Long Beach United Announces Slate Running For City Council

LONG BEACH, NY — Three Democrats, running under the banner of Long Beach United, have announced their candidacy for Long Beach City Council and will run against incumbent members in the Democratic primary in June.

Democrats Bill Notholt, Kevin Heller and Leah Tozer have announced they are running. The three said they are lifelong Democrats who are running to fight for the entire Long Beach community.

Notholt is a retired director of wastewater operations for the City of Long Beach Treatment Plant, where he worked for more than 35 years. During his tenure, he served in multiple capacities as a CSEA member. He has volunteered his services as a member of the Long Beach Fire Department for more 45 years, where he rose to captain and currently serves as first deputy fire commissioner. He has received numerous awards and citations, including a Class B award for a lifesaving rescue during a house fire. In November 2019, Notholt was appointed Honorary Deputy Battalion Chief of F.D.N.Y. A resident of Long Beach since 1972, he lives with his wife Myra, and they have one daughter, Mallory.

“Catering to a small group of their supporters, this City Council has prioritized politics over people, and has alienated large portions of this community in the process,” said Notholt. “Long Beach is a close-knit network, where consensus-building is paramount. If you live here, you know that. This council either doesn't understand the difference between the city’s priorities and their personal priorities, or they don’t care. We cannot continue to ignore lawsuits that turn into multi-million dollar settlements. We will refocus the city on what truly matters, like repairing infrastructure, smart redevelopment, and earning the city residents' trust in government.”

Heller is a senior vice president at a diversified alternative asset management firm, and he has a master’s degree in finance. With an emphasis on planning, and with decades of experience in the financial services industry, he says he brings valuable skills to help address the city’s fiscal challenges. An avid surfer, swimmer, and volleyball player, Heller spent his high school and college summers as a Long Beach Lifeguard, having swam for the Tiger Sharks and LBHS swim team. He is the current Brotherhood President at Temple Emanu-El of Long Beach and serves on its executive board. He has been a little league and recreation basketball coach, as well as a long-time participant/volunteer/fundraiser for the Long Beach Polar Bears. A lifelong Long Beach resident, he lives with his wife Jill, and their two children, Trey and Sarah.

“We are launching a grassroots campaign — we are not backed by any party machine,” said Heller. “We each have unique areas of expertise, and we are unified in our desire to restore fiscal responsibility while enhancing the quality of life for Long Beach residents. I have long stood against the city supporting a PILOT on the Superblock, and I was horrified to watch this administration give away the store in tax breaks to a wealthy developer after they spent years campaigning against corporate welfare. Additionally, this administration promised to stop borrowing for recurring operating expenses, like separation pay, yet they’ve borrowed more than any previous administration in city history.”

Tozer is an award-winning residential and commercial real estate broker who has been repeatedly featured on HGTV. An active member of the community, she said she is prepared to develop pragmatic solutions for the many difficult challenges facing the city. Tozer is a past PTA president and a member of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. She is also the president and founder of Long Beach Business Networking International. She lives with her husband James, and their two children, Robert and Shayna.

“Our team has the courage to make the tough and necessary decisions to help Long Beach reach its full potential,” said Tozer. “We absolutely must pass a comprehensive plan and stem the tide of indecisive city councils that are paralyzed by politics. It makes no sense to issue a new recycling plan, only to buckle under public pressure two weeks later. If the plan was properly researched and publicized, then you stick with it and make the necessary adjustments over time. Or, don’t issue the plan at all. We need to restore transparency and integrity to citizens who have been sidelined and silenced by this administration under cover of the pandemic.”

Notholt, Heller and Tozer said they are committed to engaging disaffected portions of the city, like the North Park community, whose needs were ignored by the administration after it shuttered the MLK Center during the pandemic. The Long Beach United slate will cultivate new revenue streams that the current administration ignored. They say they will overhaul the city’s financial planning and practices to help avert the next major tax spike before it occurs. They will make capital projects, including road reconstruction and park maintenance, a top priority, while advocating to preserve drinking water and protect the shoreline. The candidates will also listen to and work with residents to address community concerns, including COVID-19 response and recovery, they said.