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Compton council and city attorney clash over charter change and resignation process
Summary
Council members and residents pressed for clarity after the city attorney resigned and the city attorney cited a 2024 charter amendment (Measure CA) that, the attorney said, removed the city attorney as an elected office; the clerk confirmed a resignation letter is on file and the council said it will agendaize further review.
The Compton City Council spent large portions of its Dec. 23 meeting addressing whether the recent resignation and any settlement for the city attorney complied with the city charter after voters approved Measure CA.
Councilwoman Lily Darden raised the matter and read a history of previous elections and appointments for the office, saying she wanted written confirmation of the resignation and clarity on whether the city had followed charter rules. A resident who identified herself as a long-time Compton resident also pressed the council for documentation and an explanation of the legal effect of the voter-approved charter change.
The city attorney responded by citing the Secretary of State’s certification and explaining the legal interpretation the city is relying on: "Effective November of 24 and amended, the city attorney position is no longer a position of an elected office in the city of Compton based on measure CA," the attorney said, adding that the Secretary of State certified the amendment on Jan. 7, 2025.
Council members and the clerk said Mr. Peridan’s resignation is on file. "His resignation is in the clerk office," the clerk said; council members noted they cannot act on the vacancy until the resignation is formally received and placed on an agenda.
Why it matters: the procedural step the clerk and council take now will determine whether the city treats the office as filling an unexpired elected term or as an appointed office under the amended charter. That distinction affects who may appoint a successor and whether the council must call an election.
The council committed to place follow-up items on a future agenda and said a second legal opinion is expected. The meeting’s report out from closed session noted staff were given direction and that no reportable action was taken during the closed session.
What’s next: Councilmembers said they will agendaize the issue for explicit council consideration and await the additional legal opinion and formal documentation of the resignation before taking further action.
