NBC4 anchor Robert Kovacik, left, interviewed Beverly Hills Mayor Craig Corman at the “Evening with the Mayor” at Greystone Mansion. (photo by Tabor Brewster)

Business leaders, elected officials, police officers, firefighters and Beverly Hills residents gathered at Greystone Mansion on Sept. 23 for the annual “Evening with the Mayor,” hosted by the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Craig Corman delivered the state of the city address in a sit-down interview with NBC4 reporter and anchor Robert Kovacik.

Six months into his mayoral term, Corman highlighted the city’s finances, public safety investments and ongoing development as signs of Beverly Hills’ strength, while also addressing challenges including affordable housing and state development mandates.

Corman said one of the City Council’s most significant accomplishments has been turning around a projected budget deficit.

“When Vice Mayor Wells and I were first elected two years ago, we were projecting a deficit this coming fiscal year of about $24 million,” Corman said. “Through careful managing of our resources and our spending, our City Council has turned that completely around, where now we are looking at about a $100,000 surplus.”

While he acknowledged that the surplus is small relative to the city’s more than $300 million budget, Corman called the turnaround a significant accomplishment. Corman did not go into details on how the city reached the surplus.

He also pointed to recent leadership transitions at City Hall, including the appointment of Ryan Gohlich as city manager and Max Subin as Beverly Hills police chief. Corman praised Subin, a longtime member of the Beverly Hills Police Department, and said the city will continue investing heavily in public safety.

“Our City Council has a philosophy that if you don’t have safety, you don’t have anything,” Corman said. “So we spend over 50% of our general fund on police and fire.”

Corman said Beverly Hills’ reputation for safety, alongside its hotels, restaurants, schools and luxury retail, has helped attract continued investment into the city.

He highlighted One Beverly Hills, the sprawling mixed-use development under construction near Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards, as well as Louis Vuitton’s planned flagship development on Rodeo Drive designed by architect Frank Gehry.

“We recognize that there is a symbiotic relationship between our businesses and our residents,” Corman said. “The businesses create a lot of the revenue that provides the money that allows us to provide the essential services to our residents.”

The mayor also discussed the Metro D Line extension and the future opening of the Wilshire/Beverly Drive station in the heart of the city’s business district.

Corman said the second Beverly Hills station could be a “game changer,” making the city’s shops and restaurants more accessible to people throughout the region. He cited neighboring Century City as an example.

“There are over 50,000 people [who] work [in Century City] every day. They will be one subway stop away from our shops and restaurants in Beverly Hills,” Corman said.

Corman has also launched “Metro with the Mayor” to introduce residents to the transit system. The first outing brought approximately 40-50 residents from the Wilshire/La Cienega station to Dodger Stadium. Corman said another trip is planned in November to attend a Sunday matinee at the Ahmanson Theatre.

“No matter how much money you have, if you can go downtown in 20 minutes instead of an hour and 20 minutes, you’re going to take that Metro,” Corman said when asked about the challenges of getting Beverly Hills residents to ride public transportation.

Corman said the city will continue expanding its use of public safety technology as the region prepares for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The mayor highlighted the Beverly Hills Police Department’s Real Time Watch Center, its network of more than 3,000 cameras and its drone program. He said the city is developing an autonomous drone system that would allow drones to land, recharge and take off without direct assistance. Beverly Hills is also exploring anti-drone technology ahead of the Olympics.

Corman additionally reiterated his support for automated traffic enforcement. He said he has advocated for allowing cities to use cameras to enforce speeding and stop sign laws and has discussed the issue with state lawmakers.

Corman also outlined the city’s efforts to comply with state housing requirements while maintaining local control over development.

For approximately three years, Beverly Hills lacked a state-certified housing element, exposing the city to builder’s remedy projects that can bypass many local zoning restrictions. Corman said the city must ensure its housing element remains certified in order to preserve as much local control as possible.

“We’ve had to deal with some of those builder’s remedy projects, and we’re still dealing with them,” Corman said. “Every time those projects come to us for approval, our hands are mostly tied.”

As part of its housing element, Beverly Hills committed to pursuing affordable housing on city-owned land. Corman highlighted the city’s plans for property on South Robertson Boulevard and said Beverly Hills is continuing to examine additional sites for affordable housing.

“It’s important that we continue to look at building affordable housing to make sure our housing element remains certified, so we can maintain control over our neighborhoods,” Corman said.

Corman also mentioned several initiatives intended to keep Beverly Hills an international destination, including his “Beverly Hills Masters” interview series featuring local chefs and plans to bring a rotating series of fine art installations to Rodeo Drive.

Looking toward 2028, Corman said Beverly Hills has begun planning for the large influx of visitors expected during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, even though the city will not host a competition venue.

“Our hotels are almost already sold out, and we know people are going to come to Beverly Hills, stay here and shop here,” Corman said. “And we know people who can’t stay or don’t stay are still going to come here and shop and dine.”

Corman said city officials are planning programming for visitors and preparing for security challenges surrounding the Games. He added that Beverly Hills hopes the Olympic torch relay and road sports could potentially pass through the city.

“We’re going to host a lot of people who come here … to see what Beverly Hills is all about,” Corman said. “And we’re going to show them what it’s about.”

During the remainder of his term, Corman said he will continue prioritizing fiscal responsibility, public safety, business attraction and programs aimed at drawing residents and visitors to Beverly Hills.