December 13, 2004

Conference of Mayors Vice President Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill has been named Municipal Leader of the Year by American City and County Magazine.

First elected mayor in 1994, O'Neill heads the Conference's Homeland Security Funding Task Force to help evaluate the flow of federal funds to first responders.

A lifelong resident of Long Beach, O'Neill had a 31-year career in the city's schools.

Taking office in 1995, O'Neill, as American City and County Magazine noted, "circumstances could not have been worse."

The port city for the previous four years was in the process of closing the navy base, a military installation playing a central role in the city of 471,000 for decades.

Since that time, O'Neill has presided over the city's economic transformation from a Navy town to a tourist destination and hub for international trade. Long Beach is one of the busiest ports in the world and O'Neill has provided leadership within the Conference of Mayors on the critical issue of port security, while presiding simultaneously over the city's massive downtown revitalization, which has become a focal point for new businesses, jobs and housing.

As the city grappled with highly complex base closure issues, Long Beach and O'Neill saw the implementation of an intensive public planning process to convert military property to economic development uses.

After four years in office, O'Neill won handily with 80 percent of the vote. Four years later — in 2002 — O'Neill was the first mayor of Long Beach to be elected to a third term as a write-in candidate. The city charter allows that process since Long Beach mayors are limited to two four-year terms.

Taking office again, O'Neill was confronted with significant budget deficits, and a projected three-year shortfall.

O'Neill had to come up with a way to bring spending in line with revenue shortfalls. She called on the entire community of Long Beach to come up with creative solutions to the budget crisis. This effort generated 13,000 suggestions, forums with business leaders and community groups and even city employees.

The mayor's program won the 2003 League of California Cities Helen Putman Award in excellence in enhancing public trust, ethics and community involvement.

For the rest of her term, O'Neill says she wants to focus on transportation and youth violence. As always, look to her leadership and vision to involve the community in creative solutions.

During the National League of Cities 2004 Congress of Cities in Indianapolis November 30 to December 4, O'Neill was officially presented with her award.