By Mayor David Lesser, Guest columnist
Happy Holidays.
The year 2025 brought triumphs and challenges that collectively revealed the extraordinary character of Manhattan Beach.
The year began with devastating wildfires that destroyed homes and displaced families in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Our community rallied. Residents opened their homes, businesses offered free services, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District and American Martyrs School expanded their classrooms to displaced students, and City Council members helped to distribute welcome packages to new arrivals. In a time of crisis, our community did not just offer sympathy – we provided active support.
Manhattan Beach Mayor David Lesser. (Courtesy Photo)
Public safety remained our top priority in 2025. Our Police Department increased officer patrols, resolved high-profile criminal investigations, and strengthened public engagement. It launched a real-time “Calls for Service” online dashboard to bring greater transparency to its operations. A new City Prosecutor helped increase enforcement of municipal code violations. Our Fire Department updated evacuation protocols to improve disaster preparedness and worked with regional agencies to upgrade our South Bay’s emergency communications systems.
Manhattan Beach’s fiscal strength was reaffirmed in 2025. Standard & Poor’s renewed our city’s AAA credit rating and our Los Angeles County Assessment Roll increased by 5.3% to $27.61 billion. The renewed AAA credit rating validated our city’s prudent financial management, kept our borrowing costs low, and facilitated the purchase of property for public use.
The year included proactive improvements to public infrastructure. Following the demolition of our three-story Lot 3 parking structure on Morningside Drive, the city constructed a temporary surface lot and added new street parking spaces — all within a year. The improvements provided public parking capacity downtown while we pursue longer-term solutions. Our city also purchased the former downtown Union Bank property for public use and commenced the “Project Pulse” initiative for residents to help envision the future of our downtown.
The opportunities and challenges of property development in our city continued in 2025. Our Building Division processed more than 2,000 permits and completed more than 16,000 next-day inspections. Our city also navigated its obligations to approve state-mandated housing units while advocating for changes to state law. We acted locally to increase public notice to residents about future housing development projects. We also reaffirmed our commitment to environmental stewardship as a coastal community, with the adoption of the city’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and recognition of its Green Business Program participants.
Our Parks and Recreation Department continued to enhance the quality of life for Manhattan Beach residents in 2025. It developed a Parks Master Plan to guide future recreation improvements, completed the Polliwog Park Dog Run expansion, resurfaced public tennis courts and added improved pickleball courts to meet growing demand. It also expanded the city’s wide-ranging older adult programs and cultural arts activities for all ages to celebrate our diversity and shared values.
More broadly, our City Council sought to address policy challenges head-on this past year. We welcomed public participation in our decision-making and emphasized civility during a contentious time in our nation. We remain grateful for the engagement of our residents, businesses and dedicated city staff.
Looking ahead to 2026, our city stands strong. We emerged from 2025 more prepared and committed to the values that make Manhattan Beach a vibrant community. As we move forward, we welcome another year of meaningful community engagement, fiscal resilience, environmental stewardship, and continued investment in our public infrastructure.
Thank you for the privilege of serving as mayor of Manhattan Beach. On behalf of the city, I wish you a Happy New Year.