+ City Mgr. Blames Censored Budget Docs (No Six Figure Salaries Shown For Citywide Electeds or Dept Heads) On COVID-19 Time Pressures, Denies Censorship, Says Full Docs Will Be Available AFTER Council Vote Adopting Budget
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City Mgr. Blames Censored Budget Docs (No Six Figure Salaries Shown For Citywide Electeds or Dept Heads) On COVID-19 Time Pressures, Denies Censorship, Says Full Docs Will Be Available AFTER Council Vote Adopting Budget



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(Sept. 8, 2020, 8:25 a.m.) -- Following up on a story reported (first again) by LBREPORT.com, City Manager Tom Modica says city FU21 budget documents, disseminated to the public in print and online since Aug. 1, that don't display the salaries of citywide electeds and city department heads, are a result of COVID-19 budget preparation time pressures. In an email sent to LBREPORT.com in the 7 a.m. hour Sept. 8, Mr. Modica says the salary information will be publicly provided in budget materials AFTER the Council adopts the FY21 budget [which could come in a Council vote tonight Sept. 8.]

As also reported by LBREPORT.com>a?, City Prosecutor Doug Haubert become the first LB citywide elected official to voluntarily agree to a 10% reduction in his FY21 budgeted salary to match the loss of pay his staff will face as a result of furloughs. In a webposted comment responding to LBREPORT.com's originating story, Mr. Haubert commented:

[T]he salaries of all elected officials are public information, and the city should make it easy for the public to see it in the budget. For next fiscal year I agreed to a 10% reduction to match the loss of pay my staff will see through furloughs. Otherwise, should be same as last year.

LBREPORT.com publishes Mr. Modica's email to us in full below.

We can get you the Auditor’s salary, no problem. The budget document is substantially different this year due to COVID-19. We had to suspend the typical budget process in March, and then picked it up again in June. In order to meet all the charter deadlines, we had to have a very different book. When the adopted book comes out everything you are used to seeing will be there again, this was a one-time change due to COVID-19, has nothing to do with censorship. You can still request salaries through a PRA or through the JIC. We will work on getting you the Auditor’s salary.

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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.


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