Oct. 2006: Re-Budgeted Main Library Re-Opens For Sunday Service With Mayor Foster And Deluge Of Families
Oct. 2006: City Council Offers LB Police Union "Recruitment/Retention" Plan With Package Of Raises Growing To Roughly $9 Million By April 09
Sept. 2006: Council Adopts FY 07 Budget; Restoring Library Hours, No Add'l Budgeted Neighborhood Cops...And Inquiry By Councilwoman Schipske Re City Hall "Pipeline Fee" Paid By LB Water Dept. Customers
Aug. 2006: LBReport.com has learned and confirmed that City Manager Jerry Miller will hire Cathy Wieder, formerly chief of staff to former LB Mayor Beverly O'Neill, to lead special projects, her first being the design and implementation of a "311 system" (the citzen request management system cited in management documents accompanying the proposed FY 07 budget). The City Manager's office advises LBReport.com that the "311 system" will be one of Ms. Wieder's major projects, with City Manager Miller citing her background in constituent needs, interacting with community groups, working with cities that have or are considering similar systems and working with the U.S. Conference of Mayors (in which Mayor O'Neill held leadership posts). Ms. Wieder's position is a new permanent position for the near term. Her salary will remain the same as it was in working for the former-Mayor.
Aug. 2006: FY 07 Mgmt-Proposed Budget Unveiled Without Add'l Budgeted Neighborhood Police Officers; Mayor Foster Doesn't Propose More Cops, Focuses On Officer Retention/Recruitment, Urges Restoring Library Hours & Services Citywide, Backs Add'l Spending For Street/Sidewalk Repair & More
Aug. 2006: LBReport.com has learned that J.C. Squires, #2 man in the City Auditor's office under now-former Auditor Gary Burroughs, has been named Bureau Manager of the Business Operations Bureau at LB's Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Marine. Mr. Squires takes the position held by Janet Day-Anselmo...who went from the same Parks & Rec position to the office of newly-elected City Auditor Laura Doud.
Aug. 2006: Memo From City Manager To Mayor & Council: Forget Nov. '06 Tax Increase Ballot Measure, Aim For April '08
July 2006: Someone Is Using Telephone "Polling" To Gather Intelligence On How To Best To Persuade Voters To Enact A City-Hall Desired LB Property Parcel Tax, Possibly Tied To Assessed Valuation Of Property
July 2006: Councilmembers Vote 6-3 (O'Donnell, Gabelich, Lerch Dissenting) To Give Themselves Retirement Health Insurance Benefit, Reworded To Delete "Sick Leave" Verbiage But Substantively Paralleling Benefit Council Gave Exiting Mayor O'Neill In May; City Att'y Shannon Says Council's Actions Are Not "Golden Handshake"; We Post Extended Transcript Excerpts
July 11: The City Council has voted to approve MOUs paving the way for pay raises for members of city management's union and two other city employee unions. Management's pay raises aren't automatic under a cost of living formula; instead, they will be based on decisions approved by the City Manager; funding to cover the raises and pension costs would become budget costs.
July 2006: Scheduled At Mainly Ceremonial Last Council Meeting With Exiting Mayor/Councilmembers/Auditor, Pay Raise MOUs for City Mgmt & Two Other City Employee Groups
July 2006: City Mgmt Says Proposed FY 07 Budget Will Erase Remaining Structural Deficit But Won't Increase Police, Fire Or Libraries; Statewide Parcel Tax Measure Clouds Future Of Possible LB Tax Increase
June 2006: Your Opinions On Mgm't-Proposed, Council-Approved "Golden Handshake" For Exiting Mayor...And Council's Consideration Of Add'l Retirement Benefit For Itself
June 2006: City Attorney's Position On City Mgmt Agendized, Council Approved "Golden Handshake" For Outgoing Mayor O'Neill: It's A Legal Retirement Benefit, Not A Gift Of Public Money
June 2006: Council Gives Exiting Mayor O'Neill Taxpayer-Paid "Golden Handshake," Considers Giving Itself Similar Deal On Retirement: 50 Hours Credited Sick Leave Per Each Year Of Incumbency
June 2006: City Mgm't Asks Council To Cut Two More School Crossing Guard Locations, Reject Public Requests For Five New Crossing Guards, Relocate One And Add New One
May 23, 2006: Without prior indication in its agendized written materials, city management announced at the May 23 City Council meeting that it is developing an even larger proposed property tax levy ("parcel tax") for the November ballot than had been publicly suggested. Instead of a LB half cent sales tax increase, City mgmt now proposes a measure to impose (preliminary estimate) a levy of $100/yr on single family homeowners, $65-$75/unit for multi-unit residences and $1,500-$5,000 per year for commercial/industrial parcels for police, fire and libraries. LBPD said it now seems "most practical, considering both the financial and operational impacts" to add 100 patrol officers + 12 Sgts, 3 Lts, 28 Detectives + clerical support. 6 of 8 incumbent Councilmembers, + PD and Fire union leaders supported putting the parcel tax on the ballot. O'Donnell awaits more mgmt "public outreach;" Colonna expresses strong reservations about any new taxes, sales tax or parcel tax, considering next year's budget hasn't been presented.
