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Lancaster council members take oath of office

by M. Dilworth • April 25, 2012

LANCASTER – Council members Sandra Johnson and Ken Mann were sworn in to office by city clerk Geri Bryan at Tuesday night’s city council Meeting.

Johnson, who was the top vote getter in the April 10 election in her first bid for office, said she’s looking forward to getting right to work for the city.

“I’m looking forward to the four years that we’re going to have,” Johnson said. “We’re pulling our sleeves up and making sure we get things done.”

Johnson said for the next four years, she’ll be tackling the three issues most critical to moving Lancaster forward.

“Education, creating jobs, and also cutting down on crime,” Johnson said. “I truly believe that education is the key to the other two, so if we really promote the educational part of it, it’s going to help on the other end too.”

Mann, who will be serving his second term as a Lancaster Council Member, said his next four years will be tough as the city tries to get a handle on its crime rate.

“We’re already seeing some of the challenges that the state put on us with the early release; we’re starting to see some of the contributing crimes from felons that were released out of prison,” Mann said. “So I think that for the next four years, for us to get back to that trend of downward crime statistics and make Lancaster safe again, it’s going to be a challenge.”

The two council members sailed to victory on April 10 with more than 70 percent of the votes between them.  According to Bryan, there were 9,104 ballots cast in this year’s election – 433 provisional ballots, 6,117 vote-by-mail ballots and 2,554 ballots cast at the precincts.

Speaking at the council meeting Tuesday, Michael Rives said two things about this year’s election process concerned him– the security of the absentee ballots and whether fellow candidate Isaac Grajeda was a city employee.

City clerk Geri Bryan said the absentee ballots were locked in a fire safe vault every night.

“And then, as required by law, they are brought out each day so the public can see the trays of ballots,” Bryan said.

“There is never a time [during the day] when they’re not visible, when there’s not two people watching them,” said City Manager Mark Bozigian. “We have to be sworn in to go back there, and in every way, they’re secure and open and transparent for the public to see exactly what’s happening… just because they’re visible doesn’t mean that they’re not secure.”

Additionally, Bozigian said Isaac Grajeda was not a city employee, but rather, Grajeda worked at the Cedar Arts Academy.

R. Rex Parris, who garnered more than 75 percent of the votes in the April 10 election to win his third term as mayor of Lancaster, did not attend Tuesday’s council meeting.

Filed Under: Lancaster, Politics

8 comments for "Lancaster council members take oath of office"

  1. Lancastarian says

    April 28, 2012 at 10:04 pm

    On their honor they will do their best, to take what we give them and steal the rest.

  2. AV Town Crier says

    April 26, 2012 at 8:28 am

    I think you’re right on that.

  3. Justine Callout says

    April 25, 2012 at 9:40 pm

    It cost me to get your sorry puclianimous butts elected, so now its time.! R-E-S-P-E-C-T now on your knees and pray to me! Lord Parrasite.

  4. Nicole Dawson says

    April 25, 2012 at 1:58 pm

    Why was Parris not at the City Council meeting to be sworn in as well? I hope it’s not due to his recent diagnosis. I pray for him every day that he knocks his cancer out of the park. I hate that cancer seems to strike those that are doing so much, that have so much to live for… God forgive me, but why can’t cancer strike people like Timothy Johnson or the thugs that killed the Army Vet instead?

    • AV Town Crier says

      April 26, 2012 at 8:28 am

      He was in having surgery. I agree, I hope he recovers.

      • William says

        April 27, 2012 at 1:28 am

        If he’s having surgery on his prostate he will then be a ‘perfect ***hole’. Sounds like the old Lexus slogan, “The Relentless Pursuit Of Perfection”.

  5. ed says

    April 25, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    Congratulations Mr. Mann. I hope that you are now sufficiently economically independent to devote your time, on the Council, to the furtherance of all the people of Lancaster.
    Ms. Johnson. Felicidades. We are expecting great things from you. Remember you have a big responsibility to your constituents. Buena Suerte.

  6. NIMBY says

    April 25, 2012 at 7:23 am

    Congratulations to the winners! You all have a tough road ahead now that your hands have been tied by the DOJ and others.

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