MB WEEKLY – LENS:
2026 Manhattan Wine Auction: Uber realtor Ed Kaminsky (top row left) • MB School board member Wysh Weinstein (top row right) • Chef extraordinaire David LeFevre (bottom row left) • Nancy Franklin, wife of Mayor Joe Franklin (bottom row middle) • Jessica from Tin Roof Bistro (bottom row right).
MB WEEKLY – LENS:
MB community activist Heather Kim at the recent inauguration celebration for Mayor Joe Franklin at Esperanza.
MB WEEKLY – LENS:
Annie Newman at Esperanza in Manhattan Beach.
MB WEEKLY – LENS:
First Lady of Manhattan Beach Nancy Franklin speaks at the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series Reading Event at Pages A Bookstore.
MB WEEKLY – LENS:
Community Activist Cindy Stokes.
MB WEEKLY – LENS:
James Gill, third generation Manhattan Beach resident of 42 years.
MB WEEKLY – COMMENTARY:
Wayne Powell (Former MB Mayor)
Incumbent Manhattan Beach City Council candidates should be re-elected if they’ve done an exemplary job serving our community. Conversely, as the saying goes, “Term limits are when an incumbent is doing a poor job serving their constituents, the voters go to the polls and their term is limited.” This ‘term limit’ also applies to a former incumbent candidate who has been previously rejected by the voters several times and another former incumbent (currently unannounced candidate) with a court-documented criminal past. Well-qualified first-time candidates with fiscally responsible plans to improve the quality of life and public safety of our residents are worthy of your consideration.
Please share your comment: MBWeekly@TimeWire.net (Maximum 100 words)
PETS OF MB WEEKLY LEADERS:
** Steve Charelian (City Councilmember): A 13-year-old Morkie “OREO” (Maltese & Yorkie). The fifth & tie breaking vote in our household.
** Joe Franklin (MB Mayor): Bella, our beautiful Old English Sheepdog! She’s passed on but lives on in our hearts.
** Misty Frasier (Kiwanis Club President): Buford and Cledus Snow.
** Ed Kaminsky (Realtor): Bo
** Suzanne Karger (Community Philanthropist): “Baby” Faith and “Mama” Hope. And yes, the large loaf on the left is the daughter of the one on the right.
** David Lesser (City Councilman): Our black Labrador Retriever Abigale and recently passed rescue, our Beagle Riley.
** Russ Lesser (Former MB Mayor): This is Cinder, Russ and Charlotte Lesser’s puppy.
** Gerry Morton (MB resident): Liberty and Scout.
** Debbie Van Ness (MBSafe): He was a very good communicator!
** Mike Welsh (Community Activist): Haily (left) and Dot (right).
** Michael Zislis (Entrepreneur, Restauranteur, Mogul): These are the new babies we just got. We are even lucky to get fresh eggs at the office from time to time!
MB WEEKLY – LENS:
Extraordinary French toast at Metro Cafe in El Segundo.
MB WEEKLY – COMMENTARY:
Lucia La Rosa Ames (Member of MBSAFE Board)
The city just presented an $11 million deficit on May 5. The deficit is real and structural. Total city expenditures increased from $94.1 million to $184.5 million over the last 10 years – a 100% increase – and the core driver is personnel, with the retirement and health contribution having a 51% increase from 2017 to 2025. This has been happening in the last 10 years and the City Council should not have been surprised by it. The right response should have been an immediate hiring freeze: no positions should be considered until an independent audit benchmarks every department against comparable coastal cities in California. Instead, the City Council has approved the hiring and is actively recruiting a Deputy City Manager, with a salary range of $189,804 to $247,356. Add benefits and pension contributions at the typical California municipal rate, and you are looking at a total compensation cost of $280,000–$350,000 or more for a single new management position. At a city that already has, per Paul Wafer’s analysis, grown its management layer from 47 to over 75 positions at an added cost of $6.5 million. And now on top of that, they are also considering a Deputy Chief of Police. This is the definition of the problem: it signals that the City Council – or better the City Council members who voted for this new position of Deputy City Manager are not treating this deficit as a structural crisis requiring immediate restraint. They consider it as a nuisance to be managed around with a future tax measure. This is what responsible leaders should do:
- Freeze hiring immediately and conduct a staffing audit to establish which positions are redundant and can be cut.
