Recommendation to receive and file the Summary Report on Proposition H (FY's 2007 - 2013).
Item 13. Communication from City Auditor Recommendation to receive and file the summary report on Proposition H for fiscal year 27 through 2013 code. It has been in motion and in the second. And with that, I'm going to turn this over to our city auditor, who is going to make some comments on the on the audit and her work on that. So thank you very much. Appreciate your time tonight. I just have a brief summary report to report to you this evening. I really appreciate your discussion earlier on the importance of public safety. This was a measure that was I have a little PowerPoint, I'll be moving along, but it wasn't supposed to be like little keyboard here. Madam Clerk, is there something for the auditor there? Okay. This was a measure that was passed in 2027. Four. For those of you that weren't here, maybe I can just give a little brief history. One of the first audits our office did was to review the oil production tax in Long Beach and doesn't really seem to be working. Okay. There we go. Thank you. And we found that the oil production tax was first established in 1990 here in Long Beach at $0.15 a barrel. When we reviewed it compared to other neighboring cities, we found that Long Beach was the lowest out of all the taxes. So we recommended to the council that it be increased by $0.25 per barrel to bring it in line with the neighboring cities. We collaborated with the council, with the mayor, with the oil production companies, and they agreed that $0.40 was fair and equitable. The council put that $0.25 increase on the ballot and allocated that to public safety. So I'm here tonight because seven years later we have information and data to show that this has been a consistent and reliable revenue stream and has benefited public safety greatly in the city of Long Beach. It was it was an overwhelming success as far as the vote. Over 70% of the vote of the people, the first time in the history of Long Beach that the tax increase had passed. And to report to you over the past seven years, the city of Long Beach has brought in $22 million through this oil production tax . It has spent $19 million on personnel staffing, 12 police officers, 11 firefighters over the past seven years to improve and strengthen public safety throughout the city. The additional $2.8 million was spent on fire, truck acquisition, retrofit technology uniforms and other safety needs. And the ordinance also required our office to perform an annual financial audit to ensure that the city is in fact receiving and collecting all the revenue due from the oil producers and that the money is spent as intended according to the code. So our office has agenda is that item for the September 16th consent calendar. I'll be happy to answer to any questions at this time. But I did want to just briefly report tonight that this is a really positive revenue stream for the city, and it has produced $3.5 million annually for public safety specifically. And I really want to thank the mayor and the City Council for their collaboration and for what a great benefit this is tangible benefits for our community in strengthening public safety, as well as thanking the police chief and the fire chief for identifying the most beneficial ways of protecting our city by our use of this money. So that's my. Report. Thank you. And thank you. I'll just let me just add briefly, just I know they speak for most just thank you for all your hard work on on all the issues, particularly this one. I think you've done a great job and it was widely written about in the press, which I know we all have had a chance to read. It was great to see that, you know, that your work and the work of the council got the type of real good, thoughtful coverage that it did. Councilmember Andrews. Yes. Thank you, Mayor. I truly want to thank our city auntie, Mrs. Laura Dowd, you and her staff for that very, you know, informative report on Prop eight. You know what? While while I do appreciate the carryover funds and the interests that it attracts, I want to make sure that we are all supplying the police and the fire department with all the tools they need to continue to keep our city and street safe. And thank you very much, Mrs. Dowd. Thank you, Councilmember Richardson. I also wanted to chime in and just say great work and thank you for showing this data. I think it really builds good faith with the voters to show that when they step out and make investments in our city, we do track it and we spend it the right way appropriately to provide the services that are much needed and they count on. So thank you for providing that transparency. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember O'Donnell. I just want to acknowledge the work of Brian Meneghini, my chief of staff, who actually led the ground effort on this campaign to get this passed. So that was how it was a collaboration, like you mentioned for sure. I just want to acknowledge him. Thank you. The people. Who actually run the campaign and do the do the. Groundwork don't often get acknowledged. So congratulations to him for helping get this passed as well. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Ringa. I'm not sure if this update comes every year, but it certainly explains a lot of things for me in regards to how our moneys are spent with with the transfer of funds that go to it to to provide additional officers where police departments. I want to thank you for that as well. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And we have a motion on the floor if there's any public comment on the item. See none. Thanks again for the report. Members, please cast your vote. I think. Councilman Richardson. Motion carries nine zero. All right. Thank you. Now we're going to be going back to 1.15, which is it turned back to Vice Mayor Lowenthal, which is the first of the two final votes. And I believe that everyone has the recommendations as amended.