Anaheim's mayoral candidates discuss future of city

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- Four candidates are vying to become Anaheim's next mayor after a controversial year that saw the city's former mayor resign amid an ongoing corruption investigation.

Here's what you need to know about each candidate.

Trevor O'Neil - Current mayor pro-tem

O'Neil represents Anaheim's District 6 and was first elected in 2018. He aims to "bring transparency at city hall" and "restore the public's trust in local government."

"I have a strong record of support of our police departments, our fire departments, my work to adopt business friendly policies, to create jobs and grow the economy and ensuring taxpayer dollars get reinvested into Anaheim neighborhoods," O'Neil said.

He said he's running to continue the work he's done over the last four years.

"My work to move Anaheim forward is far from over and I ask the voters for the opportunity to finish the work I've started."

Lorri Galloway - CEO of an organization that shelters homeless and abused children and their mothers

Galloway has served two terms on the Anaheim City Council and calls herself "the most experienced."

"No one has the experience that I have and now experience matters especially after this corruption," she said.

Galloway says one of her main focuses will be on what she calls the most pressing issue affecting the city: homelessness.

"Rather than making it all about affordable housing and housing issues, we need to really go to the root causes of homelessness and do what the homeless people need the most which is to help them with sobriety," Galloway said.

Richard 'Dick' Lopez - Water systems operator

Lopez was born and raised in Anaheim who listed homelessness, crime, and clean water among his top priorities.

"I'm not running for myself. I'm running to help the city be better," he said. "With what has gone on, someone who loves the city needs to be running it. Unfortunately, since we did have bad leadership, it has trickled down throughout the city. We need to fix the city itself."

Lopez also believes Disney should be taxed more.

"I think for homelessness, we have to start with the kids. Make sure that people who are homeless and have children have someplace and the kids are going to school," he said.

Ashleigh Aitken - Former federal prosecutor and businesswoman

Aitken is also a product of Anaheim who is now raising her three children in the city. Her focus is on rebuilding the city's economy.

"We need to make sure that the next mayor is focusing on both building the resort and convention center business back to what it was before the pandemic but also having a keen eye in replacing a lot of the industries that we have lost," Aitken said.

She said her background in law will help the city move away from the corruption scandal that engulfed the former mayor.

"We have candidates that are very closely tied to the same special interests that led to the downfall of our former mayor," Aitken said.

Failed sale of Angel stadium

The candidates discussed the future of Angel stadium after a deal to sell the land collapsed earlier this year.

Aitken said, "We need to have a reset button and we need to have an independent appraisal and we need to have community involvement."

Lopez said, "That has to be evaluated. We do need to build something there. It does have to include low income housing."

Galloway added, "We love the fact that the Anaheim Angels are in our town. We want to keep them there."

O'Neil said, "There's still enormous economic opportunity in that 150 acres of parking lot land that is doing nothing for us."