- Renegotiate or restructure the next round of MOUs (union contracts). Salary increases must be contingent on revenue performance, not guaranteed annual raises regardless of the city’s financial position. This requires council members with the spine to be financially responsible.
- Benchmark and cap executive compensation.
- Revenue measures only after spending reform is demonstrated. Residents should reject any new tax if the city hasn’t first shown it has cleaned its spending problem.
- Monthly productivity reporting, publicly posted. Paul Wafer’s suggestion from his healthcare experience is right: require each department director to publish monthly productivity metrics tied to benchmarks from comparable cities, with variance explanations required whenever targets are missed.
Please share your comment: MBWeekly@TimeWire.net (Maximum 100 words)
MB WEEKLY – LENS:
Ernesto Valenzuela, owner of Lido Bakery.
MB WEEKLY – COMMENTARY:
Stefan Kampe (Leadership MB President)
What do you think of the City recently announcing a $10 Million Deficit for FY 27, with that deficit projected to grow significantly in the next few years? I was surprised and disappointed to see the FY27 budget with a $10M deficit. This is not the full picture as there are several large projects that are not yet included in the financial forecast including construction of Lot 3, construction of 400 MBB, and the potential purchase of the Vons property. The city manages a reserve for years when there is an unplanned critical need. However, there does not appear to be an unplanned critical need. I think it best that city staff be asked to sharpen their pencils to see how to eliminate the forecasted deficit to avoid pushing and exacerbating the problem in future years.
Please share your comment: MBWeekly@TimeWire.net (Maximum 100 words)
BE THE TALK OF THE TOWN!
TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS – ADVERTISE IN MB WEEKLY
88% of locals shop and spend locally. For as little as $100, reach your neighbors in Manhattan Beach and surrounding South Bay communities.
An Extraordinary Bargain with No Wasted Audience:
- Local, young, and affluent.
- 68% of our readers are under 50 years old.
- $128,000 average annual income.
For additional information, contact:
MBWeekly@TimeWire.net
MB WEEKLY – INTERVIEW:
Fred Taylor (Community Activist / 50-year Resident)
Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MARK BURTON RUNNING FOR COUNCIL?
A: I think Mark has amazing resilience. If anyone will fully listen, he brings great legal and common-sense wisdom to the table. Clearly, he cares about MB. Sadly, since he’s run frequently, he’s too easily dismissed, in my opinion.
Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF AMY HOWORTH AND DAVID LESSER RUNNING FOR A 4TH TERM ON COUNCIL, AFTER SERVING 12 YEARS ALREADY?
A: I appreciate Amy and David’s service to the community while being strongly opposed to a few of their initiatives. They’ve both invested in our City. Without term limits, this will continue. Montgomery is poised to run for a 5th term. We desperately need fresh vision and new voices.
Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CITY RECENTLY ANNOUNCING A $10 MILLION DEFICIT FOR FY 27, WITH THAT DEFICIT PROJECTED TO GROW SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?
A: Quite frankly, the City Manager and Finance Manager were left with a balanced budget through June ’25. In less than a year, they put the City into a $10 million deficit. Truth be told, with a $6.5 million tax revenue bump, we went backward $16.5 million. They should be fired! PERIOD!
MB WEEKLY – LENS:
Homemade quality chocolate chip cookies at Manhattan Bread & Bagel $11.50.
By the Numbers – The Howorth/Lesser Legacy by Paul Wafer:
When Amy Howorth and David Lesser first joined the Manhattan Beach City Council in 2011, the City was in a much different financial position. Together, they have now served 12 of the last 16 years, so it is reasonable to evaluate the financial results during that period and ask whether the current trajectory reflects good long-term stewardship. From 2011 through 2026, cumulative inflation was approximately 48%. During that same period:
- Total City revenues increased by 118%
- Total City expenditures increased by 122%
- Salary and benefit costs increased by 97%
- Materials and services increased by 142%
- Internal service charges increased by 166%
- Debt service costs increased by 118%
- Transfer charges grew from zero to more than $11.4 million annually
Meanwhile, capital projects and equipment spending increased by only 50%, barely keeping pace with inflation. That last number may be the most telling of all. Despite dramatic increases in revenue over the last 15 years, relatively little of that growth appears to have translated into significantly greater investment in long-term infrastructure and capital improvements. Instead, most of the growth has been absorbed by ongoing operational expenses. Imagine where the city might be today if the focus had not always been on finding additional revenue, but also on exercising stronger expense control. Manhattan Beach could potentially have stronger reserves, fewer budget concerns, and significantly more funding available for infrastructure, facilities, streets, parks, and other capital improvements that residents can actually see and benefit from. Good financial management is not simply about growing revenue during prosperous years. It is about controlling spending, prioritizing needs over wants, and ensuring that temporary revenue growth does not create permanent spending obligations. The city needs a change in leadership and approach. The time is now before it is too late.
