Vernon’s mayor, interim city attorney resign
Council members voted them into office
VERNON, Calif.—Vernon Mayor Hilario “Larry” Gonzales and interim City Attorney Mike Montgomery resigned today following criticism from Sen. Kevin De Leon.
Gonzales submitted his resignation, but it won’t become effective until his pension payments are confirmed by the California Public Employee System, the Los Angeles Times reported on its website.
Gonzales has been a member of the City Council since 1974 and mayor since 2009.
Montgomery’s resignation was effectively immediately, the city’s Fred MacFarlane said.
However, he will remain as attorney for the Vernon Redevelopment Agency and Vernon’s Light & Power Department.
De Leon, D-Los Angeles, criticized Gonzales and two other council members for voting Oct. 18 to make Montgomery the permanent city attorney without placing the item on its agenda, according to The Times. The vote was also criticized by former Attorney General John Van de Kamp, the city’s ethics adviser, The Times reported.
De Leon, whose district includes Vernon, helped defeat a bill that would dissolve Vernon, which has long been plagued by corruption.
Critics have long argued that Vernon is governed like a fiefdom for the benefit of a small group of leaders who earn large salaries. The city owns nearly all the homes within its borders, essentially making the City Council the landlord for voters.
One of the topics that dominated the question-and-answer section of the OurWeekly mayoral candidate forum held Saturday at Brookins Community A.M.E. Church at 4831 S. Gramercy Place in Los Angeles concerned where the four contenders stood on the Crenshaw/LAX rail line. Did they favor a stop at Leimert Park? Would they advocate that a portion of the line to go underground along Crenshaw Boulevard? How would they obtain the funding necessary to do all of the above?
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Former Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith today endorsed Council President Pro Tempore Jan Perry for mayor in 2013.
Smith, who left office in July and was replaced by Councilman Mitchell Englander in the 12th District, said Perry was well suited for the job.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Leaving the fireworks to the professionals this July Fourth is a safer alternative than setting off pyrotechnics yourself.
That’s the message from safety officials to residents of Los Angeles County cities that allow the personal use of fireworks.
All fireworks are illegal for personal use within the city of Los Angeles, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—A bomb squad was sent to Leimert Park today to search a stolen car in which some "fuseless firecrackers'' exploded and slightly injured an officer.
The incident began about 4 a.m. at Vernon and Ninth avenues, where police were sent to investigate a report of a stolen car, Los Angeles police Officer Diana Figueroa said.
An officer was looking in the glove compartment of the vehicle when a small explosion occurred, apparently from some fuseless firecrackers, LAPD Capt. Melissa Zak told Fox11.
SAN GABRIEL, Calif.—San Gabriel's mayor was arrested today on suspicion of felony robbery and assault for allegedly taking a woman's purse during an argument, and then driving away in his SUV with her hanging on to the side of his vehicle, police said.
Mayor Albert Y.M. Huang, 35, was booked on suspicion of felony robbery, felony assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, and misdemeanor battery, said San Gabriel police Lt. Ariel Duran. He was held at the police station on $100,000 bail.
