In a stormy first session, Mary Young and Sheng Chang, both newly elected to the council, were appointed Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem by identical 3-2 votes.
Former Mayor Roger Chandler and first-time candidate John S. MacDonnell have joined incumbents Barbara Kuhn, Sheng Chang and Gary Kovacic in pulling papers to run for four open seats at the council elections April 14, 1998.
Geri Fasching (wife of former councilman George Fasching), S. H. Wen (past president of the Arcadia Chinese Association) and 2 other residents filed a lawsuit contesting the election of Sheng Chang, alleging his campaign workers paid for votes and knowingly registered people who could not legally cast a ballot.
Five people have picked up papers required to file for the April City Council elections: Roger Chandler, John MacDonnell, Mayor Pro Tem Gary Kovacic, and Council members Barbara Kuhn and Sheng Chang.
Incumbents Sheng Chang and Barbara Kuhn failed in their bids for re-election to City Council as voters gave first-time candidate Gail Marshall, former Mayor Roger Chandler and council appointee Gary Kovacic the nod for the next four years. Gino Roncilli came in well ahead of former Mayor George Fasching for the two year seat. Voters also gave thumbs down to Measure A, a ballot initiative that would have added 2 percent to the current 5 percent utility tax for the next four years.
Superior Court judge Stephen E. O'Neil dismissed a legal challenge to Sheng Chang's election victory, citing a lack of clear and convincing evidence of significant voter fraud.
Mary Young, the only woman in Arcadia's history to serve 2 terms as mayor and only the second on the city council, was unanimously elected as mayor while Charles Gilb was elected mayor pro-tem by the newly formed city council.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephen O'Neil has thrown out a lawsuit challenging the results of Sheng Chang's victory, saying he found insufficient evidence of voter fraud.
LA County Superior Court Judge Stephen O'Neil threw out a challenge to the City Council election, saying he found insufficient evidence of voter fraud.
Mayor Roger Chandler lost his bid for re-election as challengers George Fasching and Joseph Ciraulo and incumbent Robert Harbicht were elected to the Arcadia City Council. Fasching led with 27.2% of the vote, followed by Ciraulo with 22.1% and Harbicht with 19.8%.
Incumbents Maryann Gibson and Michael O. Lamb were re-elected to the Arcadia Unified School District board. They were joined by first-time candidate John McClain.