May 2006: Sheriff Baca Moving Behind Closed Doors To Push A 1/4 Cent County Sales Tax Increase Proposal, Read Letter To LB City Mgr.
March 2006: Councilwoman Reyes Uranga's Motion For June Library Property Tax Dies For Lack of Second...BUT City Mgt. Indicates It's Quietly Developing Possible Combined Public Safety + Library Tax For November
March 2006: It's Baaaack: Councilwoman Reyes Uranga Agendizes March 7 Council Item To Put Residential Property Tax For Libraries On JUNE Ballot
Feb. 2006: Councilmembers O'Donnell & Reyes Uranga Agendize Council Item Asking City Mgr. To Explore Funding Sources To Keep Libraries Open One Add'l Day Per Week In Time For Fall Academic Year
Jan. 2006: Non-Public Safety City Employee Union Rep Defends Pensions, Seeks Raises From Council
Jan. 2006: Public Comment Portion of Jan. 5 Council Session On Negotiating Contract With Non-Public Safety City Employees Will Begin at 5:30 p.m. In Main Council Chamber
Dec. 2005: Haunting Words: City Mgt. Recommended But Council Declined "Pending Further Study" Cutting Crossing Guard At 6th/Daisy...One Block From Recent Fatal 7th/Daisy Crash
Dec. 2005: Standard & Poor's Raises Long Beach Rating
Dec. 2005: Updated: LB Firefighters To Receive 15% Raise Over Three Yrs, Begin Paying Pay 2% Of Pension + Share Future Health Insurance Benefit Cost Increases In New Contract, Subject to Council Approval
Nov. 2005: Council Approves In Principle One-Yr Pilot "Downtown Dining & Entertainment District" With Add'l Police; Ordinance Will Return To Council In About A Month For Final Vote
Oct. 2005: City Mgt. Asks Council To Approve One-Yr Pilot "Downtown Dining & Entertainment District" w/ Standardized Hours & Tiered Conditions; Public Cost For Add'l Police Est. $543,000-$905,000/Yr., Proposed To Be Covered By...
