Recommendation to use City Prosecutor budget savings from FY 19, increase appropriations in the General Fund by $295,525 in the City Prosecutor Department.
All right. Is. Excuse me, is that number 22? Okay. Yes, we're going to we're going to move some call 22. It's going to take us about 5 minutes. And then we're going to go to the big oh, my pool item. Item 22 is a communication from city prosecutor. Recommendation to use City Prosecutor. Budget savings from FBI 19. Increase appropriations in the General Fund by 295,525 in the City Prosecutor Department. Yes. Congressman Mango? Yes. I want to first support. Prosecutor Halbert and all the great work he does. And I appreciate you and I appreciate the work you do. And I even had great hesitation last week with making the option for the city auditor to bring forward her amendment to the floor without going through Budget Oversight Committee. $295,000 is a considerable amount of money, and I appreciate that you have budget savings. And I among our council and a huge advocate for those that save should get to eat a part of their savings. However, at a time when we're facing potential budget shortfalls and we've had hundreds of animal advocates here who can't hire a $40,000 a year, part time person to clean animal cages when our be safe programs in the summer cost. $30,000. This could be ten of those programs. I would really appreciate my council colleagues supporting sending this to Budget Oversight Committee. It would not be a long process. The Budget Oversight Committee meets February 11th, and I would be happy to put this on the agenda. But I think it's important for us to do it as a part of a process. And I think it's important for us to make allocations at this level with a global picture, not just with a single part of mind. Furthermore, I support homeless programs and homeless services. We do have a percentage of a specific kind of funding for those types of programs. This is general fund money that could be used for park programs, animal programs, library hours on Sunday and things like that. And so I think that it is important to take a step back further. When I asked Mr. Halbert if it was going out through a contract or any of those things, he was talking about potentially adding a staff member. And it's really hard when our animal control staff make minimum wage and we don't have enough of them to clean cages to make this independent decision for $300,000. So if my colleagues would be supportive of my motion is to send this to Budget Oversight Committee to be agenda ISED for the February 11th meeting. Thank you. And I would also recommend that all department heads who want to do that. Asked to agenda do budget oversight committee. Thank you, Congressman Austin. Thank you. And so we we approved something very similar just this last week for for our city. I know. And and obviously, I'm a member of the Budget Oversight Committee and I'm speaking in favor of this this particular motion. Madam Chair, with all due respect, I mean, I understand where you want to go with this. How do you envision this this working out? It goes to the Budget Oversight Committee and then comes back to the city council. So this money is from prior year savings. Mr. Modica, would you be able to tell me if we took this act tonight versus February 11th, when that money becomes available and in which fiscal year? So that when you put me on the spot, it's probably in the next 30 days or 40 days. We're normally closing at the end of February. I think this request is to do that when we close and it's just you're doing it a little early. So we do have that kind of time available. So what I envision is for us to discuss the priorities. We have a budget meeting that has some discussions from staff on the shortfalls for next year and the potential risks and areas that we have to consider. And I think that this should be discussed as a part of that. So the city prosecutors department had a $591,000 fine, 19 savings in their requesting $295,525. I'm sure during that B or C meeting, we will be discussing how to potentially allocate the balance. Is that. So? Currently, the staff bring forward a set of recommendations for mid-year. Typically, if a department head does not get their money back, it becomes available for divide by nine in the next year. We made some allocations based on savings and so we already put together a list of what would be funded with this money. And so I think it's important for us to make a decision and I will speak on my vote. Last week it was with great hesitation that we made that, and I in hindsight, wish I had not been supportive of that. It was I really feel there has to be a process and I know that I should have started last week. But better to save. Where we are. Okay. I'm going to ask. I know we're on my time and so I'm going to defer and I look forward to hearing from the rest of my colleagues. You're comfortable in your eyes. Thank you. I share the same concerns as Councilman Orson. I understand what Councilman Mongo is saying, but frankly, I think we should start off with congratulations to you for ending the year with