How much is Lakewood really shelling out to developers?

PHOTO by SUSAN SABO
Long Beach has taken a pretty good pounding over the years for a development strategy that shortchanges residents by giving sales-tax rebates to mega-retailers—especially since neighboring Lakewood has been able to attract more of those big stores without resorting to such tactics.
“Lakewood has never [...]

Every time Long Beach offers to rebate sales tax to mega-retailers in an attempt to lure their business to town, some reporter is sure to call Lakewood City Hall for comment. That’s what I do, anyway. Lakewood kinda likes to righteously remind the world that it doesn’t stoop to such self-cheapening tactics.
“Lakewood has never given [...]

New City Manager Pat West answers six of our half-dozen questions

PAT WEST by LUKE MCGARRY
Patrick West officially begins his tenure as Long Beach city manager—a position sometimes called “the city’s CEO”—on Monday. He hasn’t signaled any major changes in the way the city does business, but the very act of his appointment last month by [...]