See / Hear Presentations By City Mgm't -- Incl. LBPD/LBFD Chiefs & Public Works -- At 8th Dist. Budget Meeting; Councilman Austin Fielded Audience Questions/Comments From Constituents; Candidates Juan Ovalle And Tunua Thrash-Ntuk Attend, Offer Non-Confrontational Comments In Meeting

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(August 9, 2019) -- LBREPORT.com provides extended video below of presentations by city management -- including LBPD Chief Robert Luna, LBFD Chief Xavier Espino, Public Works Dir. Craig Beck, Homeless Services Officer Shannon Parker -- at last night's (Aug. 8) 8th Council district meeting re a proposed 2020 City Hall budget.

8th dist. Councilman Al Austin (who sits on the Council's Budget Oversight Committee) delivered opening remarks and comments on the proposed budget...and remained throughout the entire meeting and fielded constituent comments and questions.

[Scroll down for further.]

Following the meeting, LBREPORT.com invited Councilman Austin to expand on his comments re the proposed budget and what he may propose when it reaches the decisionmaking City Council. We also invited responses from two 8th dist. Council candidates (March 2020) who were present in the audience: Juan Ovalle and Tunua Thrash-Ntuk. Mr. Ovalle provided us with a response; Ms. Thrash-Ntuk politely declined. LBREPORT.com will separately webpost the responses received from Councilman Austin and Mr. Ovalle.

Roughly 30 people attended the meeting at the EXPO center on Atlantic Ave. in Bixby Knolls. Among those present was LB Taxpayers Ass'n co-founder Tom Stout (who engaged in Q & A exchange with Financial Mgm't Dir. Gross re pensions and Police Chief Luna re hiring a new Ass't Chief). 8th dist. community advocates Chuck Fowler and Laurie Angel also attended as well as retired Nino's owner Inge Cristiano.

Budget Oversight Committee chair 5th dist. Councilwoman Stacy Mungo arrived and was present for part of the meeting.

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City staff will conduct similar meetings in other Council districts. For a complete list of dates and times, click here.

In terms of procedure: city management proposes a budget; the Mayor adds his recommendations; and a City Council majority ultimately decides how to spend sums collected from LB taxpayers and as well as sums received from county, state and federal taxpayers.

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Support really independent news in Long Beach. No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report. LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. You can help keep really independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.