Long Beach's ethics overhaul gets a study session: lobbyist rules, public calendars and a $61.3 million deficit shadow

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Long Beach Civic Center buildings under a blue sky

The proposal would lower the lobbying-spending threshold from $5,000 to $2,500 and make officials publicly report meetings with lobbyists and developers. No final vote was scheduled.

By Alberto Zamudio | The Southbound 105 | Oct. 15, 2026

Long Beach's City Council sat down Tuesday afternoon to look at the most ambitious rewrite of the city's ethics rules in years, a proposal known as the FAIR Act. No final vote was on the calendar, but the discussion will shape how much of the plan survives.

The Framework for Accountability, Integrity, and Reporting Act would pull the city's scattered ethics policies and legal requirements into one new chapter of the Long Beach Municipal Code. The council held a special study session at 3 p.m. on Oct. 13 in the Civic Chambers at City Hall to examine it and give staff direction, according to Patch's preview of the meeting. A meeting summary published by ZoneWire says the council voted to receive and file the staff presentation.

Where the proposal came from

The idea began with the city's Ethics Commission, which spent more than 18 months developing an earlier proposal called the Ethics and Good Governance Act, Patch reported, citing the commission's 2025 annual report. After several revisions following reviews by city officials, Mayor Rex Richardson advanced a modified version under the FAIR Act name.

An April 20 memorandum from Ethics Officer Heather Van Wijk describes a framework with 10 chapters covering conflicts of interest, political activities, gifts, outside employment, lobbying and fundraising, among other topics.

What would change

Lobbying. The framework would create a category of "contact lobbyist" for certain people who communicate with city officials at least three times in a calendar month on behalf of an employer or organization, with exemptions for qualifying nonprofit representatives. The Ethics Commission also recommended lowering the annual spending threshold for certain lobbying activities from $5,000 to $2,500, reflecting what Patch described as the lower cost of organizing advocacy campaigns online.

Public calendars. Elected officials and certain city employees would have to publicly disclose information about meetings with outside people and organizations, including lobbyists, developers and others trying to influence city decisions. The disclosures could identify participants, their affiliations and the subjects discussed, while protecting confidential information and details that could pose security risks.

Conflicts of interest. The proposal would extend conflict-of-interest protections to certain close personal relationships, such as business partners and people who share a residence with a public official.

The questions staff raised

Members of the council's Government Operations and Efficiency Committee questioned how the lobbying thresholds were chosen and whether the definitions would be practical to enforce, Patch reported.

City staff warned that enforcing some provisions, including the relationship-based conflict rules, could be difficult without voluntary disclosure. The April memo also notes that the framework contemplates criminal enforcement involving lobbyists, city officials and employees, but says further legal review is needed to determine how those provisions would work.

The money problem

Cost is the sharpest tension. The April memo cites a projected $61.3 million deficit for fiscal year 2027 and says the City Clerk's Office lacks the capacity to take on additional monitoring duties with its existing resources, according to Patch.

One technology option studied for managing the disclosures carried an estimated initial implementation cost of about $74,000 and a five-year cost of roughly $350,000. City technology staff instead recommended a cheaper approach built on standardized spreadsheets, Patch reported. The proposal could also require negotiations with affected labor unions because of potential changes to employees' responsibilities.

Why it matters

Supporters of ethics rules argue that public calendars and lobbyist registration let residents see who is influencing decisions on development, contracts and appointments. The cost concerns show how those goals collide with a city budget under pressure. The same council has also been debating how residents can speak at its own meetings, a separate fight over access and transparency.

What's next

  • No adoption yet. Patch reported that no final vote on the ordinance was scheduled for Oct. 13. Watch for a future agenda that returns a revised ordinance to the council.
  • Staff revisions. The study session was meant to let councilmembers decide what revisions staff should make, including the lobbying definitions, enforcement approach and cost.
  • Labor talks. Any change to employee duties could trigger negotiations with unions before the ordinance takes effect.
  • How to follow. Agendas and video are posted on the city's meeting portal; written comments can be sent to the City Clerk.

Want more local news? Read more at The Southbound 105.

Cover photo: Municipal government, City of Long Beach California, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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