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Palmdale Mayor Richard J. Roar was stripped of his title and removed from all committee and city duties Tuesday night, waiting to investigate “confidential claims.”
A dramatic movement unfolded during a dramatic city council meeting.
The event began when City Attorney Alexandra Halfman demanded that Roa be rejected from a secret agenda item, citing alleged conflicts of interest. Loa questioned the addition of the item and its confidentiality.
After an hour-long closure session, Councillor Andrea Aralkorn introduced an emergency agenda item based on “information that has just been revealed recently.”
Despite Loa’s objections, the Council voted unanimously to remove him from all committees and committee assignments and to strip him of his mayoral title by holding back the results of the investigation.
Palmdale City Council members and Mayor Richard J. Roar. (Palmdale city)
In a statement released to the KTLA on Thursday evening, Roa called his firing a “political theatre” and said his removal was not a result of a “legitimate process” but instead a grab for power by his former colleagues.
“The council added so-called “emergency items” in violation of Brown Act and proceeded with closed sessions without notice, evidence or public input. That’s not how democratic works,” Roa wrote on the list of complaints offered to KTLA.
He went on to say that he was not told by members of the council that he was accused, claiming that the council had engaged in a “secret trial” that lacked a legitimate process.
“If this is how they treat the mayor, imagine what they’re doing to staff and residents behind closed doors,” the statement reads.
LoA was appointed to the Palmdale City Council in 2018 and served as Mayor Pro Tem three times before becoming mayor on January 1, 2025.
In 2022, the city eliminated direct mayoral elections and chose an annual rotation between council members. However, in April, the council voted to scrap the system, allowing the mayor and mayor to be selected by a majority council vote, allowing council authorities to replace the mayor’s medium term. According to the Antelope Valley Press, Roa was the only opponent in the April vote.
Mayor Pro Tem Laura Bettencourt will assume the mayoral duties on a temporary basis.
Meanwhile, Roa says he plans to continue fighting the decision and insists that the truth will eventually come out.
“I will not be threatened by silence,” he said.
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