William M. Haas

Haas said he ran for City Council to stop overdevelopment in the city. He said Long Beach is becoming overdeveloped and overcrowded as the city’s zoning board has approved multistory-units. Haas said he is concerned about taxes and fees for services rising every year. He said the city’s residents are at the mercy of special interest groups from outside the city with a lack of transparency in City Hall. Haas said he wants to restore confidence in City Hall and curb increased taxes on residents. He said the city’s budget is not being managed effectively. He wants to address the lack of parking in Long Beach neighborhoods. He said previous parking studies have not been successful for residents and business owners. He has suggested striping curbs and a pilot program for residential parking passes.

Haas, 54, is running on the Republican, Conservative and Reform party lines. He is a Long Beach resident of 20 years and works as an operations manager for Verizon. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the New York Institute of Technology in Westbury and his MBA from Hofstra. He is a retired U.S. Navy lieutenant commander. He served as a helicopter pilot and led two deployments of troops to the Persian Gulf. He is single.