READ MB WEEKLY…YOU CAN READ MB WEEKLY EVERY THURSDAY:
Once A Week, But Never Weakly.
Sign up to receive MB Weekly for FREE.
www.MBWeekly.net
1. ** Apparently, every policy disagreement is now an apocalypse. If a city repaints a crosswalk, democracy is saved. If a man in a dress is asked to use a different restroom, its suddenly a “genocide.” The inflation isn’t just economic anymore – it’s happening to language, outrage, and common sense. —- Emily C.
2. ** After 38 remarkable years with MBUSD, Patty Perkinson is retiring, leaving behind a legacy of service, leadership, and inspiration. From Meadows Elementary to Mira Costa High School, Patty impacted generations of students as a teacher, coach, advisor, and mentor. Her energy, compassion, and dedication reached far beyond the gym. —- MBUSD
3. ** MIRA COSTA ORCHESTRA AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL 6/25 – Mira Costa and MBMS Orchestras are honored to perform at the iconic on Thursday, June 25, 2026. Tickets are available through the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, online at mchsorchestra.com, or by calling (323) 850-2000. Ages: 5th grade+ / Purchase tickets / View the flyer.
4. ** Jill Biden’s new memoir on her time in the White House is being panned by journalists, former aides, and Democrats who spent years pretending that her husband was still fit for office. But is it really fair to blame Jill when so many were in on it? —- Oscar A., Hermosa Beach
5. ** This is exactly what addicts do: invent endless schemes to avoid facing reality. Instead of confronting out-of-control spending, City Hall is now exploring $8.9 million in so-called “revenue enhancements” – bureaucratic code for higher taxes and fees. The problem isn’t revenue. The problem is spending. Until that changes, taxpayers remain the ATM. —- S.H., Manhattan Beach
6. ** If you wanted to design an election to encourage conspiratorial thinking and mistrust, you’d struggle to do better than what just happened in Los Angeles. —- Art Day
7. ** The Plunge in El Segundo is back! After seven years of closure for major renovations, the historic Uhro Saari Swim Stadium officially reopened June 6. Originally built in 1941, the beloved community pool has been restored to preserve its rich history while ensuring a safe, modern experience for future generations. —- Editor’s Note
8. ** Thank you to all the families who donated to the Gift of Thanks Gift Card Program for Mira Costa staff. Your generosity enabled the PTSA to provide $100 to each of 232 staff members. A special thank you to parent volunteer Angie Smith for coordinating this wonderful program. Great summer sendoff. —- Mira Costa High School
9. ** Reborn Coffee in the Manhattan Village is a rip-off. $5.50 for hot tea? —- Kim L., Manhattan Beach
10. ** All three beach cities are crying budget crisis, yet staff keeps pushing higher fees and taxes instead of real savings. Government must get lean in tough times. Manhattan Beach ballooned from 268 to 357 employees. Start with a hiring freeze and workforce reductions. Residents want fiscal discipline, not bigger government. —- B.V.
Comment / Hire / Share / Promote / Barter / Discuss
The MB Weekly Free Bulletin Board is your place to communicate for free with thousands and thousands of your neighbors in Manhattan Beach. Send your message (maximum 50 words) to: MBWeekly@TimeWire.net
MB Weekly Disclaimer: 1.) MB Weekly accepts no liability for the content of this email, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. MB Weekly is not associated with any commercial or political organization and is transmitted via the web for the sole benefit of its subscribers. 2.) Unfortunately, computer viruses can be transmitted via email.