Sept. 2005: Council Adopts City Hall FY 06 Spending Plan
Sept. 2005: Councilmembers Revise Proposed '06 Office Budgets
Sept. 2005: Police Chief Batts Tells Council 37 To 309 More Cops Will Cost $7-$54 Million/Year; Acknowledges City Hall Didn't Add Officers As Recommended By 1994-2000 Auditor-Mgmt "Strategic Plan"; Says Current Mgmt. Asked Him To Present Options Including Re-Raising Utility Tax, Increasing LB Sales Tax, Imposing Parcel Property Tax & Other Tax Increases; Councilmembers Respond Positively
Sept. 2005: Official Budget Doesn't Detail -- But We Do -- Sums That Councilmembers Propose To Run Their Offices in FY 06
Aug. 2005: In Depth/Perspective: City Mgmt Proposes FY 06 Budget With 15 More Cops, More Street Resurfacing But Fewer Library & Nature Center Days And Unfunded Muni Band; Police Chief Readies Report Proposing b/w 37-309 Add'l Officers
Aug. 2005: City Mgr. Says City Hall Will "Bite the Bullet" (Absorb Costs) And Deploy More Cops Along Downtown Pine Ave. Corridor At Least Thru Summer
Aug. 2005: Sickout Or "Temporary Staff Shortage": City Mgt. Says Refuse WILL Be Collected With Brief Delays Possible; Neighborhood Near Wardlow/Studebaker Reports Refuse Collection Missed Aug. 2
July 2005: Council Cuts Nine of Twelve Crossing Guard Locations, Spares Willow/Palo Verde, 6th/Daisy, Willow/Magnolia For Now With Future Uncertain; Add'l Sites To Be Examined For Possible Elimination Next Year
July 2005: City Mgmt Floats 06 Budget Balloon, Includes Cuts, Cops, Smaller Deficit; Pro-Library Group Wants $25/Yr Parcel Property Tax
July 2005: Council To Decide Whether To Cut Ten of Twelve Crossing Guard Locations, Retaining Willow/Palo Verde & 6th/Daisy
June 2005: Deputy City Auditor Says City Hall's Deal With Ice Dogs Cost LB Taxpayers About $1.5 Million Since 99-00 Season; Auditor's Office Recommended Action: "Receive & File"
June 2005: Raising The "T" Word (Taxes): Councilmembers Richardson, Kell & Reyes Uranga Want City Mgr. "To Conduct Further Research & Generate Ballot Initiatives To Address Critical Funding Needs Such As Increasing Public Safety"; Utility Tax Cutter Norm Ryan Blasts Move
June 2005: LB Police Officers Reject Mgmt's Latest Contract Offer; POA President Says If Council Doesn't Improve Offer It Will Demolish LBPD Over Time; Vows To Hold Councilmembers Accountable
June 2005: CA Senate Passes Bill That Could Take Millions From LB Now, More Later, In Tidelands Oil Revenue City Hall Expected To Cover Future Clean-Up Costs For Tidelands Oil Field; Sens. Lowenthal, Bowen & McClintock Oppose Bill To No Avail, Now Advances To Ass'y
May 2005: City Mgt. Intends To Remove One of Two Downtown Fire Engines Approx. June 1 For Budget Savings; Firefighters Union Warns Public Will Feel Impacts
May 2005: LB Police Officers Ass'n Says City Hall Negotiating Stance On Pay/Benefits Hurting Officers & City
May 2005: City Mgmt Says LB On Credit Rating Agencies' "Negative Outlook" [corrects misspeak, not Negative Watch] For Past Three Years & Credit Downgrade Still Possible, Urges Council To Adhere To Three Yr Deficit Reduction Plan
Feb. 2005: LB Police Chief Batts Says He'll Tell Council His Officers Need Better Pay And LB Needs More Cops, Challenges Grassroots Activists To Help Devise Funding Mechanism
Aug. 2004: City Mgt. Previews Proposed FY 05 Budget
April 2004: OPEC Price Hikes Boosting City Hall Oil Revenues Feeding Tidelands & Gen'l Funds
April 2004: City Hall May Get Temporary Break On Pension Payments Starting Oct 04, But Deferral Will Increase Future Payments
Feb. 2004: Senator Feinstein Urges Two-Year, Not Permanent, Moratorium On Internet Access Taxes; Would Let Cities & Counties Tax Internet Phone Calls & Other Telecommunications Services
Feb. 2004: Cutting Edge Nat'l Internet Issue Comes to LB: Vice Mayor Colonna Urges Clarified Stance On Legislation Re Taxing Internet Transactions:
Colonna Opposes Sales/Use Taxes On Web Transactions, Urges Preserving City's Right To Keep Receiving Revenue From Current Utility Taxes
Colonna & Baker Agree To Refer Issue To Joint Meeting of Their Fed'l & State Legislation Committees For Further Proceedings
Dec. 2003: News / Perspective: Tale of Two Cities: In LB, Car Tax Rollback + Legislative Inaction On Backfill Pushes City Hall Toward Budget Abyss; Added To Council-Created Deficit, City Mgr. Warns VLF Loss Could Force "Immediate & Dramatic Cost Cutting Measures"
Atop Signal Hill, City Council Put Aside VLF Reserve Fund That Can Carry City Thru June 2004
Nov. 2003: "Find Another Way" Group Tells Council Don't Cut Cops' Compensation; City Manager, Two Councilmembers Respond
Oct. 2003: Council's Consequences Hit Libraries: Rolling Closures Of Neighborhood Branches & Sunday Closures of Main & Bay Shore Branches Begin Oct. 18: Here's Schedule
Sept. 2003: Oink! LB Earns Mention In "Piglet" Book Issued by Citizens Against Gov't Waste & Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Foundation, Citing Wasteful City Hall Car Pgms
Sept. 2003: Police Chief Batts Tells Council LB Needs 130 More Cops
Sept. 2003: For the Record: City Auditor, City Mgr. On Coming Cuts and City's Financial Condition:
Burroughs: "If we really don't deal with this budget...get the financial house in order...there'll be some judge down here and he'll be making the decisions..."
