Politics & Government
Anissa Moore Becomes 1st Black Long Beach City Council President
Councilwoman Anissa Moore is the new Long Beach City Council president after a vote Tuesday night. The motion passed 4-0.
LONG BEACH, NY — Anissa Moore has become Long Beach's first black city council president after a vote Tuesday night. Former President Anthony Eramo nominated her and the motion passed by a vote of 4-0. Councilwoman Chumi Diamond was not present.
Councilman John Bendo was also named vice president following a 3-1 vote, with the only dissent coming from Eramo. Bendo was nominated by fellow Councilman Scott Mandel, Newsday reported.
The new titles for Moore and Bendo are mainly symbolic, allowing them to lead meetings.
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"As a leader of the city council, my role is to facilitate meeting and collaboration with colleagues to restore stability and good government," Moore told Newsday. "Our system is broken and we will begin discussions on how to fix it. This is a ceremony but also a statement that we’re moving forward to a commitment to transparency."
Moore has been a full-time member of the communications staff at Nassau Community College, State University of New York since 1996, according to her council bio. She served as the dean of social and behavioral sciences, managing seven academic departments.
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Moore is also passionate about women's issues, participating in various groups dedicated to mentoring and providing transitional housing for at-risk women and children. She is a member of the Freeport/ Roosevelt chapter of the NAACP, the New Hempstead Democratic Club and the Concerned Citizens of North Park.
An email message seeking comment from Moore wasn't immediately returned.
Moore is seeking re-election in the fall as a Republican. Eramo and Diamond were defeated in the June Democratic primary election.
Moore's term began Tuesday. Eramo had held the title for 582 days beginning Jan. 1, 2018. He succeeded Len Torres, who earned the title in February 2015.
The longest serving Long Beach City Council president was Kevin Braddish, who was first named to the position in February 1987 and held it for more than 2,500 days until he was replaced by Ed Buscemi in 1994.
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