Community News

State of City Address on Jan. 14

Mayor Rex Richardson will deliver the 2025 State of the City Address at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, in the Terrace Theater (300 E. Ocean Blvd.). This year’s theme, “Celebrating the Roots, Rhythm and Community of Long Beach,” will honor the city’s rich history of arts and culture.

During the 2025 address, Mayor Richardson will provide updates on key city priorities, including advancements in housing, infrastructure, city services and more. He will also share progress on the city’s Grow Long Beach initiative, with special announcements highlighting exciting new investments, businesses and initiatives that will boost opportunities for Long Beach residents. The presentation will also look ahead and share updates on the city’s planning efforts leading up to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

As part of this year’s theme, the program will feature special reveals and live performances that will highlight the cultural heartbeat of Long Beach, including inspiring local youth artists, special guest performances, live music by Knyght Ryder and an exclusive preview of the 2025 Vans Warped Tour.

The State of the City is free and open to the public. Community members are invited to attend in person or watch the livestream at LBTV3.com.

Those attending in person must RSVP. Food and beverages will be available for purchase before and after the address inside the Terrace Theater Lobby and outside on the plaza. Doors to the theater lobby will open at 4:30 p.m. Free parking for cars will be available in the Convention Center parking lots (400 Seaside Way).

Interpretation services in Spanish, Khmer, Tagalog and American Sign Language will be provided for those attending in person. Closed captioning will be provided at the event and on the livestreams.

Service Priorities for 2026 Budget Sought

The City of Long Beach is inviting members of the public to participate in the city’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY 26) budget development process by sharing their service priorities at one of the upcoming community budget meetings or by completing the Long Beach Budget Priority Survey.

The community budget meetings will be held in person at multiple locations throughout the city, plus one in a virtual format, on the following days:

• Wednesday, Jan. 22 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at McBride Community Center (1550 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.)
• Thursday, Jan. 23 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.)
• Saturday, Jan. 25 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Silverado Park Community Center (1545 W. 31st St.)
• Monday, Jan. 27 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. (Virtual Zoom Webinar)
• Wednesday, Jan. 29 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Billie Jean King Main Library (200 W. Broadway)
• Monday, Feb. 3 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Cornerstone Church (1000 N. Studebaker Rd.)

Interpretation services in Spanish, Khmer, Tagalog and American Sign Language will be provided for all meetings. Advanced registration for the Jan. 27 virtual meeting is required in order to receive the link to the Zoom meeting.

In addition to the meetings, community members may also submit their budget service priorities by completing the Long Beach Budget Priority Survey, available online at lbcity.info/fy26bps now through Tuesday, Feb. 4. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog. Those with limited access to a computer or smart phone may visit a public computer lab available at any open Long Beach Public Library location to access the survey.

Public input is an important and valued part of the city’s budget preparation process. The community budget meetings and online survey play an integral part in helping the city understand what community members believe the city’s budget priorities should be. Feedback provided at the community meetings and through the survey will be shared with the Long Beach City Council prior to the development of the Proposed FY 26 Budget.

More information is available at longbeach.gov/fy26.

Founder of ‘Free Market Warrior’ Speaking

Greater Long Beach Republican Women will hold their monthly meeting Saturday, Jan. 11, at the Grand, 4101 E. Willow St. Registration 9 a.m., buffet breakfast 9:30 a.m. Guest speaker: Loren Spivak, founder of The Free Market Warrior to make a positive difference in American politics and economics.

The cost is $30 for members, $35 for non-members. For a reservation, call Sandy Dubrowskij (562) 310-4283 or email glbrw2024@gmail.com.

Updates Offered on Aquatics Center Project

The City of Long Beach’s Departments of Public Works and Parks, Recreation and Marine will host a community meeting to provide an overview of the Belmont Beach and Aquatics Center Project. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 22, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Will Rogers Middle School Auditorium (365 Monrovia Ave.).

The meeting will include updates on the project, such as the unveiling of the facility’s design, an overview of the proposed financing strategy, project timelines and key milestones. Members of the project team will also be available to answer questions, including those related to project details or technical aspects.

The Belmont Beach and Aquatics Center Project is designed to engage, instruct and train public aquatics users while providing inclusive and accessible recreational water space for the Long Beach community. The project consists of two new pools for all ages, abilities and entry levels, and will include a zero-depth pool entrance and pool lifts to increase access for all residents.

Other features include springboards, play elements and spray features for children, a recreational pool with instructional lanes to accommodate programming like swim lessons and therapy, and a main entry building with showers, locker rooms, family changing rooms, offices and a new ticketing counter. Additionally, the project will include brand new, publicly accessible beach restrooms.

More information, including a detailed project timeline, is available at belmontpool.com.