The LB City Clerk's ballot measure webpage lists a now-pending "City of Long Beach Charter Amendment Petition (General Fund for Children and Youth" aiming for the November 3, 2020 ballot (the high turnout U.S. presidential election.)

Councilman Rex Richardson tells LBREPORT.com that neither he nor his "Lift Up Long Beach Families" ballot measure committee are the proponents of the measure. LBREPORT.com is in the process of learning the identity of the proposed Charter Amendment's proponent(s); we report below what is public record below.

LB's current City Council adopted FY20 General Fund budget (which increases annually with additional spending) has reached roughly $557 million (3% of which would amount to roughly $16.7 million.) .

If such a Charter Amendment were to go forward, LB voters would decide it after the March 2020 Mayor/Council desired ballot measure that would let City Hall continue to impose the 2016 "temporary" Measure A General Fund ("blank check") sales tax permanently..

The proponent(s) of the newly surfaced measure have apparently filed paperwork sufficient to require City Attorney Charles Parkin to prepare an "impartial analysis" of the proposed measure:

[Scroll down for further.]

IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS

BALLOT SUMMARY By Charles Parkin, City Attorney

This initiative measure proposes an amendment to the Long Beach City Charter to require 3% of the City’s annual unrestricted general fund revenues to be set aside in a new Long Beach Fund for Children and Youth (the "Fund"). The Fund is intended to augment the amount of money the City already spends on programs for children, youth and young adults (through age 24). The measure would establish the Fund with an initial allocation of $750,000 in Fiscal Year 2020-2021, and would annually increase to 3% of the City’s unrestricted general fund revenues in Fiscal Year 2023-2024. This allocation would expire in Fiscal Year 2033-2034, however, the City Council or the voters may extend the measure thereafter, without amendments.

The measure would also establish a "Children Youth and Development Department" in the City to implement its program as well as a 20-member planning and oversight committee to oversee the use of Fund revenues. Half of the committee members must be between 18 and 24 years of age; those members who are older than 24 must possess knowledge and expertise in children, youth and young adult policy issues. The committee would be required to develop a strategic investment plan in order to distribute grants from the Fund to public agencies and community organizations serving youth.

The committee would make funding proposals to the City Council based on the strategic investment plan. The City Council could approve or disapprove the committee proposals, but could not amend or modify them. If the City Council, in approving the City’s overall budget, determines that there is a "moderate" or "severe" fiscal emergency, as defined in the measure, the amount required to be set aside in the Fund could be decreased for that year.

Money in the Fund could only be used for those programs and services for children, youth and young adults up to 24 years of age identified in the measure. Eligible services could include programs for early child care, violence prevention, workforce development, parent/guardian support, and educational, well-being and environmental health services. The Fund could not be used for programs or services with only an incidental benefit to children and youth. Not more than 15% of the Fund could be used for administrative purposes in any fiscal year. The measure would also require the City to continue funding youth services at levels it previously spent in Fiscal Year 2018-2019, to the extent those services would be eligible for funding under this program.

Further as we learn it on LBREPORT.com

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