Long Beach Council To Weigh Sweeping Ethics Reforms, Lobbying Rules

LONG BEACH, CA — Long Beach City Council members will revisit a sweeping overhaul of the city's ethics rules Tuesday, considering proposals that could change how lobbying is regulated, officials' meetings are disclosed and conflicts of interest are handled.

The proposed Framework for Accountability, Integrity, and Reporting Act, known as the FAIR Act, would bring existing ethics policies and legal requirements together under a comprehensive ordinance designed to strengthen transparency and accountability across city government.

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According to the revised City Council agenda, councilmembers will hold a special study session at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, to examine the proposal and provide staff with further direction. No final vote on adopting the ordinance is scheduled.

The legislation originated with the city's Ethics Commission, which spent more than 18 months developing an earlier proposal called the Ethics and Good Governance Act. According to the commission's 2025 annual report, the recommendations underwent several revisions following reviews by city officials. Mayor Rex Richardson subsequently advanced a modified version under the FAIR Act name.

What Would The FAIR Act Change?

The framework described in an April 20 memorandum from Ethics Officer Heather Van Wijk contains 10 chapters covering conflicts of interest, political activities, gifts, outside employment, lobbying and fundraising, among other issues.

One significant proposal would expand lobbying oversight by establishing a category of "contact lobbyist" covering certain individuals 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 the reduced costs of organizing advocacy campaigns through digital platforms.

However, members of the council's Government Operations and Efficiency Committee questioned how those thresholds were determined and whether the proposed definitions would be practical to enforce. Another provision would require elected officials and certain city employees to publicly disclose information about meetings with outside individuals and organizations, including lobbyists, developers and others seeking to influence city decisions.

Those disclosures could identify participants, their affiliations and the subjects discussed, while protecting confidential information and details that could pose security risks. The framework also proposes expanding conflict-of-interest protections to include certain close personal relationships, such as business partners and people sharing a residence with a public official. City staff have warned that enforcing some of those provisions could prove difficult without voluntary disclosure.

Enforcement And Costs Raise Questions

Although the FAIR Act is intended to strengthen government oversight, city officials have raised concerns about the resources needed to implement it. The April memorandum notes that the framework contemplates criminal enforcement involving lobbyists, city officials and employees, but says further legal review would be necessary before determining how those provisions could operate.

Staff also warned that expanded lobbying oversight and public calendar disclosures would require additional administrative resources at a time when the city faces significant financial pressures. The memorandum cited a projected $61.3 million deficit for fiscal year 2027 and said the City Clerk's Office lacked the capacity to undertake additional monitoring responsibilities under its existing resources.

One technology option explored for managing disclosures carried an estimated initial implementation cost of approximately $74,000 and a five-year cost of about $350,000. City technology staff instead recommended a less expensive system using standardized spreadsheets.

The proposal could also require negotiations with affected labor unions because of potential changes to employees' responsibilities. Tuesday's study session will allow councilmembers to weigh those concerns against the proposed transparency measures and determine what revisions should be incorporated into the developing ordinance.

The meeting will take place at 3 p.m. in the Civic Chambers at Long Beach City Hall, 411 W. Ocean Blvd.

Residents can attend in person or participate through the city's Zoom webinar, using meeting ID 934 6872 3400. Written comments can be submitted through the city's public meeting portal or by emailing CityClerk@longbeach.gov. The meeting will also be streamed on the Long Beach Television YouTube channel.