By Marion Apio  | California Local News Fellow

Fre’Drisha “Sha” Dixion is an Inglewood resident, community organizer and attorney running for mayor in the November 2026 election. She spoke about why she is running, her priorities for residents and small businesses, Inglewood Unified School District and the measures on the November ballot.

Q: Why are you running for mayor of Inglewood?

I’m an Inglewood resident, community organizer and attorney. I decided to run because I felt the city was being mismanaged, residents were being neglected and small businesses were not getting enough support.

I’ve been a community organizer for more than 12 years. I became an attorney to gain more tools to advocate for my community.

Inglewood has a city manager-city council form of government, so the mayor and council members have equal voting power. It takes three of the five votes to make something happen.

After talking with community members and elders, we decided that mayor was the right position for me to run for.

Q: What do you want voters to know about the mayor’s role, and what measures do you support?

The mayor has to work with the City Council. The mayor and council members have equal voting power, so you need three of the five votes.

I support Measure BB and Measure AT.

Q: Why do you support Measure BB?

Measure BB is about billboards. I believe residents should have a say in whether we have billboards, what goes on them, where they are placed and how many we have.

There is an agreement with WOW Media that gives the company billboard rights for 40 years, with an option to renew. Under the agreement, WOW Media receives 60% of the profit and the city receives 40%.

My concern is that residents should have more control over what happens with billboards on public land.

Q: What about Measure AT?

Measure AT is about stadium ticket sales.

There is currently a $15 million cap on the city’s ticket-sale revenue. If SoFi Stadium made $900 million from ticket sales, for example, the city would only receive up to $15 million under that cap.

I believe the stadiums should pay their fair share. I support removing the cap so the city has the opportunity to receive more revenue from ticket sales.

Q: What is your position on the Inglewood Unified School District measure?

I oppose raising taxes for the school district right now.

Inglewood Unified has been in receivership for many years, first under the California Department of Education and later under the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

We have already approved two ballot measures, and we have continued asking where that money has gone. There is almost half a billion dollars in the trust already that has come from our taxes. We were told the money would go to the school district, yet we have not seen the improvement we expected.

When the community regains control of the school district and it is out of receivership, I believe we can have that conversation again.

Q: You have been involved in school district advocacy. What role should the city play?

I lead the Stop IUSD School Closures Coalition. I’ve been advocating for our schools, students and educators for years.

I have gone to City Council meetings asking the city to use its power and influence to help the school district and bring it out of receivership.

I understand that the city and school district are separate governmental entities. But Inglewood residents pay taxes to the city, and the city also provides funding to the school district. Families living here send their children to Inglewood schools.

As mayor, I would use my position and influence to support the school district, help restore local control and empower students and educators.

Q: What would you do for homeowners and small businesses?

I want to support homeowners, particularly older residents who are retired and living on fixed incomes. Rising property taxes can put pressure on people who may struggle to keep up with their payments.

For small businesses, I want to create a small-business hub at City Hall.

It would provide training and help entrepreneurs with business registration, legal compliance and permitting. It would also connect them with grants, low-interest loans, forgivable loans and other resources.

Q: What is your broader vision for Inglewood?

I want to bring the rest of Inglewood up to the level of investment we see in the entertainment district.

We also need new sources of revenue. The city recently presented a projected $31 million budget deficit.

One idea I have is a Walk of Champions as part of the revitalization of Market Street. It would be similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but would recognize athletes who have ties to Inglewood, with their names and accomplishments placed on gold medals along downtown streets.

My campaign is about putting residents and small businesses at the center of Inglewood’s future.

I did not wait to be elected to start advocating for my community. I have been doing that for years, and I want to continue that work as mayor.