After nearly three decades of service, Signal Hill Vice Mayor Ed Wilson decided not to run for city council in this last election. The voters have now passed the torch to long-time public servant and first-time councilman Charlie Honeycutt.
Wilson was first elected to the city council in 1997, and has served as mayor six times. He is the longest-serving Black city council member in the state, and Signal Hill’s first and only Black council member.
During his tenure, Wilson aimed to increase property values in Long Beach, help create a more balanced budget, boost diversity among City staff and counter systemic racism. He also worked to get Signal Hill its own zip code, whereas in the past it had to share zip codes with Long Beach.
He feels these goals were accomplished, as illustrated by the multi-million dollar homes on the hill, a balanced city budget with plenty of reserve funds, the creation of the Diversity Coalition Committee and the greatly increased diversity of City staff.
“I believe that change is the one constant in life,” Wilson told the Signal Tribune. “You’re either going to lead change or you’re going to follow it. It’s going to have to come, right? I believe that transparency is important, and the more people that are involved with different perspectives, the better the outcomes will be.”
Wilson’s career and retirement were celebrated with an event hosted by the City at City Hall on Nov. 8, during which numerous other public officials thanked Wilson for his service to the community.
Wilson’s departure marks the end of an era, but it also ushers in a new chapter for the city council with the election of Charlie Honeycutt to fill his seat. Honeycutt, a longtime resident of Signal Hill, worked for the City starting in the ‘80s and served as the city manager from 2017 to 2019.
“Charlie was a fantastic city manager, and he’s always had the best interest of the city at heart. He came up through the ranks. I respect him tremendously,” Wilson told the Signal Tribune.
Honeycutt told the Signal Tribune that he only decided to run for the open city council seat because Wilson decided to retire. He said numerous residents had expressed concerns to him about the potential loss of experience on the council due to Wilson’s retirement.
Honeycutt, along with candidate Sonia Savoulian, and incumbents Lori Woods and Robert Copeland, ran for three city council seats in the election held earlier this month. Honeycutt won the third most votes, garnering 2,249 votes as of Nov. 18, compared to Savoulian’s 1,431 votes.
“I’m just very thankful for everybody who voted for me, the support I received both from the residents and the business community as well,” Honeycutt told the Signal Tribune. “I want to be a council member that’s accessible. So if anybody needs to talk to a council member, I want to be that person.”
In an interview with the Signal Tribune, Honeycutt said one of his main goals while in office will be to support public safety and the police department.
“I want to make sure that our community remains safe,” said Honeycutt, who also serves as the president of the Signal Hill Police Foundation. “I want to make sure our police department has all the resources that they need. And largely, the council has made sure that happened […]. But I want to make sure that our public safety is well supported”
Honeycutt also said he wants to help development projects move forward, such as the new Civic Center and Heritage Square.
Honeycutt will take his seat on the Signal Hill City Council during the regularly scheduled meeting on Dec. 10. City Council terms last four years, and council members can be reelected an indefinite number of times.
“I’m going to do my best to listen to the ideas and concerns of the residents here and have that guide my decision making,” Honeycutt told the Signal Tribune.