A firefighter-backed parcel tax initiative, branded as “Block the Cuts and Build Long Beach,” has flamed out before voters ever saw it. The measure failed to qualify for the November ballot after the city clerk certified the petition as insufficient on July 14, 2026.
Backers turned in 39,056 signatures. After a full check, only 24,888 were ruled valid, leaving the campaign roughly 3,097 short of the approximately 27,985 signatures needed to make the ballot.
Official Count and Why Signatures Did Not Hold Up
According to a letter from the Long Beach City Clerk, the Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk completed a full verification and found 14,168 signatures “not sufficient,” with 24,888 signatures deemed valid and the petition certified “insufficient.” The clerk’s certificate lists the totals and notes that LARRCC issued its certificate of completion on July 13, 2026.
Who Was Behind the Push
The initiative was powered by a coalition of labor and housing advocates, with the Long Beach Firefighters Association Local 372 as the most visible face. The effort was organized by Long Beach Residents Empowered, with support from the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. Long Beach Residents Empowered materials said the tax was designed to protect emergency response, fund affordable housing and fix streets.
Supporters kicked off the signature drive at a March 12 press conference outside Fire Station 7, where Local 372 leaders stood alongside coalition partners to sell the measure as a way to keep core services from being cut.
Campaign Reaction and Cash Trail
Campaign organizers did not hide their frustration. As reported by the Long Beach Post, Executive Director Andre Donado said he was “deeply disappointed” but not discouraged, stressing that the underlying needs the campaign highlighted have not gone away.
The campaign drew financial backing from the California Community Foundation, the Long Beach Firefighters Association and the Opportunity Beach Fund, Mayor Rex Richardson’s ballot committee, which contributed at least $80,000. According to the City of Long Beach, the measure’s ballot language would have levied a parcel tax by square foot and was projected to generate roughly $70 million a year.
Budget Squeeze Behind the Campaign
Supporters framed the tax as a financial pressure valve for a city bracing for cuts. Long Beach is staring down a projected $61.3 million budget shortfall in 2027 that city officials say will likely require reductions in services if new revenue is not found.
LAist outlines the city’s budget timeline and the community meetings where residents can weigh in on what to cut and what new revenue options to consider.
Voter Skepticism Was Already Baked In
The political climate was never exactly friendly to new local taxes. A city survey released last fall found that many likely voters were uneasy about additional levies, with a large share saying “now is not the time” to raise local taxes.
The same survey showed a narrow initial vote against an eight-cent-per-square-foot version of the parcel tax, a warning sign that helped explain why city leaders were reluctant to put their own tax measure on the ballot. Results in the Long Beach Post document underscore the political headwinds the “Block the Cuts and Build Long Beach” campaign was facing from the start.
What Happens Next
With the initiative officially off the November ballot, the fight over services and revenue shifts squarely to the city’s budget process this summer. Staff will present a proposed budget, followed by public hearings where councilmembers will decide what to cut and whether to pursue other ways to bring in money.
City materials list the upcoming hearings and community sessions where those conversations over cuts, taxes and tradeoffs will now play out.
