The Long Beach City Council voted unanimously on Sept. 2 to
approve an $858 million budget for the Port of Long Beach for the upcoming
fiscal year. Two-thirds of the spending is earmarked for a building and
modernization program.
The budget was first approved by the port’s Board of
Directors in July, but consent from the City Council was required for it to
become official.
For the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, 2014, the Port of Long Beach
plans to spend $579 million on capital projects as part of an ongoing,
decade-long, $4 billion investment in upgrades and efficiency improvements.
“To remain competitive, the port needs to continually
reinvest in major facilities upgrades,” POLB Chief Executive Jon Slangerup told
the City Council just before its vote.
The budget projects operating revenue of $346.8 million in
the coming year, on par with revenues in the current fiscal year. The approved
budget also adds 28 new full-time positions, including 20 in the engineering department
to support ongoing capital improvements, and six to enhance port security
operations. The budget also includes funding of more than $30 million for
environmental programs and projects, such as technology-advancement
demonstrations of a barge-based pollution-control system for ships at berth and
an electric highway truck system.
Earlier this year, the adjoining Port of Los Angeles
approved a FY 2014 budget of nearly $939 million.
