10:25pm | In a race considered to be one of the least eventful in this April’s election season, candidates running for the City Council’s 5th District seat aggressively called each other into question during a debate that focused on eastside Long Beach issues such as infrastructure repair, job creation and maintaining city services.But not before each candidate tried to discredit the other – incumbent Gerrie Schipske with questions about challenger Mike Hedges’ alleged campaign donation violations and spotty voting record, and Hedges with jabs about Schipske’s affiliation with the Orange County Democratic Party and what he believes were misguided attempts by the Councilmember to woo Tesla Motors into producing vehicles in Long Beach.
Hedges said that a donation from the company he owns did not apply because it was non-monetary, to which Schipske correctly disagreed. Hedges said that he met with the City Attorney twice on Monday and that, “Everything is in compliance,” although a Press-Telegram article reveals that the City Clerk has not yet received the necessary files. He also acknowledged that his Striped Pavement company conducts business contracts with the City of Long Beach and that, if elected, those relationships would be severed to avoid conflicts of interest. Hedges acknowledged but did not fully explain the reasons behind a spotty voting record in recent local elections, which Schipske alleged was the reason Hedges was denied an appointment that he sought to the Redistricting Commission.
For her part, Schipske said that future duties with the OC Democratic Party would not interfere with her current Council position. She sharply defended actions that she made independently of City Management to contact Tesla Motors because she was told by Tesla CEO Elon Musk that Long Beach had made no effort to reach out to him, and that Downey would be chosen for the production plant if the decision came down to hospitality. Hedges countered that Schipske should have adhered to the chain of command and the process of conducting business, and cited Mayor Bob Foster’s quote in the Press-Telegram that Schipske was “grandstanding” and actually hurt Long Beach’s chances. “The bottom line is we need business,” Schipske said in defense of her actions.
On the actual issues, Schipske touted improvements made to street and sidewalk repair during her tenure, though Hedges likened the work to “putting a Band-Aid on cancer,” and that long-term solutions needed to be valued over short fixes. He said that the problem is overgrown roots that are not being dealt with, but Schipske said that the City has an arborist who does just that. Hedges said that while he is not an advocate for new taxes, he would be open to considering a new infrastructure tax similar to 2008’s Measure I if it were re-worked, while Schipske said she would oppose any parcel tax.
Hedges said he hoped to see alternative solutions to a Measure I style tax, and proposed expanding redevelopment zones to use RDA funds for infrastructure improvement. Schipske sharply disagreed on the grounds that increasing RDA funds decreases general funds that reach the 5th District because the district is not home to any redevelopment zones. In addition, she said, the state has raided RDA funds and expanding the zones would increase the funds vulnerable to being taken by the state.
Both candidates agreed that major changes to the City budget are needed, and that every department should do its share to cut expenses. Hedges said that departments running the greatest losses should be looked at first, and said he has not seen that done so far. Schipske called for an earlier start to yearly budget meetings and a line-item budget that would make cuts easier. “There are no sacred cows,” she said, although pointing out that Parks & Recreation takes up just 6% of the budget and libraries command just 3%. “These are our safety nets that really add to our quality of life,” she said. Hedges agreed that he would like to keep cuts away from parks but maintained that every department needs review.
Hedges at times seemed short on the specifics of certain issues – among them the proposed wetlands swap – and some questions were re-explained for clarification. Hedges said he would consider backing the wetlands swap if it were the right deal, while Schipske ripped the deal and noted the properties’ gross financial differences and the fact that the current property owner would retain oil rights under the current plan.
The debate was held at El Dorado Restaurant on Studebaker Drive in the 5th District, and moderated by members of the Long Beach Press Club, including myself. The final debate in the Press Club’s Debates At ‘Da Beach series will be held next Wednesday at Smooth’s Sports Grille as candidates for the 1st District seat will be in attendance.
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Editor’s Note: Vote in our POSTPoll on the homepage for the 5th District candidate that you support. Will it be Gerrie Schipske or Mike Hedges? The purpose of this unscientific poll is to engage the community and spark discussion on the election.