LYNWOOD : Councilman Under Attack Over Trip to Africa

Lynwood City Councilman Louis Byrd has come under attack for a recent city-funded trip he took to Gabon in Central Africa to a conference on development in that area.

Critics question whether the nine-day trip, which cost $3,957, will produce concrete results for the city at a time when officials are considering a freeze on salaries to balance the budget.

Byrd, 61, said his participation in the conference will help foster trade between Lynwood and African nations. Among the participants were the presidents of Benin, Gambia and Botswana. The Rev. Jesse Jackson and Coretta Scott King also attended.

Organizers of a recall campaign predicted that the controversial trip will boost their efforts to oust Byrd, who has about 2 1/2 years remaining in his first term. Recall leaders have focused in part on Byrd’s spending.

Over the last fiscal year, Byrd has traveled out of state more than any of his council colleagues and spent more than any of them on travel-related expenses--approximately $18,000, according to city records. Other council members have spent approximately $5,700 to $15,500. Byrd said that he has attended many functions at the request of the mayor and city manager.