Mayor announces 90‑day leave, restates hardline comments on homelessness; public commenters clash at council meeting

Lancaster’s mayor told the council he will take a 90‑day leave of absence and used blunt language describing his position on drug‑related crime, prompting vocal responses from multiple public commenters at the meeting.

The mayor said he would be on leave for 90 days and that Councilmember Marvin (surname not specified) will serve as mayor during that period. He added he would continue work on a Right to Try ordinance and a hydrogen project but that “the rest of it, Marvin will be the mayor.”

During public comment and council remarks the mayor said he would do “whatever it took to protect the women and children of this city” and repeated a phrase that drew immediate reaction: “If I could give them the fentanyl, I would.” The statement prompted shouts from members of the public and direct criticism. One public commenter told the mayor, “What is wrong with you? … You’re an evil man.” The mayor responded that he would “wear” that characterization if it meant protecting residents.

Mark Maldonado, identified in the meeting as a prior council candidate and leader of the Palmdale Freedom Coalition, spoke in public comment and exchanged heated words with the mayor and others in the chamber; the exchange included calls for decorum from council members. Other public commenters raised complaints about meeting times, landlord–tenant conditions and public‑safety concerns.

Council and staff responses: Council members reminded the public of the three‑minute public‑comment limit and urged those with grievances to submit speaker cards; one council member asked city staff to meet with a resident who described repeated disturbances and landlord‑tenant disputes.

The mayor’s leave and his remarks did not prompt any formal actions by the council during the meeting. The council adjourned and scheduled its next meeting for Aug. 26, 2025 at 1:30 p.m., per the city clerk’s announcement.