Councilman Targeted for Recall Is Elected Mayor
A divided City Council elected Councilman Ricardo Sanchez on Monday as Lynwood’s new mayor.
Sanchez, who is the target of a recall effort, was elected on a 3-2 vote to become mayor for the next year.
“Let’s try to work together,” Sanchez told the council audience after taking his seat as mayor. “I will try to do my best to represent everyone in this community, and not just a particular group.”
Sanchez replaces Armando Rea as mayor.
Councilman Louis Byrd was elected mayor pro tem, replacing Arturo Reyes. Sanchez has accused Rea and Reyes of organizing the recall effort against him--a charge that both men deny.
Supporters of the recall allege in their petitions that Sanchez strong-armed merchants for money, had city workers put in a concrete drive at his home and misused the city’s credit card.
Sanchez denies the charges.
Recall organizers said so far they have gathered about 2,200 of the 3,247 signatures needed to require a recall election.
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