The Signal Tribune emailed 10 identical questions to both District 5 councilmember candidates Tara Riggi and Megan Kerr and gave them one week to respond. We did not receive a response from District 5 candidate Kerr at the time of publication.
Voting closes on Tuesday, June 2 at 8 p.m. All Vote Centers will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through June 1. On Election Day, Tuesday, June 2, all Vote Centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Vote by Mail ballots may be returned at any Ballot Drop Box, Vote Center or by mail. No postage is necessary. Voters returning their ballot by mail must place the ballot inside the official return envelope and sign the back of the envelope. All Vote by Mail ballots must be postmarked by June 2.
The California Secretary of State recommends that voters mailing their ballot do so at least five days before Election Day. Voters who mail their ballot on Election Day are advised to obtain a manual postmark from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office.
All voters may track their ballots at https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/.
For more information, including a current list of all LA County Vote Centers, to check registration information or to request a ballot in a different language, visit lavote.gov.
These responses are copied verbatim from candidate Riggi.
1. Do you support rezoning any particular areas of District 5? If so, where and why?
I support thoughtful, neighborhood specific planning, not blanket rezoning that ignores the character and infrastructure of our communities.
District 5 contains historic neighborhoods, established residential areas, and commercial corridors that each have different needs. Decisions about growth should be approached carefully and with meaningful community engagement so residents have a voice in shaping the future of their neighborhoods.
2. What issues do you think are most important in your district, and how do you plan to address those issues?
The issues I hear most often are public safety, infrastructure, traffic, affordability, and trust in local government. Residents want safer streets, better maintained roads, more accountability, and to feel heard.
I plan to address these by improving transparency around spending, prioritizing infrastructure investments, advocating for practical public safety solutions, and creating more opportunities for meaningful resident engagement before decisions are made.
3. How do you plan to address the continued presence of ICE agents in Long Beach?
Immigration is a federal issue, but local government still has an important role in protecting residents and maintaining trust within our community. I am personally the product of immigrant refugee parents who came to this country seeking opportunity and freedom after experiencing instability and conflict. Because of that, I deeply value our country’s long tradition of welcoming immigrants and the contributions immigrant families make to our communities.
I believe immigration reform is long overdue, and unfortunately both sides of the political spectrum often use this issue as a political tool rather than pursuing meaningful solutions. Real families end up paying the price.
Locally, Long Beach should continue supporting policies that help residents feel safe reporting crimes, seeking medical care, accessing city services, and participating in their community without fear. We should lead with compassion, fairness, and practical solutions that protect both public safety and human dignity.
4. What do you think should be done to make the city more affordable for residents in your district?
Affordability is not just about housing costs. Families are feeling pressure from rising utility bills, taxes, insurance costs, food prices, and everyday expenses. We cannot continue asking residents to pay more while ignoring how government resources are being spent.
The City should focus on improving efficiency and accountability so taxpayer dollars are producing measurable results. We should support small businesses, streamline permitting processes that can unnecessarily drive up costs, invest in infrastructure that supports long term economic growth, and reduce barriers that make it harder for residents and businesses to thrive.
I also believe we need policies that help people remain in their homes and communities, particularly seniors, working families, and young professionals trying to build their lives in Long Beach. Affordability should be approached holistically with solutions that protect quality of life and strengthen the financial stability of our community.
5. The report from Long Beach’s 2025 Point-in-Time Count shows a 7.5% increase in respondents experiencing homelessness for the first time. What strategies do you think the City should embrace to stop the rise of local residents falling into homelessness?
We need to focus more on preventing people from reaching a crisis point. Once someone loses housing, the path back becomes significantly more difficult and costly. The City should strengthen workforce development programs, job placement partnerships, vocational training opportunities, and connections with local businesses to help residents find stable employment and build long term financial security.
We should also invest in mental health support, substance abuse treatment where needed, financial literacy resources, and partnerships with nonprofits and service providers that can identify residents who may be struggling before they fall through the cracks. For young adults, veterans, seniors, and individuals transitioning out of difficult circumstances, stronger support systems can make a meaningful difference.
We also need accountability. We should regularly evaluate which programs are delivering measurable results and ensure taxpayer dollars are being invested where they create real outcomes.
6. Over the past few years, efforts have been made to encourage the long-term transition to unleaded fuel at the Long Beach Airport. What do you think should be done to further incentivize voluntary compliance with the City’s Fly Friendly Program and SAFE program?