Sept. 2003: For the Record: Councilman Dennis Carroll @ Sept. 2/03 Budget Hearing
Sept. 2003: Editorial: An Asteroid Budget
Aug. 2003: We Post Councilmembers' Proposed Budgeted Office Spending For FY 04
Aug. 2003: We Rank Councilmembers' Budgeted Office Spending In Now Ending FY 02-03 Before & After Mayoral Requested Reductions
July 2003: City Mgt. Gives Public Preview Of Proposed Changes & Reductions Implementing Plan To Tame Budget Deficit (Spending Exceeding Revenue); We Post Details
July 2003: RDA IOU: Downtown Redevelopment Project Area Owes City Gen'l Fund Over $90 Million; Repayment To City Expected To Start in 2015
July 2003: City Mgt Memo Says Sac'to Could Derail LB Deficit Reduction Plan, Making It Hard To Avoid Cutting Police, Fire, Libraries & Core Services
July 2003: City Hall Sets Sat. July 12 ELB Public Meeting On 2004 Budget: Staff Discussion + Public Input & Questions
June 2003: Independent Consultant Evaluation of Gen'l Fund Says City Hall "Has Created A False Impression Of Solvency"
Problem Masked For Several Yrs. By Filling Gap Between Spending & Revenue With One-Time Resources
Says City Hall Has Cash Solvency & To Some Degree Budgetary Solvency...But Long-Term Solvency Has Not Been Attained For Several Years
Urges Council Adherence To City Mgt's 3-Yr Financial Plan
April 2003: Vice Mayor Colonna Withdraws Council Item On Possibly Assigning More City Staff To Councilmembers Rep'ing City On Boards Or Committees Beyond Council Office Duties
April 2003: Vice Mayor Colonna Says Council Should Consider Possibly Assigning More City Staff To Councilmembers Rep'ing City On Boards Or Committees Beyond Council Office Duties
April 2003: City Mgt. Says $2.8+ Million Owed By Airport To City Gen'l Fund Will Be Repaid...With Interest...Already Scheduled In Recently Adopted 3-Yr. Financial Strategic Plan
April 2003: Airport Subsidy Below The Radar: Audit Shows LB Airport Supported By LB Gen'l Fund Taxpayers For $2.8+ Million, Set For "Consent Calendar" With No Planned Discussion
Mar. 2003: Follow-Up To Jan. '03 LBReport.com Report On Council Office Spending:
Councilwoman Richardson Says Her Office's #2 Expense Ranking (Colonna Is Costliest) Results From Communicating To America's Most Diverse District In Most Diverse City, And More;
Receives Form From City & Keeps Track Of Mileage When City Vehicle Not Used On City Business And Believes Same Form Is Used By Other Councilmembers When Applicable
March 2003: City Auditor Burroughs Warns City Management's 3-Yr. Deficit Reduction Strategy Includes "Significant Degree Of Optimism" (Our Translation: Continued Red Ink If Optimistic Assumptions Don't Pan Out); Burroughs Strongly Supports The Plan...But Warns Of Possible Serious Problems And Urges Council To Proceed Immediately And Maintain Focus; We Post Transcript
March 2003: Budget Beans Spill Thanks to Councilwoman Kell's Candor:
