Kristina Duggan: Candidate for Council District 3

Kristina Duggan: Running for Council District 3

Why are you interested in this position?

My husband and I raised our family here, and I want the next generation to enjoy the same safe neighborhoods, public spaces, and sense of community that make this area feel like home. As a longtime resident, small business owner, and current Councilmember, I have focused on the fundamentals: improving public safety, reducing homelessness, investing in infrastructure, and being responsible with taxpayer dollars. I want to continue the work we have started with residents to make Belmont Heights and District 3 safer, cleaner, and stronger.

What relative experience do you have in this career field?

I bring nearly 30 years of experience starting and running local small businesses in education, real estate, recreational athletics, and mental health counseling. That background has shaped how I serve as Councilmember and helped me build an effective, responsive Council office focused on communication, follow-through, and results. My office has addressed more than 7,500 individual cases in District 3, helping residents navigate City services and resolve quality-of-life concerns. I have also taken on some of the toughest issues facing Long Beach by doing the work, building coalitions, and getting proposals approved by City Council.

What are 3 changes you would like to make while in office?

• Make Long Beach a city where families feel safe walking through their neighborhoods, visiting parks, and enjoying public spaces at all times.

• Reducing homelessness with compassion and accountability by offering help to those who need it, while setting clear expectations for behavior in public spaces.

• Improve how the City delivers core services and infrastructure projects, with better planning, clearer timelines, stronger oversight, and more accountability for taxpayer dollars.

  
  

What are 3 goals or main concerns you have for Belmont Heights?

• Push to include Belmont Heights streets in the next five-year Capital Plan to improve traffic safety and repave streets that need attention.

• Implement targeted crime prevention through environmental design measures to address catalytic converter theft, theft from vehicles, and other residential property crimes.

• Restore vegetation along the Red Car Greenbelt and roadway medians, and secure funding for a regular maintenance schedule specific to native plants.

  
  

What are your specific plans to engage with the Belmont Heights business corridors?

I have already worked with businesses in the 4th Street area to support events like Summerfest, led by Prism Boutique, and I will continue helping bring activity and customers to our business corridors. I have also helped businesses navigate permitting issues, including Brothers Keeper BBQ, and hosted business roundtables with Economic Development, Police, Health, and Visit Long Beach so business owners can get direct answers and the tools they need to succeed. Moving forward, I will keep working directly with Belmont Heights businesses on public safety, permitting, cleanliness, events, and economic development so our corridors stay active, safe, and successful.

Belmont Heights has 2 historic districts. What plans or initiatives that you have been involved with or know of that will benefit our historic districts?

Belmont Heights’ historic districts are a big part of what makes the neighborhood special. I support smart housing growth that does not place large housing projects next to historic neighborhoods in ways that impact parking and neighborhood character. I also think we need to focus on the details that preserve character, like historic-style street signs, better sidewalk and curb maintenance, and more regular care for the mature trees throughout the neighborhood. Preserving historic districts means protecting the feel of the neighborhood, not just the buildings.

What is an innovative way you plan to involve the community in your decisions?

I think community engagement is about consistency more than doing something flashy. People want good information and to know where to get it. My weekly newsletter has gone out at 9:00 am for 175 Saturdays in a row, and it is consistently read by more than 14,000 residents by Monday. I use it to provide direct and detailed updates, explain what is coming before Council, share my own thinking, and ask for feedback through surveys and direct emails. I also regularly attend neighborhood association meetings, host town halls, and hold topic-specific meetings so residents have multiple ways to weigh in before decisions are made. The goal is for residents to never have to guess what is happening at City Hall or how to make their voices heard.

How have you engaged with the Belmont Heights Community Association in the past...and how do you plan on working with our

team in the future in a way that will help us improve our neighborhood?

I have been an active supporter of the Belmont Heights Community Association and its work in the neighborhood. I have supported community events like Egg Hunt on the Heights and Goblins on the Greenbelt, and I have been a quarterly author in News from the Neighborhood, providing in-depth updates on tough topics at City Hall. I have also supported efforts for "Growing the Greenbelt" by coordinating meetings with City staff and helping with issues like right-of-entry permits. Moving forward, I will continue to be an active partner with BHCA, support neighborhood events, improve communication, and help move practical projects forward that strengthen Belmont Heights.