Do Long Beach voters trust their leaders? That may determine the fate of Measure A

The question of whether Long Beach voters will pass a 10-year sales tax measure may boil down to whether voters trust their elected leaders, who have promised to spend the money on public safety and infrastructure.

A former and current member of the City Council presented opposing views to that question at a Wednesday night forum to discuss the merits of Measure A, which would raise the city’s sales tax by 1 percent for six years and a half cent for another four years. Former Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, who wants voters to reject the measure, and Councilman Rex Richardson, who supports the proposal, addressed the audience at DeForest Park Community Center with less than three weeks to go before the June 7 election.

The DeForest Park Neighborhood Association hosted the gathering, which also featured informational presentations from Long Beach assistant City Manager Tom Modica, police chief Robert Luna and Fire Chief Mike DuRee. Although that trio had the ability to provide an overview of how past budget cuts have hindered city services, as city employees they are not allowed to advocate for a particular side.

Opposing views

Schipske and Richardson were not subject to the same restraints as city employees.

“They’re all my friends, and I love them dearly, but they’re full of crap,” Schipske said upon opening her remarks after Modica and the chiefs spoke.

The former councilwoman asserted said that although Modica told the audience Long Beach’s police and fire departments have seen their numbers fall by 208 police officers and 84 firefighters in recent years, City Hall achieved those cuts without actually having to fire anybody. She also cautioned that the tax proposal appearing on the ballot contains no formal mechanisms binding future spending to improving the police and fire departments, or to infrastructure spending.

Schipske dubbed the proposal as a “blank check” providing funds that officials could divert to other costs, such as employee pensions.

“There is no accountability within the measures,” she said.

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia had been on tap to address Wednesday’s audience, but had a schedule conflict resulting from a Sacramento trip to lobby support for expanding the size Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s goveing board.

But shortly after Schipske lamented at the close of her remarks that no elected officials had been on hand to defend Measure A, Councilman Rex Richardson and Steven Neal, his council predecessor, walked into the room.

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In contrast to Modica and the chiefs, whom Richardson said had to address the audience with one hand tied behind their backs, the councilman delivered an enthusiastic endorsement of Measure A.

Richardson’s 9th District encompasses a large portion of North Long Beach, and he said City Hall can use additional tax measures to build infrastructure and community facilities in a part of town that City Hall had previously neglected for years.

A proposed list of future community projects that may receive Measure A funding includes $4 million in improvements to the Houghton Park Community Center, and Richardson said additional tax revenues could allow the Public Works Department to accomplish as much street paving work in the next three years as has been completed during the past 15 years.

“Are you willing to bet and go big? You’re going to have to hold elected officials accountable,” Richardson said.

The proposal

Long Beach’s sales tax rate is currently set at 9 percent, so absent any other changes — such as another possible measure that may finance Los Angeles County MTA projects — sales taxes would rise to 10 percent before falling to 9.5 percent and then back to their current level.

Long Beach’s Measure A is set to appear alongside Measure B, which would dedicate 1 percent of new tax revenues to what Long Beach officials call a “rainy day” fund. The council has adopted a resolution declaring members’ intentions to spend new revenues on public safety and infrastructure, and Measure A also calls for the mayor and council to commission an advisory committee to examine how new tax dollars are spent, but otherwise, the measure does not mandate current or future Long Beach leaders to spend the dollars on any particular aspects of city govement.

The increase may generate an additional $48 million in aual revenues, according to City Hall projections.

Long Beach officials have produced a list of roughly $150 million worth of street repairs and other projects that may end up on City Hall’s to-do list if new money, such as what may come with a sales tax increase, ends up in the city’s general fund.

The mayor has also proposed that Measure A’s passage would enable the Police Department to have a patrol command dedicated to protecting the Long Beach’s southe neighborhoods. The police force’s southe and weste patrol divisions have been merged as a result of budget cuts.

Garcia has also said Measure A could allow for the restoration of a fire engine company that had been assigned to a Belmont Shore station.