Long Beach : $44 Tax Proposal for More Police Aimed at June Ballot
The Long Beach City Council this week took the first steps to place an item on the June ballot that would ask voters to approve a new property tax to pay for 75 additional police officers.
The levy, which would amount to $44 a year for the typical single-family home, will be the subject of a public hearing Feb. 26. If placed on the ballot, the levy would have to be approved by two-thirds of the residents casting ballots.
Currently budgeted for a staff of 677 police officers, administrators of the Long Beach Police Department have asked for 160 additional officers. While some council members say they think the department needs more than the 75 extra officers, they have described the number as a compromise figure that is more apt to win voter approval than a more expensive proposal.
The levy would raise about $7.3 million a year.
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