Joni Ricks-Oddie, Long Beach City Council District 9 candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire – Press Telegram

Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.

Name: Joni Ricks-Oddie

Current job title: Long Beach City Councilmember & Director of UCI Center for Statistical Consulting

Age: 43

Incumbent: Yes

Other political positions held: None

City where you reside: Long Beach

Campaign website or social media: votedrjoni.com

One of the main issues local leaders are grappling with is Long Beach’s current and long-term fiscal position. With major budgetary concerns on the horizon, explain your top priorities for Long Beach’s financial future and plans to achieve them. (Please answer in 200 words or less.)

The three main areas I will continue to focus on in my next term are infrastructure, public safety and budget transparency. The Elevate 28 masterplan not only leverages Measure A dollars but also competitive local, state and federal grants, which are unaffected by Long Beach’s current fiscal position. This effort has yielded major improvements throughout District 9, including an over $44 million investment on Artesia Boulevard and several street and neighborhood improvements.

When it comes to public safety, we continue to invest in several upgrades for our police and fire departments, including activating Rescue 2 as a 24/7 advanced life support unit in the downtown area, opening up our brand new LBPD training facility and welcoming our largest recruiting class in the history of Long Beach, thanks to our city budget.

As chair of the Budget Oversight Committee, we have transformed the process into one of the most transparent and public-facing budgets in our city’s history. From adding evening public comment meetings, agendizing all requests from internal and external sources to increase transparency and accountability about how decisions were made, we made sure that our budget was a reflection of our values, was transparent, and fiscally sound.

Long Beach residents have been sounding the alarm about the presence of federal immigration enforcement agents and operations in the city. Where do you stand on ICE/CBP actions, and how to plan to address residents’ concerns about this issue? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)

I am fundamentally against what I see as state-sanctioned violence against immigrant communities. This is nothing short of racial profiling that scapegoats immigrant communities.

As the councilmember with the largest Latino population, I have worked throughout my district to ensure community members have resources to protect themselves before, during, and after federal raids. And I have partnered with local, trusted nonprofits and organizations to ensure that I continue to hear from groups on the ground regarding additional legislative work we can do to protect residents. Moreover, I have worked and will continue to work with city leadership to identify and implement additional protections under our Long Beach Values Act, to increase structural funding for the Long Beach Justice Fund and work with our state and federal elected officials to explore legal options.

As Budget Oversight chair, I have been a staunch advocate for using the budget to continue to protect our communities. Every year, we’ve funded the Long Beach Justice Fund, providing legal help for immigrants at risk of deportation who live or work in Long Beach. In the current budget, I successfully advocated for increased structural funding for this program, which currently relies on one-time funding each year.

Homelessness and affordable housing continue to be a top issue for Long Beach residents. What is your position on the city’s current efforts to reduce homelessness and increase affordable housing availability, and how do you plan to improve these efforts? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)

I am proud of the work the city of Long Beach has done to address the challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness and the communities most directly impacted by this complex issue. One of the first votes I took as a councilmember was to formally declare a state of emergency related to homelessness. This action allowed us to expedite the release of funds; invest in new shelter beds; secure additional resources at the county, state and federal levels; and get creative with our approach to solving this ongoing problem.

District 9 also became home to one of the largest new developments outside the Downtown core, with the construction of 84 units along Atlantic Avenue. We are also providing more wrap-around services and educational opportunities with the opening of the North Long Beach Education Center in partnership with LBCC. Additionally, LBCC will add 22 units of affordable student housing in District 9, in the former redevelopment property north of the Michelle Obama Library.

Additionally, the city has launched a public Homelessness Dashboard and strengthened partnerships with regional agencies. These coordinated efforts ensure that funding is rapidly deployed to move people into shelter, permanent housing and treatment while building long-term capacity to prevent homelessness based on data.

What is the biggest issue your district specifically faces, and how do you plan to address it, if elected? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)

The most pressing issue for our district is the persistent crisis of human trafficking and the related public safety challenges along the Long Beach Boulevard corridor. This has long been a struggle for our community, and I am proud to have collaborated with my colleague, Councilmember Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, to spearhead a comprehensive response. I am committed to executing the recently approved Strategic Plan, which shifts the focus beyond conventional policing to address the underlying causes of this issue.

To reclaim our streets and ensure North Long Beach remains a secure, flourishing environment for families and businesses, we are employing a multi-track strategy.

First, we are utilizing environmental design improvements — such as traffic cameras, enhanced lighting and exploring “no parking” zones — to discourage criminal behavior and increase neighborhood safety. Second, we are championing a victim-centered approach that prioritizes trauma-informed housing and resources for survivors over criminalization. Third, we are working with neighboring cities that are also affected, as well as our state-level elected officials, to affect change in state law to increase our ability to go after traffickers and support victims.

By pairing these deterrents with intensified enforcement against traffickers, we are creating lasting change.

What experience do you bring to the table for this role? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)

The experience I bring to the table is rooted in my nearly 15-year commitment to North Long Beach. I am proud to be the only candidate in this race who has a long track record of public service and community engagement in Long Beach.

Prior to being elected to the Long Beach City Council, I served as a leader of the Deforest Park Neighborhood Association and North Long Beach Neighborhood Alliance; served on the board of the Uptown BID, fighting to bring new economic resources to our community; and served on two separate city commissions, the CPCC (now Police Oversight) and as chair of the Planning Commission. Those experiences have shaped the policy I have brought forward, the projects I champion and the record investment that our community has seen thanks to strong leadership.

I own a home in North Long Beach, I am raising my family here and I will be here long after my service on the City Council is done. This is not a hobby for me or a publicity stunt. It is my commitment to a thriving North Long Beach that fuels my passion and my desire to serve another term so we can continue the good work we started.