a budget surplus as high as you did and not scrambling at the last minute to figure out how to spend every single penny of the money that was allotted to you and instead telling us honestly what you actually need to help us combat homelessness in the city of Long Beach. I think the fact that you're asking for less than a half or about a half of that is is frankly something you should be rewarded for. And I do not want to. This is a this money was allocated to your department as a department head to be able to make a determination of how best you want to use that money. You ended up with a budget surplus. We want to encourage our department heads to do that and not feel that they might risk losing that money if they come out with a surplus as opposed to a deficit. So I am wholeheartedly in support of approving your request this evening. And and I think the diversion programs that you've been involved in in the city have been extraordinary. They have commanded attention from throughout the nation, and they have come in at a very responsible cost in terms of I know how much these programs cost. Frankly, I'm shocked that you're able to do as much as you do with the budget that you have as a person who does your profession on a daily basis. So I would urge my colleagues to support this item if we're going to have a change of policy regarding surplus having to come to posse first. I'm not opposed to that either, but I don't think we should do it without giving notice to the department heads, because if that's the direction we're going to go, I guarantee you will have less surpluses throughout every department next year. Right. Thank you. Thank you. I agree with Councilmember Austin and Councilmember Price. I applaud you for the budget savings. And I think any time that a department can save money and then be creative with how they want to use those funds to achieve the goal of that department, it's important we support that. Any budget conversations, really, whether it's the body or during the budget process where this entire council gets to weigh in on the budget, I think is is appropriate. Thank you. I come from a. Ago, so I think it's important to note, Ms.. Price, that Councilwoman Price, that the policy is that they do not get to carry it over. We have made an exception for Prosecutor Halbert for two years and we've only made an exception for city auditor out one year. This was the first time it caught me off guard. I have a lot of questions about it, but the policy of the city is that this is not allowed and that is why it's coming to council because it is an exception. At which time last year I made similar comments that we really need a process specifically. There are programs on contingency Sunday library hours, be safe programs and other things that right now Grace is bringing to our February 10th 11th meeting a list of here's the priorities and here's how much money is being rolled over. And so we're only going to be able to fund A through F. And so I think that the council should get to know what that is when making the decision. And we made an exception for Prosecutor Halbert last year and the year before two times. And we made an exception for councilman I'm sorry, a prosecutor, city auditor. O'DOWD One time. But I also believe that we we have a bigger discussion that we started, which is the vacancies. We have department heads who come to us on a consistent basis and say, I need seven staff. And to your point, both Ms.. Pearce and Pryce, there are staff vacancies in development services that each year happen, and each year they ask for more staff, and each year they have a budget savings because they don't fill the staff. Now part of that is because of the process and the specific challenges that we have in civil service. But we need to get to the bottom of whether or not these departments are appropriately staffed. And Council of Prosecutor Halbert would not have been able to use this money and spend it last minute on printer cartridges or whatever he could, because from what I understand, this is a one off funds. It was salary and employee benefit funding that was available. And from what I had in my very short discussion with him earlier today, a few moments ago, he would be using this money for another staff member for this program, which if he stopped at the same level he was staffed out last year, he would have the ability to do that anyway. And so. And I don't know what percentage of his total budget is, $300,000. But coming in 1% above or below, it absolutely should be rewarded. And we should have a program that does that. But if we had other departments come forward in my discussions with Mr. Modica, if we had other departments come forward and do the same thing, we would be in a world of hurt and we're already in a position where we cannot fund. What we've approved to finish this year. And so for those reasons, I implore everyone to support the motion on the floor. All right. Thank you very much. My comment on this and my perspective, I don't think Dan would even come to us that this wasn't necessary, whether it's for a staff member or whatever it