Let me start by saying thank you. Thank you for all of your kind messages and support following the death of my son.

I’ve said many times that Long Beach is the most giving city I’ve ever experienced. You have just proven it again.

God bless you all.

Now let’s get back to the mundane topics of life. How about the city budget?

I know it’s been more than a week since the City Council voted to approve the Fiscal 2027 budget (which starts Oct. 1, 2026), but there’s still plenty to talk about.

Let’s start with the good.

The City Council and the mayor actually listened to the residents. Wait – they did!

One of the many cuts proposed to balance a budget some $58 million out of whack was the Monday closure of the six city libraries still open that day. All were branch libraries – the Main Library and the rest of the system were already closed.

But residents rose up. Libraries, at least these neighborhood libraries, had to be open on Monday to let kids do their homework, let the public have access to computers and more.

Besides, the savings was only about $1.5 million. That’s pocket change, right?

In case you haven’t followed the Long Beach library saga over the years, you should be aware this is one powerful lobby. There are the Friends of the Library, the Library Foundation and the mayor has a fund for libraries (technically education, but you know…).

So, led by Mayor Richardson, the council and city management reversed course. Mondays at the (okay, some) library were saved! “We heard you,” was a common phrase.

There were other adjustments to the budget as particular constituencies lobbied for their causes. Our public safety heroes are powerful at City Hall, and the police and fire folk pushed to restore stuff, with help from the City Council members they helped to put into office.

It wasn’t a clean sweep, though. The most visible cut remaining is the loss of Fire Engine 14. I need to point out that Fire Station 14, near Colorado Lagoon and Marine Stadium, is not closing and the crews will still respond to emergencies – as long as they aren’t expected to put out fires.

Still, rolling brownouts of fire stations citywide were avoided, and the next police academy will take place. Homeless outreach programs will continue, just not on weekends.

There were other adjustments as well. So despite comments to the contrary, the budget was not a done deal when it was released back at the end of July. People spoke, and were heard.

Now for the bad.

One of the more fascinating debates over the last six weeks or so has been how to revamp public comment during City Council meetings. State legislators, in their infinite wisdom, passed a law this year with lots of public comment requirements, including remote access, translation services and more.

That opened the door to talk about how to streamline public comment. A tight budget added impetus to the debate, because it takes people to provide all those services, and limiting the hours those people have to work saves money.

Public comment has been a thorn in the side of City Councils everywhere since City Councils began. Having the opportunity to speak to your elected representatives is basic to a democracy, and City Council members know that. Hearing how constituents feel keeps politicians in touch, right?

Well, public comment can also drag meetings out inexorably. When there is a group ready to pound the council on an issue, an hour can go by quickly with lots of people saying the same thing over and over again.

That’s particularly painful when the council has already signaled that they are in favor of the issue. Could it be that having a chance to say something in public is more important than actually making a point?

Then there are the gadflies. My definition of a gadfly is someone ready and willing to oppose anything the city leaders might favor. And they will speak on any and all items to do it.

I suppose that’s why the council is looking for an excuse to consolidate all public comment – except for formal hearings – at the beginning of meetings. Without a public comment period after each topic, those 45-item agendas will move much quicker.

But I’ve got to say, the little benefit doesn’t seem worth the lots of pain here. I feel for the staff members who have to sit for five or six hours after already putting in an eight-hour day, but can’t we work something out with comp time?

Save money for sure. But let them talk. Even if you disagree or (heaven forbid) don’t pay a lot of attention. It comes with the job.