The Fly Friendly and SAFE programs are positive steps, but voluntary programs alone are not enough. Education and incentives should be paired with accountability and enforcement. The City should continue enforcing existing noise ordinances and work collaboratively with the FAA to explore closing loopholes, including concerns related to repeated taxi-back activity that may increase neighborhood impacts.
We should also evaluate whether our noise monitoring systems need modernization so we have more accurate and transparent data regarding airport activity and compliance. Additionally, the City should explore what leverage may exist through airport leasing agreements and operating relationships to encourage stronger participation in community standards.
We should also explore reasonable general aviation landing fees as a potential tool to help address the high volume of activity generated by the 19 flight schools operating out of Long Beach Airport.
The airport is an important economic asset, but maintaining quality of life for surrounding neighborhoods requires more than voluntary participation. Programs work best when supported by clear expectations and meaningful enforcement.
7. How should the City of Long Beach address lead-based illnesses from people around the airport subjected to lead poisoning from small planes?
Public health should come first, and residents living near the airport deserve confidence that their concerns are being taken seriously. We need to take leaded aircraft exhaust seriously and do everything we can to accelerate the transition to G100UL unleaded “drop-in” fuel, which is designed to work with existing piston aircraft, without waiting years for federal EPA or FAA deadlines.
We should also continue monitoring environmental and public health data so residents understand potential impacts and can see whether policies are producing measurable results. Additionally, we should continue evaluating concerns related to increasing flight activity and ensure operators are following City ordinances, including established altitude requirements and Fly Friendly standards.
The airport remains an important economic asset, but protecting public health and neighborhood quality of life should remain a priority as we move toward cleaner and safer alternatives.
8. What do you think should be done to increase tree coverage and improve the existing parks in your district?
Trees and parks are investments in public health, neighborhood character, and quality of life. One concern I hear repeatedly is that while the City continues removing trees due to age, disease, drought stress, infestations, and storm damage, replacement efforts are often falling behind. We need to prioritize replacing the trees that are being lost and rebuilding the urban forest that has historically defined many Long Beach neighborhoods.
I also believe it is time to revisit and develop a comprehensive Urban Forest Plan that creates long term strategies for planting, maintenance, irrigation, and preservation. Trees cannot simply be planted and forgotten. Years of reduced maintenance and watering have left many vulnerable to drought, pests, and decline.
Our parks also need greater attention through improved maintenance, landscaping, irrigation, and beautification efforts. Residents should not feel that neighboring cities are maintaining parks at a higher standard than we are. We should also explore safer alternatives to chemical weed treatments around areas where children and pets regularly play.
9. The city has been actively courting defense industry contractors to establish business in Long Beach, while many residents have been vocally opposed to the strategy of reliance on that industry on moral grounds. Where do you stand on this issue?
Long Beach’s growing space and aerospace sector has been a tremendous economic opportunity for our city. We already had much of the physical infrastructure and legacy of our historic aerospace industry in place, so attracting modern space companies makes a great deal of sense. While these companies may not provide the same number of jobs once created by Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, they often provide high wage careers that support innovation, economic growth, and long term investment in our community. Doing nothing and leaving those spaces underutilized would not have benefited Long Beach.
At the same time, economic growth should not come at the expense of community values or accountability. Companies like Anduril Industries have raised important questions and concerns from residents, and those concerns deserve to be taken seriously. If taxpayer dollars, public incentives, or City resources are involved, I believe we have a responsibility to ensure they are being used ethically and in ways that align with the values of our community. Residents have every right to ask questions, expect transparency, and understand what types of projects and technologies are being supported.
I support economic development, but I also believe public investment should come with public accountability. We can welcome innovation and high quality jobs while still maintaining oversight and ensuring growth reflects the values of the community we serve.
10. The Equity and Human Rights Commission has recommended the City adopt a Civil and Human Rights Investment Screening Policy. Do you support the adoption and implementation of this policy?
I support the principle that taxpayer dollars should reflect our community values. Long Beach has long been a city that values diversity, fairness, accountability, and human dignity, and residents want confidence that public decisions align with those principles. Transparency in how public funds are invested is important and communities deserve a voice in those conversations.
At the same time, I believe we have a responsibility to ensure policies are practical, clearly defined, and financially sustainable. I would want to carefully evaluate whether this proposal can achieve its intended goals without creating unintended consequences that affect essential services residents rely on.
Our values and our fiscal responsibility should not compete with one another. We should pursue solutions that uphold community values while protecting our ability to fund public safety, parks, libraries, infrastructure, and programs that directly serve residents.
