Carson Mayor Rebuffs Bid for His Resignation

A group of Samoan residents in Carson, angered by Mayor Michael I. Mitoma’s opposition to renaming a city park for a former Samoan city employee, asked for his resignation at this week’s City Council meeting.

Liz Foisia, a member of the Committee to Rename Scott Park who attended Tuesday night’s council meeting, said the organization was upset because Mitoma had opposed renaming Winfield Scott Park in honor of her late brother-in-law, Harry Foisia.

Last year, the council rejected the Samoan residents’ idea of renaming the park, and instead named the city emergency operations center after Foisia. That decision was met with disappointment and triggered a storm of protests among the city’s estimated 2,200 Samoans.

Harry Foisia, the city’s longtime code enforcement manager who died of natural causes at the age of 39 in December, 1990, was revered in the Samoan community and known for his work with troubled youth. Foisia was instrumental in starting Samoan Athletes in Action, which brought professional athletes of Samoan heritage to Winfield Scott Park to run football clinics for area youth. “When somebody doesn’t vote in (some) people’s favor, they seem to want their resignation,” Mitoma said. “I will not resign from this commission, from this City Council. You have the right in April to not vote for me.”

Liz Foisia also questioned Mitoma’s qualifications to serve as mayor, citing published reports indicating that the mayor had failed to disclose several personal loans and that he had exaggerated his academic background.

The Times reported last month, based on court documents and interviews, that Mitoma neglected to disclose, as required by state law, at least $97,000 in loans from three banking associates. Among the associates was one whom Mitoma renominated for the Planning Commission and then voted for. The mayor also misrepresented his academic achievements by claiming to have a master’s degree from UCLA, when he only took Extension courses and never received the degree from the university, according to UCLA’s records.

“I believe he should seriously consider this (resigning) based on his inconsistencies,” Liz Foisia said.