This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Projected $18.6M Fiscal Deficit Forces Long Beach to Cancel New Police, Fire Academies

City Council will need to vote on how to spend the academy budgets: $977,000 for firehouse upgrades, $1.53 million for 10 officers' salaries possible.

Amid budget concerns, the Long Beach City Council voted Tuesday to cancel Long Beach police and fire recruit academies for 2011.

In a 7-2 vote, Council Members opted to use this year’s police academy budget to pay the salaries of 10 current law enforcement officers, and to use this year’s fire academy budget to fund fire station improvements.

For the 2011-12 fiscal year Long Beach Police Department had budgeted $1,527,966 for its academy and Long Beach Fire Department had budgeted $977,328 for its academy.

Find out what's happening in Belmont Shore-Napleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I think we do need to keep the city safe, but the plain truth is the city is going to have less money next year,” said Seventh District Councilmember James Johnson.

An $18.6 million deficit is projected by the city staff in fiscal year 2012.

Find out what's happening in Belmont Shore-Napleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

, but he told councilmembers Tuesday that the daunting budget figures had curtailed his plans for expanding the force.

 “We’re trying to do our part, as best we can, relative to the budget deficit we face,” said McDonnell at the meeting.

McDonnell said one of the reasons for the elimination of the police recruit academy was the high probability that any new officers hired would be laid off later.

“Laying off someone with a young family, after we brought them on the job, is not something I want do,” McDonnell said.

In the same vein, city staff expect that “only a small number of firefighters could be hired without facing the prospect of being laid off” in 2012, according to a staff report. 

While police academy funds will pay the salaries of 10 current  officers, the fire station academy funds will pay to renovate older fire station facilities, like locker rooms and bathrooms, to accommodate female employees, according to Police Chief Alan Patalano.

"In an emergency, it’s not just a gender issue," Paltalano said. "It’s really a privacy issue for your firefighter,  whether they can change and dress and be prepared to go to work."

Richard Brandt, president of the Long Beach Firefighters Association, addressed the city council and said the issue of station renovation was important, but that he was more concerned about the effect of continued cuts on the city's emergency response capabilities.

“What we really need is an overall analysis of what these budgets have done to our service,” Brandt said.

He said that there was a certain point were it’s not possible “to do less with more.”

“It’s getting dangerously close to that,” Brandt said.

Councilmember Gary DeLong moved the council item with the added instruction to staff that the council receive a report within 30 days detailing how the money was going to be spent.

Councilmembers Steven Neal and Councilmember Rae Gabelich cast dissenting votes.

No residents spoke during public comments on the item.

Other Business

  • Council members voted to use $100,000 from the Tidelands Operating Fund to help pay for the construction of a saltwater delivery system at the Aquarium of the Pacific.
  • Officials also asked staff to apply for $250,000 grant from the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recover for use of rubberized asphalt on city steets.
    The city already uses rubberized aspahalt on most street resurfing projects, and the grant will help reimburse some of the projects costs, according to the staff report.
    The money would apply to repair projects begun after grant notification May 2011 and completed April 2013.
  • Councilmember Robert Garcia gave a presentation on the upcoming 10th anniversary of Cesar Chavez Holiday celebration on March 31.
  • Mayor Bob Foster asked everyone to keep their thoughts and prayers with the people of Japan. “You’ve seen the pictures,” Foster said. “It’s beyond description. Those folks need a lot of help."

All officials were present at the meeting. The next City Council meeting takes place at 5 p.m March 22. in Council Chambers at 333 W. Ocean Blvd. 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Belmont Shore-Naples