Long Beach Budget Plan Targets 413 Positions Amid $58.2 Million Gap
Long Beach’s proposed fiscal 2027 budget is built around a projected $58.2 million structural shortfall and could eliminate 413 authorized city positions, according to public reporting on the city manager’s plan.
About 180 employees were expected to lose their jobs under the proposal. Mayor Rex Richardson restored 70 positions from the original plan, but significant reductions remained across departments that provide public safety, recreation, health and infrastructure services.
The proposal was still subject to City Council action as of Aug. 10, 2026. The reductions therefore represent a budget plan, not a final list of layoffs or adopted service cuts.
Where the proposed reductions are concentrated
The largest proposed reduction was in the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department, with 142 positions targeted. The department’s programs include services that residents use in parks and recreation facilities across Long Beach.
The plan also included 72 police positions, 66 positions in Health and Human Services, and 43 positions in Public Works. Technology and Innovation faced a proposed reduction of 24 positions, while the Fire Department faced a reduction of 21.
Those department-level figures account for much of the proposed change, although the public reporting describes them as reductions in authorized positions rather than confirmed layoffs. The number of positions eliminated and the number of employees affected are not the same: the plan identified 413 positions, while about 180 employees were expected to lose their jobs.
Mayor restored 70 positions
Richardson restored 70 positions from City Manager Tom Modica’s original proposal. That change reduced the scale of the initial plan, but it did not eliminate the need for the city to address the projected structural gap.
A structural shortfall generally reflects an ongoing mismatch between recurring revenues and recurring expenses. In Long Beach, the proposed response would rely in part on reducing city staffing, placing several major service areas before the council for review.
The proposal could affect how the city delivers services in parks and recreation, policing, public health, public works, technology and fire protection. The practical effect for residents will depend on which positions are ultimately eliminated, which are restored and whether the council approves other changes to close the gap.
What happens next
The Long Beach City Council was expected to consider the proposed fiscal 2027 budget after the city manager’s presentation and revisions. As of Aug. 10, the final budget had not been adopted.
That means the final number of eliminated positions, employee layoffs and department-by-department service reductions remained unsettled. Council action will determine whether the proposed staffing changes become part of the city’s fiscal 2027 spending plan or are revised before adoption.
The budget decision will require Long Beach officials to weigh the projected shortfall against the staffing and services supported by the city’s ongoing budget. For residents, the central question is how the city will close a multiyear fiscal gap while maintaining public safety, parks, health, infrastructure and other local services.
Sources
- Long Beach budget would eliminate 413 city positions, with about 180 employees expected to lose jobs, Local discussion citing the city budget proposal
- Service reductions, layoffs cornerstones of addressing Long Beach’s $58M budget shortfall, Local discussion citing the city manager’s budget presentation
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