ARCADIA: The City Council last week was...

ARCADIA: The City Council last week was unable to decide who should be the next mayor of Arcadia with the five members dividing their votes among three nominees. The move was a slight to Mayor Pro Tem Sheng H. Chang. Although the mayoral rotation is not automatic, historically the mayor pro tem is elected mayor.

AZUSA: For the first time, the City of Azusa will enter a float in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day. At its meeting last week, the council voted 5 to 0 to support staff and community efforts to put together a float for the event, said Azusa City Clerk Adolph A. Solis. Margaret Hall, Azusa’s economic development specialist, will solicit donations from business and service organizations to cover the estimated $75,000 cost.

LA VERNE: The City Council voted 4 to 0 to charge residents an extra 5 cents a month for paramedic services. No testimony was offered either for or against the fee hike during a public hearing Tuesday. The increase will go into effect July 1. The council’s action raised the fee to $3.14 per month, said City Clerk N. Kathleen Hamm.

MONTEREY PARK: A residents group has gathered enough signatures of voters to qualify an initiative maintaining the city ban on billboards for a local ballot.

SOUTH EL MONTE: Former South El Monte Mayor Raul Pardo has been sentenced by a judge to 60 days in jail following his misdemeanor battery conviction for striking a local newspaper photographer in the face. Pardo 33, was also fined and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service as well as pay medical bills of victim Larry Rodriguez and court expenses totaling $881.

SOUTH PASADENA: The former chairwoman of the city Animal Commission, who was removed by the City Council last month, is demanding that she be reinstated. Mavis Minjares is alleging that her removal violated city law because it was motivated by hearsay and accusations. City officials say Minjares ran meetings in violation of the Brown Act, which regulates the meetings of public entities.