p5, v19.35 — Around The San Gabriel Valley

Around The San Gabriel Valley

Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, August 30, 2025

MVNews this week: Page 5

Mountain View News Saturday, August 30, 2025

ARCADIA MAYOR CENSURED

NEWS BRIEFS

Arcadia’s City Council took an unprecedented
step Tuesday night, voting
4–1 to formally censure Mayor
Sharon Kwan after months of escalating
dysfunction. The decision, a first
in the city’s history, followed a nearly
seven-hour special meeting filled
with tense exchanges, passionate public
testimony, and sharp rebukes from
her colleagues.

Kwan, Arcadia’s first Asian female
mayor, cast the sole dissenting vote.
The censure strips her of key responsibilities,
including the authority to
manage the meetings, represent the
city in official functions, and serve on
committees. A final resolution codifying
the sanctions will be presented
at the Sept. 2 council meeting.

Councilmembers were instructed not
to make public comments to the press
prior to the Aug. 26 special meeting
or the upcoming September 2 meeting,
making Tuesday night the first
time Cheng, Cao, and Wang spoke
openly about their reasons for supporting
the censure.

A Meeting That Drew a Crowd

More than a hundred residents packed
City Hall, holding signs that underscored
the city’s divide: “I Stand With
Mayor Kwan” on one side, “Censure
Kwan” on the other.

Former Mayor April Verlato was the
first to speak during public comment,
setting the tone for the night. She insisted
the censure had nothing to do
with harassment allegations among
councilmembers and instead traced
the dispute back to her and Kwan’s
opposition to first responder unions.
Verlato claimed union members
had been “stalking” her online and
spreading rumors of an affair with a
police captain, a claim that raised eyebrows,
since the city has only two police
captains.

In her remarks, Verlato inflamed tensions
further by calling union members,
the city’s first responders, “jerks”
and “disgusting.” Her words drew
audible gasps and reactions from the
audience and sharpened the partisan
split in the chamber.

Councilmember David Fu, who initiated
the censure motion, followed
with a detailed two-hour presentation.
He alleged that Mayor Kwan involved
students in delivering remarks
that appeared scripted, made comments
that some viewed as disparaging
to veterans, raised questions about
the city’s finances that colleagues
characterized as misleading, and used
council procedures in ways they considered
disruptive to staff.

“She’s indolent and unprepared for
her role. When contradicted or confronted,
she attacks, belittles, and lies
to save face,” Fu said.

During his presentation, residents
could be heard hissing and yelling as
April Verlato walked the aisles trying
to motivate people to react.

Residents and Veterans React

Public comment stretched over two
hours. Some residents expressed frustration
that personal disputes had
spilled into council chambers. Others,
particularly veterans, sharply
criticized Kwan’s remarks during the
Aug. 19 meeting, when she claimed
her charitable donations did more for
veterans than military service.

“All of us, whether we carried a gun
or carried the wounded, are veterans,”
one speaker declared. Another veteran
said Kwan’s comments had “demeaned
every man and woman who
wore the uniform.”

Councilmembers Speak Out

Paul Cheng: Calling for Order and
Rule of Law

Councilmember Paul Cheng emphasized
that his support for censure was
not personal but rooted in the need
for legality and order. He said Kwan’s
habit of steering meetings off agenda
violated the Brown Act and prevented
the council from conducting the people’s
business.

“She has a right to her opinion,”
Cheng said, “but not a right to hijack
the meeting outside of agenda items.
The public deserves lawful, orderly
governance.”

Cheng also revealed that he, too, had
faced harassment from colleagues,
being cursed at, mocked about his
mascu-linity, and berated in front
of staff and even children. He said
he refrained from filing a complaint
only because Kwan advised him not
to. Despite those experiences, Cheng
repeatedly tried to broker peace, even
urging Kwan and Fu to meet privately.

“I’m sick and tired of not getting the
people’s work done,” he said bluntly.

Michael Cao: Defending Standards,
Not Silencing Speech

Councilmember Michael Cao, an Air
Force veteran, focused on principle.
While he condemned Kwan’s remarks
that belittled his service, he stressed
that the censure was not about punishing
speech.

“All veterans fought for freedom of
speech. This is not about silencing
her,” Cao said. “This is about conduct
unbe-coming of a mayor.”

His comments drew applause from
veterans in the audience who said
Kwan’s statements had disrespected
those who served.

Eileen Wang: A Call for
Professionalism

Mayor Pro Tem Eileen Wang, said the
conflict had deeply embarrassed the
city. She noted she had never personally
experienced harassment or discrimination
on the dais, countering
Kwan’s repeated claims of sexism.

Wang urged her colleagues and the
public to focus on restoring professionalism.
“This is about maintaining
civility and integrity in city government,”
she said.

Kwan’s Response

Kwan defended herself by saying
she lashed out only after feeling her
daughter was targeted. “I acted as any
mother would,” she said, while framing
the censure as retaliation for her
complaints of sexism.

She never apologized for her prior
conduct except to say that she sent Michael
Cao an apology email. Michael
Cao said he accepted her apology.

A Divided City

The meeting revealed deep divisions,
not only among councilmembers but
also in the community. While some
ral-lied to Kwan’s defense, many more
expressed disappointment in her
leadership.

Former mayor Sho Tay, in a statement
before the meeting, strongly backed
the council’s action:

“Establishing this practice is not
about conflict between two councilmembers;
it is about restoring integrity
and civility to the Arcadia City
Council and establishing a standard
that future mayors and councilmembers
should follow.”

Looking Ahead

The censure, laid out in Resolution
7649 , removes Kwan’s mayoral powers
for the remainder of her nine-
month term. Resolution 7650, which
requires a four-fifths vote, could remove
her from the office of mayor altogether
while allowing her to remain
on the council.

That decision will be debated on Sept.
2.(CNS)

OCEAN WATER USE WARNING FOR LOS
ANGELES COUNTY BEACHES

With temperatures climbing ahead of Labor Day weekend ... forecasters
are warning beachgoers to watch out for strong rip currents
and powerful surf along LA County beaches. South-facing shores
could see waves up to 5 feet today ... building to as high as 6 feet
tomorrow.

Thousands are expected to head to the coast to escape the heat.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents
who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches
to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters:

BEACH AREA WARNINGS:

• Topanga Canyon Lagoon at Topanga County Beach

100 yards up and down the coast from the lagoon.

• 40th Street extension in Manhattan Beach

100 yards up and down the coast from the 40th Street extension.

• Manhattan Beach Pier in Manhattan Beach