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View Winners → Arcadia Council Names Kovacic Mayor, Taps Chandler for Pro Tem
Arcadia Weekly Apr 22, 2015
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Gary Kovacic, is once again Mayor of Arcadia- Photo by Terry Miller
By Joe Taglieri
City Council members on Tuesday unanimously selected Gary Kovacic to be Arcadia’s next mayor and Roger Chandler to serve as mayor pro tem.
Both are long-time council members. Kovacic has served consecutively since 1996, taking a two-year break from 2006-2008 due to term limits, and voters have elected Chandler to four terms. Kovacic, who served this past year as mayor pro tem, accepted his fourth mayoral nomination. Chandler has been mayor three times.
Kovacic succeeds John Wuo, who has also served on the council for more than a decade and this past year completed his third stint as mayor.
Each year council members choose a new mayor and mayor pro tem from among their five-member panel. The titles are mostly ceremonial and don’t come with added legislative clout compared with the standard council member designation.
“We have some significant issues facing our community — water issues, budget issues, development issues, public safety issues,” Kovacic said. “As we navigate the coming year we need to address each of these issues and many more with a laser focus that involves critical thinking, collaboration, urgency and improvement.”
Kovacic announced “respect” will be the theme for his current term as mayor.
“We have had some fairly lively hearings this year, and that’s fine,” he explained. “Politics is inherently messy, and progress can come out of discord and debate. … However, I believe we work best as a city when we embrace a sense of community.”
Such “civic cohesion” depends on residents showing respect to each other when they disagree on issues, Kovacic said. He called for residents and council members to maintain “a climate of mutual respect based on the common premise that reasonable minds can differ and that at the end of the day, there will be a fair vote.”
Kovacic concluded his acceptance speech by urging residents “to continue to celebrate our rich diversity, get involved and stay involved, make connections with your neighbors and respect one another so that all Arcadians can come together for the common good of our community.”
In remarks that followed speeches by Wuo and Kovacic, Chandler’s sense of humor drew several rounds of laughter from the audience in City Council Chambers as he thanked his colleagues for their council service.
“This is not an easy job,” he said, adding that “we’ve had no fist fights up here, we don’t throw shoes. Those things happen in other places in Los Angeles County.”
Chandler embraced Kovacic’s call for respect and acknowledged the issues outlined in the mayor’s acceptance speech will be challenging tasks in the year ahead.
Wuo closed his 2014-15 mayoral term by highlighting positive accomplishments this past year such as numerous community events sponsored by a variety of local entities.
“New businesses opened, neighborhoods banded together and we continue to maintain positive and effective working relationships with the school district and a variety of government agencies, legislators and local service and civic groups,” he said.
The outgoing mayor also addressed challenges Arcadia has faced in recent years.
“I have had a lot of people tell me that the city has changed,” Wuo said. “It has since been divisive, and now there is a lot of tension in the community.”
He pointed to issues such as shifting demographics and rules for real estate development that have sparked friction among long-time residents, land developers and new property owners and residents, many of whom have emigrated from East Asia within the last 10-15 years. As a result, officials are currently working on an update to the city’s residential zoning code.
“We hope to get sensible input from the community so that the city can make the best zoning changes that will enhance our community and preserve our neighborhoods,” Wuo said. “The last thing we want is to diminish the preservation of property rights and our right to privacy.
“This past year has been a very eventful one for me as mayor,” he concluded. “I would like to thank the council and the community for giving me the opportunity to serve and represent you. I have tried my best to rise to the challenge and embrace the future, but most importantly I would like to ask that all Arcadians embrace our community, embrace change and let’s work together to make Arcadia an even better place to live.”
Prior to the votes for mayor and pro tem and council members’ remarks, residents appearing on behalf of local organizations commemorated Wuo’s mayorship with public presentations. He received certificates or plaques from the Arcadia Board of Education, Arcadia Chamber of Commerce, Arcadia Chinese Association and city council.
Wuo also received commendations from elected officials. Presentations featured representatives from the offices of congressional Rep. Judy Chu, state Sen. Ed Hernandez, Assemblyman Ed Chau and Michael Antonovich, who represents Arcadia on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Kovacic is termed out of office next year, and Wuo is up for re-election.