5th District Rep. Reveals City Auditor Burroughs Held Closed Door Meeting & Spoke Of Possible Bankruptcy If Council Doesn't Spend Less; We Post Transcript of Colloquy
Council-Hired Budget Consultant Len Wood Says LB Is In "Crisis" State, Could Reach "Implosion" State If Council Doesn't Act; Consultant Notes Council Increased Spending In FY 2002
Burroughs Sees Bright Future If Council Acts As Mgt. Proposes
Mar. 2003: Rising World Oil Prices Mean Windfall For Sacramento, Mini-Windfall For LB City Hall, From LB Tidelands Oil Properties
Mar. 2003: We Show It, So You Can Decide: Proposal By Councilmembers Lowenthal, Baker, Richardson & Lerch To Augment & Explore Alternatives To Parts of City Management's Proposed 3-Yr. Budget Strategy
Jan. 2003: Despite Mounting Deficit & Post-Sept 11/01 Slump, Council Boosts Spending On Itself Oct 01-Sept 02
Frank Colonna, Laura Richardson, Costliest Council Offices, Consumed Roughly $370,000 Each in City Resources, More Than 45% Higher Than Most Frugal Council Office (9th dist.); See Rankings Of Council Office Spending
Most Council Offices Increased Spending Far Outpacing Inflation...But Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal Decreases Spending
4 Councilmembers & Mayor Drive City Fleet Cars, 4 Take Monthly Allowance, Carroll Takes Neither (staffer gets mileage reimbursement)
Jan. 2003: First Aid For Council Built Budget Hemorrhage:
City Mgr. Releases Draft Of Preliminary Three Yr. Plan To Reverse City Hall Red Ink
Warns Deficit (Spending Exceeding Revenue) Now Tops $40 Million And Could Exceed $80 Million In Three Yrs. If Practices Not Changed
Roughly $30 Million of $80 Million Chasm Results From Council-Voted Pension Changes; City Mgt. Says State Law Prevents Reversing Previous Increases But Urges Changes For Future
City Mgt. Invites Wide Discussion Of Its Proposed Changes; We Detail Them
Council Will Ultimately Decide
Jan. 2003: City Hall's Survey On City Services Indicates Public Wants Core Services Maintained; We Post Detailed Results
We Also Post Excerpts Of Public's Written Responses, Conveyed To Mayor & Council By City Mgr. And Publicly Agendized On Nov. 26; These Weren't A Secret...But Haven't Been Detailed By Others Until LBReport.com Does So Here
Comments & Suggestions Span Wide Range, But Many Blast City Hall Perks, Pensions and Six Figure Salaries
Dec. 2002: Council Votes To Support Change In Prop 13's 2/3 Vote Req't, Wants Only 55% Vote To Raise Property Taxes For "Public Safety Bonds"
Sept. 2002: City Council Is Asked By Staff to OK Giving Up Part of Future Sales Tax Otherwise Due LB Taxpayers to Retain & Expand Circle Auto Group ELB Car Dealerships Using 1992 "Sales Tax Incentive Program"
Sept. 2002: Reversal of Fortune Prompted by Mayor's Veto Threat In Council Budget Showdown
Richardson-Batts Offers Modified Version of Baker-Lowenthal-Lerch Budget Proposal, Passes 5-4.
Mayor Invokes Threat To Veto Budget, Would Require 6 Council Votes To Override.
