It was standing-room-only at City Hall as the Long Beach City Council welcomed one re-elected incumbent and two new members on New Year\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n
George Ennis and Tracey Johnson were sworn in for their first terms, while Michael Reinhart, who was first elected in 2023, took the oath of office for the second time. Reinhart and Ennis began four-year terms, while Johnson, who garnered the third-highest vote total in last November\u2019s election, will serve for two years.<\/p>\n
The special meeting certified the first all-Republican City Council since 1971 \u2014 the incoming members join Republicans Brendan Finn, the council president, and Chris Fiumara, its vice president, who were elected alongside Reinhart in 2023 \u2014 but Ennis and Johnson stressed in their inaugural comments that partisan politics won\u2019t play a role in governing the city.<\/p>\n
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman began the ceremony by highlighting his own connections to Long Beach, before welcoming the new City Council.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome don\u2019t know that my father was raised here in Long Beach,\u201d Blakeman began, \u201c[He] was a graduate of Long Beach High School.\u201d He went on to say that his father, former Assemblyman Robert Blakeman, returned home from World War II and met his future wife, Betty Harris, on a canal in Island Park. <\/p>\n
The county executive also recounted visiting his grandfather in Long Beach. \u201cI spent so many wonderful days of my childhood on the boardwalk here in Long Beach,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Blakeman ended by emphasizing the importance of nonpartisan governance. \u201cYou represent all the people,\u201d he reminded the council members. \u201cWhen someone calls you for a problem, you never ask them whether they\u2019re a Republican or a Democrat, what race, religion, ethnic group. \u2026 You help people. That\u2019s what local government is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n
After brief remarks from Joseph Cairo, chairman of the Nassau County Republican Committee, former County Legislator Denise Ford administered the oath of office to Ennis, who stood beside his wife, Maureen. Ennis is a longtime fixture in the Long Beach community, having organized a film festival fundraiser in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, chaired the Long Beach Irish Heritage Day Parade, and served as a committee member for the Michele O\u2019Neill Foundation, which raises money to help children with cancer and special needs.<\/p>\n
Ennis thanked his late father and his 95-year-old mother, who was in attendance, for instilling in him the values of kindness, fairness and hard work. \u201cI promise I will give every ounce of my effort, my knowledge and my energy to make everybody\u2019s life in Long Beach the best it can possibly be,\u201d he told the audience.<\/p>\n
Johnson took the stage next with her husband, Bob, and was sworn in by an Island Park resident of note, former U.S. Rep. Anthony D\u2019Esposito, now a newly appointed inspector general for the U.S. Department of Labor.<\/p>\n
Johnson, a mother of three, is a real estate agent and co-owns a local restaurant, the Cabana, with her husband. She has actively supported the Michelle O\u2019Neill Foundation, Long Beach\u2019s annual Polar Bear Plunge and the Michael Diamond Foundation, an organization that supports veterans\u2019 causes, advocates for suicide prevention and offers scholarships to local students.<\/p>\n
In thanking her family, Johnson shared that she is a fourth-generation Long Beach resident, and feels a deep sense of community pride. \u201cLong Beach is more than just where we live,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s who we are. It\u2019s neighbors looking out for one another, small businesses that give our city its character, and generations of families who have invested their hearts here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reinhart, the returning councilman, was joined on stage by his wife, Colleen, and their children, Ryan and Cate, and was given the oath of office by County Legislator Patrick Mullaney.<\/p>\n
Reinhart\u2019s initial two-year term was marked by notable successes: the city\u2019s first tax freeze in 10 years; an improvement in its bond rating, which paved the way for lower interest rates for city projects and more taxpayer savings; and a marked boost in public safety, with crime decreasing 19 percent.<\/p>\n
In his remarks, Reinhart cited the camaraderie among himself, Finn and Fiumara as a key reason why the council achieved those successes. He also emphasized community and family, proudly noting Cate\u2019s Irish step dancing championship \u2014 and Honor Roll \u2014 to Ryan\u2019s Long Beach High School volleyball Rookie of the Year award \u2014 and Honor Roll \u2014 to Colleen\u2019s return to school for a second degree after working as an executive.<\/p>\n
Reinhart concluded by focusing on the council\u2019s hands-on, grounded approach. \u201cSometimes, politicians become a distant policy-maker, but that\u2019s not the case with these guys,\u201d he said of his colleagues. \u201cThese guys are all neighbor advocates. This is a City Council of neighbor advocates, and I think we\u2019re going to do a great job.\u201d<\/p>\n