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<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s at stake in this race<\/p>\n
The City Council is Long Beach\u2019s main legislative body. Its nine members are among the most powerful people in the city, deciding how best to spend more than $3 billion each year on key services such as public health, streets and public infrastructure, law enforcement and the Fire Department.<\/p>\n
City Council members have the power to change existing laws in the city and oversee the effectiveness of departments and specific programs. Through zoning and regulations, they directly influence housing and commercial development.<\/p>\n
Individual councilmembers also act as advocates for the geographic area of the city they represent and have small individual budgets to support local festivals and nonprofits. Individual council offices are often residents’ first and best point of contact when there\u2019s a neighborhood problem that requires the city\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n
Follow the vote after polls close<\/p>\n
Our limited-run newsletter Make It Make Sense unpacks the ballot count and results, then checks in regularly on officials voted into office and the measures voters pass.<\/p>\n
What do Long Beach City Council members do?\u00a0Influence and vote on the city budget that funds the Long Beach Police Department, major Public Works projects and more.Pass or repeal local laws, called ordinances, that can then be signed or vetoed by the mayor.Pass or adjust city fees and fines.Hire and fire the city\u2019s top executive, the city manager.Set the city\u2019s agenda and priorities through directions to the city manager.<\/p>\n
You might know them from<\/p>\n
City Council members\u2019 decisions have a direct impact on residents’ lives. In their most recent term, they have:<\/p>\n
Here are some things Long Beach City Council members don\u2019t do<\/p>\n
City Council members don\u2019t control the Long Beach Unified School District or directly influence the city\u2019s independent municipal agencies, including the airport, port, utilities department or Long Beach Transit, which operates the local buses. Council members also have limited power on their own, needing a majority City Council vote to pass ordinances, approve budgets and set policy.<\/p>\n
Outside their own small offices, council members cannot hire or fire staff other than the city manager and police oversight director, or direct individual staff members what to do.<\/p>\n
Council members are elected to four-year terms and are limited to three terms. It\u2019s a part-time position, and they are paid a little more than $50,000 a year.<\/p>\n
The City Council cannot override state or federal law. Ordinances passed must not conflict with California or U.S. law, regardless of local preference. And the city charter \u2014 essentially our local constitution \u2014 cannot be amended without voter approval.<\/p>\n
Fast facts about Long Beach City Council District 7\u00a0District 7 has one of the city\u2019s longest-serving incumbents, Councilmember Roberto Uranga, who is now termed out.This council district is the most populated in the city, with a total of 54,847 residents, according to 2020 census data.It\u2019s also one of the city\u2019s most diverse districts. Of the more than 36,000 people eligible to vote, 15% were of Asian descent, 24% were Black and 39% were Latino.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s on the agenda for next term<\/p>\n
Long Beach\u2019s budget deficit, projected at over $60 million next year, will be a major topic for all councilmembers, who will have to decide on potential cuts.<\/p>\n
Homelessness continues to be a major issue, with frequent discussion about encampments along the Los Angeles River, in Lincoln Park and around the Billie Jean King Main Library.<\/p>\n
Olympic preparation, including several events in the downtown area, also will undoubtedly be on the agenda.<\/p>\n
What it takes to win<\/p>\n
Any candidate who earns more than 50% of the vote in the June 2 Primary wins outright. If not, the top two vote-getters advance to a general election Nov. 3.<\/p>\n
The candidates for Long Beach City Council District 7<\/p>\n
About LAist’s voter guides<\/p>\n
When information is missing<\/p>\n
Some candidates did not reply to our requests for images. Some did not have a campaign website and\/or list of endorsements available online at the time of publication. We will update this guide as more candidate information becomes available.<\/p>\n
Dameon Gordon, homelessness case manager<\/p>\n
Dameon Gordon has spent decades working in a variety of social service sectors. He\u2019s currently working for the Catholic Charities of Los Angeles as a social worker for homeless individuals and families. Before that, he served as the director of Dungarvin, a facility for adults with developmental disabilities, and as an administrator for Olive Crest, a kids\u2019 group home focused on child abuse prevention.<\/p>\n
Gordon said he lives by a quote from educator Horace Mann: \u201cYou should be ashamed to die until you\u2019ve won some victory for humanity.”<\/p>\n
In his own words<\/p>\n
Gordon said if elected, he\u2019ll serve as an extension of the community he represents \u2014 ensuring not just that constituent voices are heard, but also that they\u2019re actually reflected in the decisions being made at City Hall.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think people are ready for leadership that\u2019s rooted in community and not just shaped by the same systems we\u2019ve seen for years,\u201d Gordon said.<\/p>\n
Housing stability is a central concern, he said, and it encompasses the need to address homelessness in a \u201creal, effective way.\u201d Gordon envisions a system of wraparound support that matches individual needs.<\/p>\n
Another priority is fighting rising housing costs and the displacement it causes, he said. Rent increases, gentrification, property taxes and overall cost of living are pushing lifelong District 7 residents out of the area, he said. So Gordon supports promoting economic growth and development, but he said he wants to do so in a way that fosters small business, expands local job opportunities and prioritizes environmental concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cStatistically, we lead in the city in respiratory issues,\u201d he said, noting the district\u2019s proximity to the ports and freeways. \u201cAnd the life expectancy is about 10 years shorter than every other district.\u201d<\/p>\n