was, and especially at this time of night, you know, because one thing I do know, if you don't use it, you lose it. And Doug, I think what you're going to use it for is totally acceptable for us. And I'm concerned and I will totally support you tonight on this item. Thank you. Mrs. Cindy has. You know. Okay. I just want to say that I am not saying that what he's asking for is not appropriate. I'm not saying that it's not a good program, and I'm not saying that we wouldn't award it through the process that we have planned on February 11th. All of that is still completely possible because he was so prudent to bring forward the items so early. We hear from him. Of course. If you'd ask him. Yes, but wait till she finish, please. Okay. Mrs.. India's. Oh, yes. Okay. Do our public comment on this, folks. Okay, fine. Now, would you like to speak there. Very briefly and I apologize. I thought this was going to be your fastest item tonight. I didn't know it was going to be the longest. I do believe this is the fifth or sixth year that the council has allowed my budget savings to be reallocated to me. It started, I know, when Councilmember DeLong was on the Budget Oversight Committee. So I do believe there has been a precedent in my office. So I wanted to mention that the second thing is the innovative programs that our office has really is a reflection of a partnership between the council and my office, because I could not have started these programs without having the budget savings from previous years reallocated so that we can do creative things that we didn't think of in the current year. So we start programs. We look for grant funding. The biggest reason that I have this much savings are really two reasons. My office has been very aggressive in getting grant funding everywhere we can to bring money into the city of Long Beach. And the second thing is, when we have a vacancy, we delay filling that vacancy as long as we can in order to generate savings, knowing that that savings will help us to fund the next program. So I want to thank you. And I do take to heart all of the comments. And Ms.. Mungo's comments will be taken to heart and I will bring it. Earlier, I was asked to hold off. John GROSS asked me to hold off until January. I was ready to make this request earlier. I would have been happy to bring it to Bossi in October. I was asked to wait till January and then I was asked to cut it in half. This is the first time I've asked for half of the budget savings to be carried over because it was such a large amount, because the city is in such a financial situation that it's needed. So I was more than happy to do that. But I do appreciate the partnership. I do appreciate the programs we have are a result of your allowing me to do this. So I thank you for that. And next year I'll bring it to BMC right away and get this input as soon as possible. But I do want to thank you again for considering it. Thank you. And us. Thank you and thank you, Doug, for for all that information. I did want to hear from you. I also wanted to thank you for all your hard work that you do. And I will be supporting this. Thank you. What's a woman? Mango. Mr. Halbert, do you know the average amount we've allowed you to roll over in the last five years or approximate? I do not. You know, last year's amount. Of time I had, I don't recall. Mr. Modica, do you have any financial management staff that might know that? I don't think we have that tonight. I would just say to the council that. I appreciate that Prosecutor Halbert has had savings, but if every year he has savings, then potentially he has enough money in the budget to do the program. But I don't know that because I don't have enough information at this time. So that's all. But I really appreciate it. And I do think the program is important. Thank you. Yeah. Okay. So it's no public comment is that we. We the as I understand it, the motion was Councilwoman Mungo's motion to refer to B, O, C and nice and a second. Yes. And I'd like to ask Mr. Halbert if he'd be supportive of that. I would appreciate the council just approving it tonight. I'd like to make a substitute. We've got. To prove. It. I couldn't. Austin, did you say something? Okay. Council. Councilman Austin removed the second. So no, we don't have a motion on the floor and somebody else wants to second. Councilwoman Mangos. I think Councilman Price is going to make a motion. There's no second. Rate so she can make. The original motion. Councilwoman Price, if you want to make a motion. I'd make a motion to approve the request, as indicated in item 22. We have a second. Right. This is it. And then we should have public comment. As for public comment on the motion. Any more public comment? No one should sign up for the public comments. So I appreciate. Okay. Mr. Mongo, you wanna speak one more time about it? I'm just very disappointed because I've tried to do my diligence. I reached out to Mr. Halbert a week ago. I wish he would have been supportive of going through the Budget Oversight Committee, especially since we have plenty of time. But please, please cast your vote. Bush and Kerry's.