City-County of Long Beach?

What would restrictions have been like throughout the pandemic if Long Beach was its own county? Throughout this year of COVID, Long Beach has looked across the border to Orange County wondering why cities there are not suffering business closures and other restrictions the same way Long Beach and Los Angeles County are.

Until now Orange County has enjoyed a more open economy than hard-hit Los Angeles County. On Dec. 6, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. regional stay-at-home orders went into effect based on a region’s intensive care bed availability falling below 15%. This regional approach puts Los Angeles and Orange County on a more equal footing. Not all counties are happy to be grouped into an 11-county region, particularly with Los Angeles County, which represents over 25% of the state’s population.

Today Los Angeles County has a population of approximately 10 million, the largest population of any county in the nation. Its population is greater than that of 41 individual U.S. states. With an area of 4,083 square miles it is larger than the combined areas of Delaware and Rhode Island.

Long Beach accounts for approximately 463,000 of the county’s population and is the 43rd most populous city in the United States. Being so large, Los Angeles County is facing government mandated restrictions calculated on its size, as well as requiring many of its own. Though individual areas of the county may be relatively free of the virus, they are lumped together with other areas to form a statistical average. One can only wonder if Long Beach businesses in 2020 would have suffered less if Long Beach had been successful in the 1920s and 1930s in establishing its own identity – the City-County of Long Beach.

The idea of a combined City-County of Long Beach was first introduced in January 1921. Long Beach was following the precedent set by the City and County of San Francisco, which is the only consolidated city-county government in all of California and one of only 40 in the United States.

Senator Joseph Rominger pioneered the way for the Long Beach measure. At issue was that citizens and attorneys of Long Beach were forced to spend thousands of dollars annually to attend Superior Court in Los Angeles. They argued this was sufficient to warrant the establishment of a new county, with courts, a county jail and all offices of the county government. After four years of legal haggling a compromise was reached, authorizing branches of the Superior Court in cities fifteen miles from the Court House. In August 1925, a branch was established in Long Beach.

Though Long Beach had won this legal battle, it was not about to drop the idea of forming its own city-county. The harbor had long been a point of contention between Long Beach and Los Angeles. Tensions between the two cities first surfaced after the City of Los Angeles began its “march to the sea.” In 1906 it annexed a half mile strip of territory touching San Pedro that used to belong to the town of Gardena. Los Angeles, eager for a harbor of its own, annexed San Pedro on August 13, 1909, and Wilmington in September of the same year.

Many residents in the two towns were aghast at the idea of losing their identity and being absorbed by the big city to the north. But the package Los Angeles offered was overwhelming. Los Angeles agreed to spend $10 million in harbor improvements over the next 10 years. It also promised both towns a modern fire station, a fully equipped police station, a public library and an up-to-date school system.

As a further “incentive” Los Angeles officials reminded the citizens of San Pedro and Wilmington that Los Angeles had recently annexed Harbor City. This gave Los Angeles actual frontage on the bay and a place to start its own harbor should San Pedro and Wilmington refuse to see the light. Perhaps this added “leverage” was what helped settle the matter, for both towns approved the annexation. Competition was now brewing, Long Beach vs. Los Angeles as the center of harbor activity.

In March 1925, the proposal to form the City and County of Long Beach again made its way to the state legislature. The harbor was the issue. Hurtles included changing the law prohibiting the creation of a new county line within five miles of an incorporated city and, the need to eliminate from the state constitution a section providing that no county having less than 200,000 residents could organize under a combined city and county administration.

The request to form a new city-county was temporarily dropped in 1925 when the Port District Enabling Act was passed. Under the act the Long Beach and Los Angeles harbors would be controlled jointly. Long Beach objected based upon indications that Long Beach would not be assured an equal voice with Los Angeles in harbor affairs. The district was never formed.

Attempts to form a City-County of Long Beach continued in 1932, 1934 and 1939. The harbor, as well as keeping city revenues in local hands were issues. Long Beach was not alone in attempting a city-county form of government, Los Angeles was doing the same.

The advantages of this type of governmental organization were included in a report printed in the August 28, 1939 Long Beach Independent:

To materially reduce the present heavy cost of county government to taxpayers in Long Beach, Signal Hill and adjacent territory. Statistics showed the county collected more than $3,000,000 per year in taxes. It was believed that at least $2,500,000 could be saved each year by a consolidated government.

To retain in local control functions of government which are purely local in nature. There was continuous pressure to turn over to Los Angeles County control many of Long Beach’s municipal activities – something Long Beach did not want.

To eliminate duplications in functions which are more efficiently accomplished under local direction. Proponents stated the present facilities of the cities of Long Beach and Signal Hill could carry on practically all provided by Los Angeles County.

To provide a single unit of government within which to plan for normal future expansion and provide adequate facilities of the entire unified area. Highways, transportation, drainage, sewage and other public services and utilities presently could not be designed or constructed in the most economical manner.

To protect this area against threatened territorial aggression on the part of neighboring governmental units, such as the City of Los Angeles. Annexation was the buzz word at the time. Both Los Angeles and Long Beach were hopeful of gaining more territory. Back in 1908 it looked like the town of Belmont Heights would yield to pressure from the City of Los Angeles to join its ranks. It didn’t. Annexations battles became constant, such as the one in December 1923 when North Long Beach voted to join Long Beach, an election protested by Los Angeles. Three years later the annexation was declared legal, but no love was lost between Long Beach and Los Angeles.

To retain a rigidly metropolitan character, including in the city-county government so proposed with no permanent agricultural areas. By so doing, the need for farm advisors, agricultural commissions and similar costly agencies would be eliminated.

To consolidate into one unit or a few units with identical boundaries, the 9 or 10 different school districts. This would eliminate the need of a County Superintendent of Schools and the Long Beach Board of Education, under local control, could operate a single district more economically.

By research, study and careful consideration, to plan a model form of government. Careful planning could eliminate Charter errors and provide a sound and simple government under full local control.

The estimated total area of the proposed city-county government of Long Beach would be approximately 60 square miles.

In order for city and county governments to consolidate, a referendum is required and successful outcomes are not easily achieved, which is what has prevented Long Beach and Los Angeles from forming their own city-county jurisdictions. Also, Los Angeles County officials have blocked efforts to form new city-counties. In the 1932 attempt, the Los Angeles Bureau of Efficiency reported that certain areas of Los Angeles County would be isolated and left in deplorable condition should new city-counties form. County officials decided to drop the request and not submit it to voters.

Los Angeles and Long Beach persevered bringing up the idea again in 1934 as well as 1939. Again, efforts failed. Achieving city-county duality is not an easy matter. During the last 48 years, 100 city-county proposals have made it to the ballot box nationwide, but only about one-quarter have actually been approved by voters. Perhaps those cities seeking to form city-county governments need to take on the tactics of the backers of Orange County, who used monetary bribes to ensure success in breaking away from Los Angeles County in 1889.

Claudine Burnett is a retired Long Beach Public Library librarian who compiled the library’s Long Beach History Index. In her research, she found many forgotten, interesting stories about Long Beach and Southern California which she has published in 11 books as well as in monthly blogs. You can access information about her books and read her blogs at www.claudineburnettbooks.com.