Compton mayor, councilwoman facing recall

Compton Mayor Aja Brown and Councilwoman Michelle Chambers are facing a recall by the city’s residents.  The efforts are spearheaded by the senior citizens who the mayor described as “holding back progress” in the city.

2UrbanGirls contacted the office of City Clerk Alita Godwin and found she suppresses public information by having requested information, locked in her office, during normal business hours.

Chief Deputy City Clerk Vernell McDaniel was reached by phone on August 27 to ascertain the status of recall petitions for Mayor Aja Brown and Councilwoman Michelle Chambers.

“The information is available but is in the city clerk’s office and we don’t have access to her office,” said McDaniel.

When asked why the staff doesn’t have access to the requested information she proceeded to explain as an elected official Godwin shows up when she wants and they can make it available when she returns.

“I don’t keep her calendar so I don’t know when she will be here,” explained McDaniel.

Aja Brown was elected in 2013 and campaigned on a “new vision” for Compton.

That vision included scrutiny of her families nonprofit benefitting from the city’s state of the city address.  Scathing audits, city employees embezzling funds, misrepresentations of a sales tax increase to fix city streets, a public battle with the Sheriff’s department, her office refusing to address safety concerns over buckled sidewalks, millions of dollars in legal fees related to trying to fire the former Human Resources director, and the laying off of over 50 employees due to a looming $9.8 million revenue deficit for the upcoming 2020-2021 fiscal year.

The grounds for Brown’s recall center around her failure to improve the financial conditions of the city, lack of consistent street repair and a revolving door of city managers which has led to the lack of progress in the aforementioned areas.

Michelle Chambers was elected in 2019 and has dodged allegations of her living in the city of Inglewood, and not Compton, since declaring her candidacy.

The grounds for Chambers recall centers around her involvement in the former city manager’s early resignation, attempts to remove a former councilwoman’s name from the city’s aquatic center at Gonzalez Park, attempts to disrupt the employment of the Director of Volunteers of America where he has made several appearances, at council meetings on this matter, asking her to stop calling his job in an effort to have him terminated, and the manner in which her campaign worker, turned council liaison, has interacted with members of the public, particularly the city’s seniors, on social media platforms.

“We need 9,518 votes to recall Brown and 2,579 to recall Chambers,” said Lynn Boone a long-time resident who is spearheading the efforts.

If you wish to sign either petition, please contact Ms. Boone by phone at 310-650-4301 or email lynnboone11@yahoo.com.