Long Beach police, fire unions back sales tax measure with sizable donations

One election’s in the books, one more to go.

Long Beach voters who didn’t participate in the April 12 Primary Election (and with a mere 13.5 percent voter tuout, that’s a lot of people) have another chance to participate in local politics on June 7. That’s when the city’s next election, not to mention the balloting for state and federal candidates that goes along with the Califoia presidential primary, is scheduled to take place.

Strictly for Long Beach, the June 7 ballot is set to include a pair of ballot measures related to a proposal for a 10-year sales tax increase as well as a runoff in the city’s 2nd Council District.

Sales tax vote

Recent campaign filings show Long Beach’s public safety unions are continuing to provide serious support to a pair of ballot measures asking voters to approve a sales tax increase and a plan for placing of any resulting revenues into savings. The proposals are set to appear on the ballot as Measures A and B.

The Long Beach Police Officers Association Political Action Committee has given $100,000 to the campaign backing the measures, according to the April 12 filing.

A more comprehensive filing showing contributions given from the begiing of the year through April 3 shows the Long Beach Firefighters Political Action Committee has given $50,000 to the ballot measure campaign.

The political arms of the Long Beach police and fire unions have also reported, respectively, spending about $13,300 and $7,600 on polling for the ballot measures.

“My guess is it’s going to be a full campaign. It’s going to be mail, phones, people at doors,” police association president Steve James said. “I trust the experts to put this together in an appropriate way.”

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia went public with a proposal for a sales tax increase in mid February. Former mayors Bob Foster and Beverly O’Neill joined his aouncement.

The City Council voted later in the month to place the measures on the ballot. If passed, Measure A would raise the city’s sales tax rate by 1 percent for six years. The level of increase would shrink to half a percent for the next four years before the tax expires.

Long Beach’s sales tax rate is currently 9 percent.

The companion proposal, Measure B, would require 1 percent of any new revenues to be saved in a “rainy day” fund.

City officials have projected increasing the city’s sales tax rate by 1 percentage point would be worth $48 million in new revenues.

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Garcia and other supporters have said city govement needs the additional dollars to reverse budget cuts to the police and fire departments and to make repairs streets, sidewalks and other infrastructure.

“We’ve been doing ‘more with less’ for eight, nine years,” James said.

As he has before, James said police officers will be asking for pay raises in their next round of labor negotiations, but would be doing so regardless of whether the ballot measure passes or not. He said the extra tax revenues are necessary for public safety.

There are signs that an organized opposition to ballot measures is developing under the name Long Beach Rebellion. The opposition’s website contends the tax increase will be bad for business and amounts to a “blank check,” since it can be used for any aspect of city business instead of being dedicated to public safety or infrastructure.

The website appears to claim the support of the Long Beach Taxpayers Association and congressional candidate Andy Whallon, who is ruing as a Republican against 47th Congressional District incumbent Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach.

Neither the Long Beach Taxpayers Association nor Whallon could be reached immediately for comment.

Council races

In a special meeting Wednesday, the Long Beach City Council certified the results of the April 12 Primary Election. Incumbent candidates Dee Andrews and Al Austin both eaed majorities of the votes cast in their districts and won new terms that begin in July.

Andrews had to run as a write-in candidate under Long Beach election law because he was seeking his third full term. He became the first Long Beach candidate to win as a write-in without having to go to a runoff.

There will be a runoff, however, in the city’s 2nd Council District. Labor advocate Jeaine Pearce will face business owner Eric Gray in the general election. The 2nd District spans includes the Port of Long Beach, part of downtown and coastal neighborhoods as far east as Redondo Avenue.