Change for the Better Vowed in Compton

The apparent victors in Compton’s City Council election vowed Wednesday to restore ethics to city government and public confidence in a city that desperately needs new businesses to help fund public services.

Compton has flagged under the weight of two federal corruption probes and a criminal prosecution underway of five current or former city officials, including two incumbents apparently defeated in Tuesday’s election.

Amen Rahh, a college professor, and Delores Zurita, who runs a meals on wheels program partly funded by the city, were handily beaten by Isadore Hall and Barbara Calhoun, according to unofficial returns.

Rahh and Zurita were arrested last month and charged with misuse of public funds, along with City Councilwoman Yvonne Arceneaux, City Manager John Johnson and former Mayor Omar Bradley. All have pleaded not guilty.

Rahh, who teaches at Compton Community College and Cal State Long Beach, placed a distant second to Hall, president of the Compton School Board. City Clerk Charles Davis said Hall could be forced into a runoff with Rahh only if Hall failed to earn a single additional vote from the 185 absentee or provisional ballots that remain to be counted. Davis and other political observers deemed that possibility remote.

Zurita, who is Bradley’s aunt, was beaten by Compton school board member Calhoun, who won almost twice as many votes. Both Calhoun and Hall are allies of Mayor Eric Perrodin, who narrowly defeated Bradley in the 2001 election on a reform platform but remained isolated on the council, whose majority was pro-Bradley.

But on Wednesday, political observers viewed the election results as a clear sign by voters.

“I think what you saw was a revolt,” said political consultant Kerman Maddox. “I think it’s a revolt of people getting fed up with local government looking out for themselves and their family.... I don’t think Compton is unique in that regard.”

What has been unique in this working-class city -- whose image has been bruised by high crime, notoriety as gangsta rap’s birthplace and politics that can be contact sport -- is that civic chaos has reigned since the last municipal election in 2001. Perrodin narrowly defeated Bradley, but dueling lawsuits contesting the results kept the government and citizenry in a state of suspension.

Bradley sued the city and City Clerk Davis, charging, among other things, that Davis illegally placed Perrodin’s name first on the ballot, giving Perrodin an unfair advantage. The trial judge agreed last year and ousted Perrodin. Just days later, Perrodin appealed the verdict and was returned to the mayor’s office pending a final ruling. And that ruling overturning the trial judge came last month.

But Perrodin still needed a council majority for any vote to reform. And that, he said Wednesday, is what the voters delivered. When the new City Council members take office in July, he sees concrete change in store. “To quote scripture,” Perrodin said, “Matthew 5:14 says, ‘You are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.’ And I think by this election, Compton has been raised up on the hill, and we’re going to be in the spotlight.”

Hall, who is also a real estate broker, said he plans to focus on senior citizen and youth services during his tenure, and hopes to bring more businesses to Compton. His supporter Perrodin agreed.

“When I meet with business people, trying to get them to come to Compton,” Perrodin said, “I open by saying, ‘I don’t want any money. I don’t want any Lakers tickets. I don’t want a limo ride to the game. Just do good for the city of Compton.’ Yes, I do say that. That is the city’s reputation. Which has got to change, and it will change now.”

With all 31 precincts counted, the Compton city clerk’s office reported the following results Wednesday:

In District 1, Delores Zurita, 1,767, or 31.1%; Barbara Calhoun, 3,554, or 62.5%; and Rodney Andrews Jr., 359, or 6.3%.

In District 4, Fred Easter, 956, or 17%; Fred Cressel, 404, or 7.2%; Amen Rahh, 1,133, or 20.2%; Willie McReynolds, 214, or 3.8%; and Hall, 2,889, or 51.6%.