By Suzie Price, Third District Councilwoman
Summer in Long Beach is a wonderful time. With kids out of school, people enjoying our beaches, bays and the Colorado Lagoon, the smell of backyard barbecue in the air, and concerts in the park, summer in Long Beach is hard to beat.
I am a big believer in the power of community, which is why I have been working hard to support and organize great family friendly events that serve to bring neighborhoods together in fun, positive ways. With that said, I hope to see you at one of the community concerts being held at Conductor Larry Curtis Concert Park at Marine Stadium. They are a great way to spend time in our wonderful City parks with family, friends and neighbors enjoying music, food and a beautiful summer evening.
Summer is also a great time in Long Beach when we see more street repairs and repaving because asphalt seals best during warm summer days. I expect several streets throughout the district will be repaved soon. And when street repairs are scheduled, we do not simply repave the streets: we upgrade all the infrastructure, from sidewalks to curbs, gutters, curb ramps, lane lines, crosswalks, and bike lanes. As a Councilmember, and the Chair of the Port, Transportation, and Infrastructure Committee, I know summers are a great time to see fantastic investment happen throughout our City. So be on the lookout for a new update to the citywide street repaving plan.
Another reason summer is great is because the City Council begins its annual budget discussions to determine how we will prioritize funds for the 2023 Fiscal Year. Every year Long Beach passes a balanced budget. So, like you with your family budget, we must make difficult decisions about what to spend money on, and where to invest or make cuts. As of this writing, City staff has outlined a proposed budget that will go through a rigorous review process before final approval by the City Council. As for me, I will be seeking to prioritize essential City services. We need residents to know they can call 9-1-1 and get a response in an emergency. Public safety is a core priority. Additionally, infrastructure maintenance is important, with recent investments in streets, sidewalks, and facilities that have not seen significant improvements in decades.
Please feel free to reach out to my office at district3@longbeach.gov or by phone at (562) 570- 6300. Additionally, please contact my office to sign up for my monthly email newsletter if you want to stay informed on everything going on at the City Council as well as in the community.