LONG BEACH >> Long Beach City College has been a hive of political activity in the past year, with protests over cuts to vocational programs and vocal opposition to a two-tiered tuition system for winter and summer courses.

Now that it’s election season, students and residents will have their voice heard at the polls.

Trustees have argued that state budget cuts forced the district to make difficult decisions, including revamping vocational programs and being the first community college in the state to go to the two-tiered system, saying it’s another way to more quickly move students toward program completion.

The cost was set at $265 per unit for nonresident students and $225 per unit for resident students. Regular intersession classes, supported by the state, cost $46 a unit.

Jeff Kellogg in District 1 is the lone trustee who both voted for the two-tier system — authorized under AB 955 — and is up for re-election.

The five-district board oversees a $105-million budget and votes on programs, building projects and staffing levels, among a host of responsibilities.

District 1 ­— North

The race features the only incumbent seeking re-election, Kellogg, a three-term trustee and current president of the board. He is being challenged by Marshall Blesofsky, a retired university professor.

Blesofsky, 67, said he wants to restore the 11 vocational programs cut in January 2013, including welding and interior design.

“The main reason I’m running is because of the direction of the college,” he said. “The college seems to be deviating from its mission.”

Blesofsky characterized the election as a match between a college professor and Kellogg, a former councilman, whom he referred to as “a career politician.”

“I think that we need a change at the city college, and I think my concern is the students,” he said.

Among his endorsements is the Long Beach City College Political Action Coalition, made up of faculty and staff.

Kellogg, 59, has been a trustee through the district’s most recent fiscal difficulties.

“I believe I’ve done a very good job, and I believe strongly in the direction of the college, and I’ve had to deal with some of the worst economic times as a member of the board,” Kellogg said. “I’d like to have the opportunity when things are stable in funding from California.”

Kellogg, who has experience in commercial and investment real estate and is a consultant in educational and master planning, said the vocational programs are being revamped to meet a modern economy.

“People always fight change, but I think it’s important, because we need to change and do things differently than in the past,” he said. “The needs of the students are different than in the past decade. That’s what keeps me going. I think we’re going in the right direction. And the direction of the college is what this election’s about.”

Kellogg counts among his endorsements one from Beverly O’Neill, former mayor of Long Beach.

District 3 — Southwest

The race is without an incumbent, as Mark Bowen quietly bowed out. Stella Ursula and Sunny Zia are facing off for the District 3 seat.

Ursula is a 54-year-old executive director of Green Education Inc., which focuses on curriculum development and solar and energy-efficiency program design.

“I have an extensive background in organizational and leadership development, as well as workforce development, so I’ve pretty much spent my whole life training adults,” Ursula said. “I see my role as a trustee as an extension of that knowledge and capability, especially now as we see the trail end of the recession, there’s money coming back into the community college system.”

Ursula wants to measure the success of the two-tier tuition program and ensure that low-income students aren’t cut off, and examine the success of each of the vocational programs that were dropped.

“From what I understand, not all the programs were successful,” she said. “We should be looking at new programs that are better connected to our world and communities today.”

She counts among her endorsements HONOR PAC, which advocates for Latinos, and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities.

Zia is a 36-year-old contract compliance manager at the Port of Long Beach who says her experience makes her best-suited for District 3 trustee.

“I have a background, a proven track record of managing budgets as a small-business owner, and dealing with millions of dollars in public funds and using it in the best interest of a public institution,” she said.

Zia opposed two-tier tuition and the vocational program cuts, and says her experience in business and leadership will help LBCC forge the relationships needed at the local and state levels to fund community education through grants, scholarships and other resources.

“I want to make sure access to affordable education is preserved,” she said.

The LBCC PAC is among those who have endorsed Zia.

District 5 — East

The race pits Gregory Slaughter, a 66-year-old retired LBCC professor and former lieutenant for the Santa Monica Police Department, against Virginia Baxter, the 67-year-old executive director of the Long Beach City College Foundation. Thomas Clark decided not to seek re-election.

Baxter has a 44-year academic career, including more than three decades teaching history on the campus. That experience makes her a better fit for the office than her opponent, she said.

“I have an understanding of what goes on in the classrooms,” Baxter said. “I think that’s what separates me. I’m a consensus builder and a problem solver.”

Baxter immediately raised about $15,000 in scholarship money through the foundation to address the two-tier program.

“AB 955, when that was passed by the Assembly, I said to President Oakley, we’ve got to find a way to pay for this increase in tuition,” Baxter said. “We wrote a grant to Southern California Edison. With that money, we put together a one-page scholarship application. And every single person who applied for a scholarship got a scholarship. … The point I’m making is I’m a problem solver.”

Baxter counts among her endorsements that of Chris Steinhauser, superintendent of the Long Beach Unified School District.

Slaughter, formerly an administration of justice professor at LBCC, wants to end the two-tier system, saying it penalizes poorer students at the college.

“The two-tier tuition structure that is now in place at the college, it’s an effort to privatize the college,” he said.

Slaughter also wants to work to restore the certificate programs that were cut.

“When we eliminated the heart by taking out 11 vocational programs, we violated our mission,” he said. “We can’t replace entire programs because it would take too much money, but we will start the slow trail back to re-establishing our vocational programs at Long Beach City College.”

Slaughter is endorsed by the LBCC PAC, among others.

Contact Josh Dulaney at 562-714-2150.