Thursday, October 1, 2026
It was standing-room-only at City Hall as the Long Beach City Council welcomed one re-elected incumbent and two new members on New Year’s Day.
George Ennis and Tracey Johnson were sworn in for their first terms, while Michael Reinhart, who was first elected in 2023, took the oath of office for the second time. Reinhart and Ennis began four-year terms, while Johnson, who garnered the third-highest vote total in last November’s election, will serve for two years.
The special meeting certified the first all-Republican City Council since 1971 — the incoming members join Republicans Brendan Finn, the council president, and Chris Fiumara, its vice president, who were elected alongside Reinhart in 2023 — but Ennis and Johnson stressed in their inaugural comments that partisan politics won’t play a role in governing the city.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman began the ceremony by highlighting his own connections to Long Beach, before welcoming the new City Council.
“Some don’t know that my father was raised here in Long Beach,” Blakeman began, “[He] was a graduate of Long Beach High School.” He went on to say that his father, former Assemblyman Robert Blakeman, returned home from World War II and met his future wife, Betty Harris, on a canal in Island Park.
The county executive also recounted visiting his grandfather in Long Beach. “I spent so many wonderful days of my childhood on the boardwalk here in Long Beach,” he said.
Blakeman ended by emphasizing the importance of nonpartisan governance. “You represent all the people,” he reminded the council members. “When someone calls you for a problem, you never ask them whether they’re a Republican or a Democrat, what race, religion, ethnic group. … You help people. That’s what local government is all about.”
After brief remarks from Joseph Cairo, chairman of the Nassau County Republican Committee, former County Legislator Denise Ford administered the oath of office to Ennis, who stood beside his wife, Maureen. Ennis is a longtime fixture in the Long Beach community, having organized a film festival fundraiser in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, chaired the Long Beach Irish Heritage Day Parade, and served as a committee member for the Michele O’Neill Foundation, which raises money to help children with cancer and special needs.
Ennis thanked his late father and his 95-year-old mother, who was in attendance, for instilling in him the values of kindness, fairness and hard work. “I promise I will give every ounce of my effort, my knowledge and my energy to make everybody’s life in Long Beach the best it can possibly be,” he told the audience.
Johnson took the stage next with her husband, Bob, and was sworn in by an Island Park resident of note, former U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, now a newly appointed inspector general for the U.S. Department of Labor.
Johnson, a mother of three, is a real estate agent and co-owns a local restaurant, the Cabana, with her husband. She has actively supported the Michelle O’Neill Foundation, Long Beach’s annual Polar Bear Plunge and the Michael Diamond Foundation, an organization that supports veterans’ causes, advocates for suicide prevention and offers scholarships to local students.
In thanking her family, Johnson shared that she is a fourth-generation Long Beach resident, and feels a deep sense of community pride. “Long Beach is more than just where we live,” she said. “It’s who we are. It’s neighbors looking out for one another, small businesses that give our city its character, and generations of families who have invested their hearts here.”
Reinhart, the returning councilman, was joined on stage by his wife, Colleen, and their children, Ryan and Cate, and was given the oath of office by County Legislator Patrick Mullaney.
Reinhart’s initial two-year term was marked by notable successes: the city’s first tax freeze in 10 years; an improvement in its bond rating, which paved the way for lower interest rates for city projects and more taxpayer savings; and a marked boost in public safety, with crime decreasing 19 percent.
In his remarks, Reinhart cited the camaraderie among himself, Finn and Fiumara as a key reason why the council achieved those successes. He also emphasized community and family, proudly noting Cate’s Irish step dancing championship — and Honor Roll — to Ryan’s Long Beach High School volleyball Rookie of the Year award — and Honor Roll — to Colleen’s return to school for a second degree after working as an executive.
Reinhart concluded by focusing on the council’s hands-on, grounded approach. “Sometimes, politicians become a distant policy-maker, but that’s not the case with these guys,” he said of his colleagues. “These guys are all neighbor advocates. This is a City Council of neighbor advocates, and I think we’re going to do a great job.”
The council meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month at City Hall. For a complete schedule and expected agenda topics, visit longbeachny.gov/councilmeetings.
