The Arcadia City Council on Tuesday appointed John Han to fill the District 3 seat that has been vacant since the resignation of Mayor Eileen Wang last month, when she agreed to plead guilty to covertly acting as an agent of the People’s Republic of China.
Council members used a point system Tuesday to select an appointee — three points for each member’s first choice for the appointment, two for their second choice and one point for their third-favorite of the five remaining applicants from an initial field of 11.
Han, a self-employed investment manager who has lived in Arcadia with his family for more than 10 years, received nine points. Lisa Walton, a 47-year resident and Bank of America sales vice president, received six points.
Cynthia Ng Monje, a 20-year resident and retired senior executive administrator at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, received two points; Beth Szymkowski, a three-year resident who is self-employed and an Alhambra Unified School District educator, screenwriter and rental property owner, received three points; and Paul Van Fleet, with 27-plus years residency and senior claims adjuster for State Fund, received two points.
After his confirmation, Han was sworn into office and took the empty seat on the dais.
“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve Arcadia during this pivotal time,” Han said in a statement. “I am committed to upholding the high standards that have long defined Arcadia by working closely with my fellow City Council colleagues and the City’s dedicated employees. I chose Arcadia for its exceptional quality of life and outstanding public services, and I look forward to building upon that strong foundation by listening and prioritizing the voices in our community.”
Following Han’s swearing-in, he participated in his first meeting and the council’s 4-1 vote to approve the city’s upcoming budget. Han also voted for a proposed 30-unit multifamily development project at 514 Fairview Ave. between Huntington Drive and Duarte Road, and authorizing increases to fees residents will pay the city for trash and recycling collections. Detailed information on the rate hikes is available from the city’s website.
Han will serve the remainder Wang’s term, which was up for election in November.
Wang resigned May 11 after agreeing to plead guilty to participating in an intelligence operation that published pro-PRC propaganda from a U.S.-based news website targeting the local Chinese community at the direction of PRC military officials, according to federal prosecutors. The influence operation also sought to seat politicians friendly to Beijing policies on city councils, then possibly elected state and federal government posts, as exemplified by Wang’s successful run for the Arcadia District 3 seat in 2022.
The ex-mayor’s sentencing is scheduled for October, when Wang could receive a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison for not informing authorities she was a propagandist for the Chinese military. Yaoning “Mike” Sun, her former fiance and campaign treasurer during the 2022 council run, is serving a four-year sentence for the same charge at the federal prison in downtown Los Angeles.