Kell Acts As Swing Vote, Gets Vote Reconsidered (on reversed 5-4 vote), Proposes Compromise 3.5% Cuts (not affecting sworn public safety personnel) With $1.3 Million for Public Corporation for the Arts (not restricted to grants), Passes On Reversed 5-4 Vote
Sept. 2002: City Att'y Shannon Submits Budget Memo Seeking to Maintain $267,000 Proposed To Be Cut in Baker-Lowenthal-Lerch Plan
Sept. 2002: "Ambushed?" Read It And Decide: We Post Budget Memo From Baker, Lowenthal & Lerch, Given To Councilmembers At Sept. 17 Council Meeting, That Drew Bitter Responses From Carroll, Colonna and O'Neill
Sept. 2002:
Budget Brouhaha As Council Majority Defies Mayor, Leaving Colonna and Carroll Isolated on Second Major Vote In Two Weeks:
Mayor's Proposes Adopting City Mgr. Proposed Budget With Her 3% Proposed Reduction
Baker, Lowenthal & Lerch Unveil Proposal For Deeper Cuts That Restores Some Services Cut in City Mgr. Proposed Budget
Carroll and Colonna Attack Baker-Lowenthal-Lerch Process As "Gov't by Ambush"; Colonna Claims Lack of "Respect"; Mayor Says It's A "Gotcha"
Carroll Moves to Adopt Mgr/Mayor Plan
Lowenthal Makes Substitute Motion To Delay Budget Discussion To Next Week
Council Votes 7-2 (Colonna and Carroll "no") To Defer Budget To Sept. 23 @ 5 p.m. and possibly Sept. 24 @ 1 p.m. (if needed)
Several Public Speakers Praise Council Majority For Open Debate
Sept. 2002: Nearly 200 Managerial Level City Hall Staffers -- Nearly 60% Of Estimated City Management Employees -- Vote To Pursue Creating Collective Bargaining Unit
Sept. 2002: Memo From City Hall Financial Dir. Bob Torrez To Mayor & Council Lists Management Positions In FY 02 Adopted Budget Compared to Current Salaries
Sept. 2002: City Mgr. Taboada Spells Out Budget Options in Blunt, Occasionally Stark, Two Page Memo
August, 2002: City Mgr. & Somber Mayor Unveil Proposed '03 Budget, Warn Of Ballooning Gap Between City Hall Spending And Revenue; Mayor Calls Situation "Alarming," Proposes Reexamination Of City Hall Budget Process
August, 2002: City Management Warns Councilmembers -- Again -- That LB City Hall Is Awash In Red Ink:
"Outlook for FY 02 and FY 03 for the General Fund Is The Worst We Have Seen In The Recent Past," Says Memo By Dir. of Financial Mgt.
Council Takes 25 Seconds To "Receive and File" Report Without Discussion
July 2002: Council Gives Final OK (9-0) To Boost City Hall Employee Pensions; LB taxpayers will pay roughly $7 million annually starting 2004 in exchange for non public safety employee unions accepting no pay raise this year & 3% raise next yr.
July 2002:
With Virtually No Public Discussion, Scheduled As Last Agenda Item, Council Votes 9-0 To Increase City Hall Employee Pensions; LB taxpayers will pay roughly $7 million annually starting 2004 in exchange for non public safety employee unions accepting no pay raise this year & 3% raise next yr.
May, 2002: Mayor & Council Quash Public Discussion of Bleak City Mgt. Budget Report At Evening Council Meeting
May, 2002:
City Management Discloses Bleak City Revenues, Warns LB Is Now In Situation Similar In Some Ways To Recession of Mid-90's
Aug. 2001: LB Public Works Dir. Shikada Offers Detailed Response to Issues Raised By Public On Consulting Deal With Earth Tech, Inc. For Up To $250,000
Aug. 2001: Council OK's up to $250,000 two-year consulting deal with Earth Tech, Inc. on improving delivery of City Hall's Capital Improvement Program
Aug. 2001: Text of Agendizing Memo by Councilmembers Colonna & Carroll Seeking City Mgr. Report on Feasibility of April, 2002 Tax Increase Ballot Measure For Parks
Aug. 2001: Councilwoman Richardson-Batts Tells LBReport.com She Does Not Support City Mgr. Proposal To Cut Utility Tax on Gas to 5% By April '02
Aug. 2001: Responses to City Manager's Proposed 2002 Spending Plan
Aug. 2001: City Manager proposes reducing utility tax on natural gas to 7% effective July '01, 6% Oct. '01, and 5% April '02; Says City Hall is collecting more revenue than previously expected; We post City Mgr's budget message with details
Sept. 2000: Manager Answers Auditor's Report on Unspent Street Repair Money; Mgr. Asks Council To Budget $630,000 For Add'l Staff; Also Seeks To Restructure Public Works Dept.; Council Votes To "Receive & File" Auditor's Report, Will Get Details Of Mgr's Plan Later
Aug. 2000: Council Stops City Auditor's Verbal Presentation Of Report On Unspent Street Repair Budget Money For Three Weeks;
Burroughs Surprised As Council Silences Him Until September 5
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