Alderman candidates in Long Beach emphasize infrastructure, schools and transparency

Candidates for aldermanic seats used the Gazette-hosted forum to outline priorities for roads, drainage, economic growth and school support.

Donald Fraser (Alderman at large) and other incumbents described completed and ongoing infrastructure work, including a major drainage study and engineering grants. Fraser told the audience the board had wrapped up sewage pump repairs that previously cost the city heavily and said the city had a multi-stage plan to fix drainage and harbor issues.

Challengers and incumbents in contested wards focused on three recurring themes: infrastructure maintenance and blight enforcement, support for the school district, and improving transparency and constituent access. Ward 3 candidates emphasized the need to update ordinances, create a strategic plan and sustain school partnerships; Joey Jafria and Bernie Parker backed business attraction strategies to grow the tax base. Several candidates supported neighborhood councils or advisory boards to route citizen concerns to aldermen.

On ethics and conflicts of interest, candidates uniformly said officials should recuse themselves when appropriate and that auditors and required state disclosures provide checks; some suggested annual filings and stronger online transparency to reduce suspicion. Multiple speakers, including Bridal Long and Angie Johnson, said the city website and searchable ordinances should be improved and that aldermen should hold regular meet-and-greets.

The forum included live audience questions about constituent access, school-municipal relationships and police and teacher pay; candidates repeatedly urged citizens to vote and said they would use town halls, social media and ward-specific outreach if elected.

No formal board actions were taken during the forum.