Proposal for Changing City’s Name Dropped
A proposal to change the name of the city has been dropped in response to angry opposition from residents.
The cost and complexity of a name change were the reasons most often cited by nine residents who spoke against the proposal at a council meeting Tuesday. Only two residents supported the idea.
Councilman Al Ethans, who suggested the name change, told about 30 residents at the meeting that he was concerned about the city’s undeservedly bad reputation.
Ethans and others say the city has quashed gang activity and prostitution, and the overall crime rate is down, although there have been five homicides in the city so far this year.
“Say it doesn’t work after you change the name and you still have the problems,” 36-year resident Lydia Medina asked. “What are we going to do, change it again?”
The other four council members refused to discuss Ethans’ proposal.
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