Long Beach adopts FY2026 budget with new funding for legal aid, eviction defense and violence-prevention programs

The Long Beach City Council adopted the fiscal year 2026 budget on Sept. 9, approving the mayor's proposed allocations and a set of Budget Oversight Committee (BOC) amendments that add one-time and structural funding for immigrant legal services, eviction defense, violence-prevention activations, youth programs and several downtown and community projects.

Councilmembers voted to receive supporting documents, close the public hearing and then approved the mayor's recommendations as amended and the BOC recommendations. The motions passed unanimously at the meeting at Long Beach City Hall.

The package includes a mayoral amendment that directed one-time additions, including $600,000 in one-time funds added to the Long Beach Justice Fund (bringing that mayoral-recommended total for FY26 to $1,850,000) and a series of one-time reallocations drawn partly from successor agency sale proceeds to support violence-prevention activities, youth participatory budgeting and small-business initiatives. The BOC's package added staff and administrative resources intended to support the Justice Fund's delivery; the committee asked the city manager to make additional programmatic, reporting and equity adjustments across the budget.

Key program funding reflected in motions introduced and adopted during the hearing includes: - Justice and immigrant legal supports: mayoral addition of $600,000 one-time for the Long Beach Justice Fund (mayor's motion A7) and BOC adjustments including $130,000 one-time and an administrative analyst position to support Justice Fund…