Statement of Purpose

By Charlie Legeman

I support new, creative efforts to reduce traffic and eliminate developments which do not fit the character of our local neighborhoods.

Candidate Statement

I am running for Long Beach City Council in the Third District because our district deserves full-time, no-nonsense representation. My only agenda will be to become the best possible representative for the Third District. That's why I am the only candidate who has pledged not to run for higher office while serving on the City Council!

Born and raised in Long Beach, I attended Naples Elementary School, Rogers Junior High, Wilson High School, LBCC and CSULB. I then obtained a Juris Doctorate at Western State University, College of Law.

I began my career as Publisher of the Marina News, a weekly newspaper serving the third district, while teaching Journalism classes at CSULB. I became involved with real estate sales and home building after selling the newspaper. Over the last 25 years, I have owned a mortgage company, real estate brokerage firm and coffee house.

I served as Chairman of the Congressional Cup, 2004, and as member on the Queensway Bay Advisory Committee, Disney Advisory Committee, Aircraft Owners Pilots Association, Southern California Tuna Club and Velo Allegro, a Long Beach cycling club.

My wife, Carolyn Martin, is an attorney in Long Beach. My two grown sons were born and raised in Long Beach. Charles works for a marketing company involved in NASCAR, and Jim is an F-18 pilot with the United States Navy.

As publisher of the Marina News, I successfully fought against the proposed Cross Town Freeway and Bluff Park high-rise development. The freeway would have cut through Belmont Park, Alamitos Heights and Belmont Heights and the high-rise development would have drastically changed Ocean Boulevard. As a life-long local resident, I was compelled to protect neighborhoods and stand up to controversial city decisions.

Funding for our Police and Fire Departments should be our top city budget priority and funding these services should not be blamed for closing down libraries, municipal band concerts, and fireworks. I'm running for office to ensure these vital community interests do not compete against each other for funding. While fireworks and band concerts are threatened, the City spends $450,000 on consultants to study the Redevelopment Agency + only to tell us they are doing a good job. I am committed to reducing costly consultant fees that take away from programs that provide a sense of community. City Hall needs perspective from someone who knows this community and will not give in to downtown special interests.

As a member of the City Council, I will explore unconventional resources for funding. I am a fiscal conservative and strongly oppose tax and fee hikes! I would support a title sponsor for the Aquarium of the Pacific to assist in operation costs. Fireworks and Band Concerts might be funded in a similar

way. I support creating a non-profit charitable foundation to support city libraries. This foundation would allow individuals and corporations to make tax-deductible donations directly to neighborhood libraries. . As your City Councilman, I want to ensure we make the best possible decisions, not just for the "City of Long Beach" but also for the "Residents." Our beaches, wetlands and the breakwater are valuable assets to this community that we must protect. We must fight to keep the breakwater intact to protect homes; preserve recreational sailing; and maintain our current budget for lifeguards. We need to protect our wetlands from development and ensure that zoning changes won't destroy natural habitats. I favor the city creating a Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Seal Beach to acquire the surface rights to the Hellman, Bryant and Bixby properties to maintain the wetlands on the east side.

I believe there is lack of substantial evidence proving the LNG project in the port will have a "positive impact" on our community. This project should be offshore or in a secured port, away from homes and schools. Our harbor is too valuable to take such large risks without protecting the surrounding communities first.

I support new, creative efforts to reduce traffic and eliminate developments which do not fit the character of our local neighborhoods. For most of us, our homes are the largest investment we will ever make, and we must fight to maintain the unique village-like quality of life residents enjoy in the Third District. I hope I can count on your vote on April 11th. If you would like more information about me or about the campaign, please visit http://www.charlielegeman.com. Thank you.