More voter resources:<\/p>\n
Go deeper:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vivian Malauulu, Long Beach Community College District Trustee, Area 2<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Vivian Malauulu<\/p>\n
(<\/p>\n
Courtesy Vivian Malauulu<\/p>\n
)<\/p>\n
Vivian Malauulu, a longshore worker, has a master\u2019s degree in educational administration. She has worked as a journalist and teacher and has lived in Long Beach since 2000. In 2021, Malauulu launched Beach Flea, an outdoor swap meet designed to help small businesses bounce back after COVID. Just this year, Malauulu received her doctorate in leadership and innovation, while serving on the Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a saying in Spanish, \u2018El que no chilla, no mama\u2019 and what that loosely translates is, \u2018Squeaky wheel gets the oil\u2019 and \u2018Closed mouths don\u2019t get fed,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI have a lot of experience being a strong voice.\u201d<\/p>\n
In her own words<\/p>\n
Malauulu said she wants to use that voice to advocate for her district \u2014 which she says has been overlooked. She said the city needs to make more investments in West Long Beach\u2019s infrastructure \u2014 as evidenced by the \u201cWestside Promise.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t hear them say there\u2019s an Eastside Promise,\u201d she said. \u201cBecause they don\u2019t need a promise. They\u2019ve gotten the goods and services that they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n Homelessness is one of Long Beach\u2019s biggest issues, Malauulu said, and it\u2019s what, in academic terms, you\u2019d call a \u201cwicked problem.\u201d This means that no matter what solution is used to address it, there will be additional problems created as a result. If you throw money at homelessness, it feeds into a budget deficit. If you try to build more shelters, that will affect traffic and housing density, she said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a systems problem that requires a systems solution. And that means, Malauulu said, that the city needs to work with the community to identify the root causes of homelessness \u2014 such as the high rents and costs of living in Long Beach. She says part of this effort would include bolstering workforce development through apprenticeship programs and stronger relationships with local industries.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not running to get the job. I\u2019m running to do the job,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n More voter resources:<\/p>\n Website: VivianforLongBeach.com<\/a>Endorsements: Los Angeles County Democratic Party and U.S. Senator Alex PadillaFull endorsements list here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Go deeper:\u00a0<\/p>\n Jamies Shuford, nonprofit chief executive<\/p>\n Jamies Shuford<\/p>\n (<\/p>\n Courtesy Jamies Shuford<\/p>\n )<\/p>\n Jamies Shuford is the founder and CEO of Skidrow Advocacy Group Inc.<\/a>, a nonprofit that advocates for the rights of homeless people and families. Shuford said he came up with the idea when he was unhoused himself \u2014 living on Skid Row in \u201cthe best cardboard condominium\u201d on the block.<\/p>\n Shuford said he never intended to run for political office, but that\u2019s just where he has been led.<\/p>\n \u201cI just want people to really see [that] you can start from nothing and become something,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Shuford currently serves as president of the Long Beach Homeless Coalition and co-chair of the Long Beach Continuum of Care. He said he also helped establish a food pantry for homeless families in Long Beach, as well as one that was used during the pandemic to feed about 500 families per week.<\/p>\n In his own words<\/p>\n The unhoused are often used as scapegoats when residents are angry about other issues in their neighborhoods, Shuford said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe homeless get a bad rap. We get blamed \u2014 and I\u2019m going to say \u2018we\u2019 [because] I still consider myself homeless,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Shuford said that to address homelessness in the short and long term, there has to be a balance of compassion and enforcement. Outreach teams must follow up with the unhoused people they meet and move away from \u201cone-time contact.\u201d There is also a direct connection between homeless encampments and environmental issues such as sanitation concerns and illegal dumping, Shuford said. So the city should target these areas for regular clean-ups and outreach, he said, to improve street conditions while also helping to get the unhoused into interim shelter.<\/p>\n Shuford said he doesn\u2019t want to see District 7 neglected any longer. He wants to expand the Westside Promise so that this area receives \u201cthe same level of investment, coordination and urgency that we see in other parts of Long Beach.\u201d To encourage accountability, he said he\u2019d push for a public dashboard where residents can track in real time what issues are being funded and resolved.<\/p>\n More voter resources:<\/p>\n Go deeper:\u00a0<\/p>\n Campaign finance<\/p>\n How to get involved<\/p>\n How to get involved with the Long Beach City Council<\/p>\n The Long Beach City Council meets most Tuesdays at 5 p.m. in the Civic Chambers at 411 W. Ocean Blvd. You can attend in person or watch online here<\/a>, as well as on the city\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>. You can find the meeting agendas here<\/a>.In order to give public comment, residents must sign up with the city clerk, located on the left side of the room in front of the council dais. If you can\u2019t attend the meeting, you can still leave a public comment online. Here\u2019s more information<\/a> on how to do that.The public comment period for non-agenda items typically happens toward the start of the meeting, but there\u2019s also an opportunity to give public comment for each item on the regular agenda. If there are too many speakers on non-agenda items, be prepared to wait until almost the end of the meeting, which can last hours.If you want to contact your City Council member or other local elected officials directly, you can find their contact information here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What\u2019s at stake in this race The City Council is Long Beach\u2019s main legislative body. 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