Long Beach Vote 2016
Candidate Eric Gray: In Runoff for City Council District 2
PalacioMagazine.com continues its coverage of Long Beach Vote 2016. On June 7, Small Business owner and candidate Eric Gray will face-off in a runoff election for the City Council District 2 seat. Gray is challenging Jeannine Pearce after the two were the top vote getters in the April 12th primary election. He received 1,652 votes (36.13%) vs Pearce’s 2,045 votes (44.72%). Voter turnout in the Second District primary race was 16.19%.
Radio Palacio sat down with the candidate Eric Gray recently to discuss his priorities if he became the City Council member representing the Second District.
About Candidate Eric Gray
From his election website:
Eric is a Long Beach community leader, small business owner, and longtime resident of the 2nd Council District.
Eric first got involved in Long Beach as a volunteer for the On Broadway Business Association, mapping the empty storefronts and working with local realtors to fill them. He is President of the Downtown Residential Council and co-founded the Historic Pine Avenue (HOPA) Business Association, which helped spark the rebirth of Pine Avenue and the greater Historic Core in Downtown Long Beach.
As a member of the Downtown Residential Council, Eric has written grants for projects in our neighborhoods, planted trees, installed lighting, cleaned up alleyways, and worked with local artists to repaint parking meters and fire hydrants. He co-founded the 2nd Saturday Shop-and-Walk, bringing residents to local neighborhood businesses, and the 3rd Friday Twilight Walk, enhancing the local arts scene in downtown Long Beach.
Eric also helped to co-found both the Long Beach Music Council and Culinary Long Beach. A passionate and committed volunteer, Eric is an alumni of Leadership Long Beach, a Board Member of Friends of Bixby Park, and a member of both the Long Beach Lambda and Long Beach Democratic Clubs.
For his community service, Eric has been honored to receive the Steward of the 2nd District Award (2007, 2011), the Go Long Beach Award (2011), the Long Beach Hero Award (2013), the Pride Real Estate Professionals Association “Community Vision” Award (2015), and Friends of Bixby Park Honoree award (2015).
Eric owns his own business, ITO Solutions, which sells hardware and software, and sets up networks and servers for companies and non-profit organizations. He and his partner live in downtown Long Beach.
Vision And Mission Statement of Candidate Eric Gray
- “Over the next year, I want to hear your dreams and visions and share my plans and goals with you centered around public safety and quality of life, urban revitalization, economic development and growth of music, arts and entertainment.”
- “ I will work to attract and retain new jobs to our city by helping companies and non-profits find a home in Long Beach. I will work to bring more middle class jobs to the community and create the conditions for sustainable growth.
- “As your City Councilmember, I will work to protect the progress we have made as a community, and to further advance the cause of equality.”
Political/ Activist/ Business Experience
- Eric Gray was responsible for spearheading the East Village Alleyway improvement project at Alta Way and Frontenac Court in 2010. He worked closely with the then President of the East Village Association to write grants through the Neighborhood Resource Center and the Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA) to plant drought-tolerant trees and plants, add lights, and art.
- Eric created the Long Beach Idea Group, a social media group to connect Long Beach residents to share ideas on how to make Long Beach a better place.
- Eric Gray is a graduate of the Leadership Long Beach program Silver Class, a 10 month course on everything Long Beach with the mission to “develop and connect principled leaders to strengthen the Long Beach community.”
District Issues and Goals identified by Candidate Eric Gray
- Increasing sales tax by 1%. Eric Gray supports increasing sales tax by 1% so that it allows to further build on Long Beach’s infrastructure and public safety. It also allows for improvements and further investments within the city itself such as investment into firefighters, cops, paramedics, and more revenue for the general fund overall.
- Quality of life. Eric wants to improve the overall quality of life in the 2nd district by helping out the homeless, having better roads, better street parking, and economic development.
- Eric Gray wants to transition the city to renewable energy. This also includes working with the board of Long Beach to promote wind energy, and solar panels, which currently Long Beach does not allow.
For More Information about Candidate Eric Gray
- www.ericgraylb.com
- www.facebook.com/EricGrayLB
- @EricGrayLB
- lbpost.com/news/politics/2000006355-eric-gray-announces-run-for-long-beach-city-council-s-second-district
- ballotpedia.org/Eric_Gray
- Eric Gray’s Candidate Statement filed with the Long Beach City Clerk HERE