(Nov. 24, 2015, 4:55 p.m.) -- After filing paperwork with the CA Secretary of State's office forming a political campaign recipient committee, LB Firefighter Wayne Chaney Sr. issued a statement today (Nov. 24) saying he's decided NOT to enter the 6th district Council race.

As we reported yesterday (Nov. 23), the CA Secretary of State's office indicates (online and confirmed with us yesterday by phone) that Mr. Chaney had filed a Form 410 (Statement of Organization for Recipient Committee) on Nov. 13 (which we accurately reported.) This afternoon (Nov. 24), LBREPORT.com received via email the statement below from a Los Angeles based government affairs/public relations firm on Mr. Chaney's behalf.

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[Wayne Chaney statement text]

Over the past several years a number of community leaders, close friends, and longtime residents have encouraged me to run for the 6th District of the Long Beach City Council.

I am a native son of Long Beach. This is the City where I was born, raised, and proudly serve our residents each and every day as a Firefighter with the Long Beach Fire Department. I have a passion for public service and I want to do everything possible to improve the quality of life in Long Beach.

After a great deal of personal deliberation and discussion with my family, I have decided to not enter the race for Long Beach City Council in the 2016 election cycle. I am proud to come from an extremely tight-knit Long Beach family and my mother is currently battling a serious illness that must be my top priority. My mother is a strong woman and our family is pulling together to support her. We will get through this, but at this point I am too committed to caring for my family and my work as a Long Beach Firefighter to enter the race as a candidate for City Council.

I want to thank all of my friends, family, and local community leaders who have supported me throughout this process. I am humbled by your unwavering support and friendship.

I want to be clear that I am not closing the door on a future run for office in Long Beach. I believe in public service and want to continue to give back to the City that I call home.

I encourage all of my supporters to stay involved in civic affairs and community efforts. I am committed to this City and I will continue to work side by side with you to make Long Beach an even better place to live, work, and raise our families.

God Bless.

Mr. Chaney, Sr. is the son of the late Pastor Joe Chaney and the father of Pastor Wayne Chaney, Jr. of LB's Antioch Church.

Two other potential 6th district candidates have surfaced: Robert Lee Harmon filed a Candidate Intention Statement on Nov. 4.

As also previously reported by LBREPORT.com, Josie Villaseņor, a 34 year old Wrigley resident who's a partner in an Anaheim St. business, told LBREPORT.com on Oct. 27 that she "will definitely" be filing paperwork to seek the 6th district Council seat.

6th district Council incumbent Dee Andrews, who filed his campaign committee paperwork in July, is term limited (having taken office in spring 2007.) To win another four-year term, Andrews must finish first or second in April with his name not listed on the ballot by waging a write-in campaign. If Andrews finishes first or second in April, his name would be on the ballot for a June runoff. Councilman (now Assemblyman) Patrick O'Donnell is the only LB Council candidate to date to have used this procedure successfully, getting into a June runoff prevailing with his name on the ballot. Any candidate who finishes with over 50% in April is automatically electd without a runoff.

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Councilman Andrews, who took office in a no-runoff special election in early 2007 (filling a vacancy created when Laura Richardson sought and won an Assembly seat in fall 2006), ran unopposed in 2012 and handily outpolled a ballot opponent in 2008.

Public safety is likely to be a major issue in the 2016 6th district race. As previously reported by LBREPORT.com, within a recent thirty day period (mid-September to mid-October 2015), the 6th and 1st districts combined had more shootings per capita than Chicago. During his incumbency, Councilman Andrews voted for budgets that erased funding for the largest number of police officers for taxpayers within a five year period in the more than 100 year history of the City of Long Beach and eliminated LBPD's field anti-gang unit.

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Councilman Andrews was also among a Council majority that voted to enact a management-sought, less expensive paramedic response system (RMD) which the LB Firefighters Association opposed from its inception, citing concerns over patient safety and unintended consequences. In late August 2015, the L.A. County Emergency Medical Services Agency ordered Long Beach to halt its test (begun in July 2014) of the system, with the County agency's new Medical Director (since July) deciding that the data raised issues too great to ignore and posed an immediate threat to patient safety. (LBFD management accepted the county agency's decision, but disputed its conclusion, arguing that under RMD first arriving paramedics on average arrived faster.)

Chief DuRee developed RMD in response to Council budget cuts that left the Chief with the unenviable options of reducing the number of firefighters arriving on fire engines -- which he has opposed -- or find another way to reduce costs and remain within the Council allocated budget. The result was RMD, which LBFFA predicted would create unintended consequences and reduce patient care...for which LBFFA has previously said it holds the Council and its budget reductions ultimately responsible.

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