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By early 1953, the Lakewood area had become a thriving residential community with more than 100,000 potential residents.
During this period of tremendous growth, an unincorporated area known as Lakewood was administered by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, five men who were 25 miles and five million people away from the concerns of the new community.
Cityhood
The residents of Lakewood faced a complex series of decisions at this point. They could remain an unincorporated county territory and continue to be served by county agencies. They could annex to Long Beach and become a district within that city. Alternatively, they could take on the burdens of incorporation and become an independent municipality.
Each solution had its proponents. But, during the early 1950s, a growing number of residents wanted local control of their community and were willing to take on the responsibilities of creating a new city. The push for incorporation received added momentum when the City of Long Beach, in a series of divisive political moves, attempted to annex Lakewood.
Politics Heat Up
John Wentz, Administrative Assistant to the City Manager of the City of Long Beach, prepared a report on the Lakewood area in 1953. He asked if Lakewood would remain unincorporated. Would it incorporate? Should it be annexed to the City of Long Beach?
Wentz suggested that the Lakewood area be divided into small sections and an effort be made to achieve a sympathetic majority for annexation in each. Annexation elections would then be held on an almost daily basis. With the opposition divided, annexation to Long Beach would be a certainty.
Making a City
The battle against the Long Beach annexation plan began to take shape in May 1953, with the creation of the Lakewood Civic Council, Inc. (LCC) Organized to serve as a “guiding light” for the anti-annexation fight, the LCC included in its membership, Gene Nebeker, Don Rochlen, Guy Halferty, Francis Veeder, Jackie Rynerson, Bill Burns, Ed Walker, and Jim Knox.
John Todd, later to become city attorney, recommended that petitions be circulated among the property owners in the neighborhoods to be annexed. If a majority of owners protested the annexation vote, the election could not be legally called.
Incorporation
Eventually all but one of the annexation battles were defeated, some by vote and others by protest. But, the threat of annexation remained. Not only did Lakewood feel the pressure from Long Beach, but it was also subject to the charge that, as AN unincorporated territory, it was getting a free ride since all county taxpayers financed public services in areas not included within city boundaries.
Incorporation seemed to be the only logical alternative.
To unite Lakewood residents, the backers of incorporation highlighted the innovative concept of retaining county services through contracts. By showing how taxes could be kept low, the pro-incorporation forces persuaded many who favored remaining unincorporated.
An incorporation committee was formed and co-chaired by Joe Covas and Clarence Smickel. Bob Baker and Bill Burns were charged with the task of preparing, coordinating, and circulating the incorporation petitions. They organized 600 neighborhood volunteers to collect signatures on an incorporation petition. In only ten days, the incorporation advocates collected twice as many signatures as needed to call for a vote of the residents.
The Vote
On March 9, 1954, the voters, by a three to two margin, approved incorporation and a new city was born. On April 16, 1954, Lakewood became the 16th largest city in the state--larger than Santa Barbara and San Bernardino--and the first city in Los Angeles County to incorporate since 1939.
The voters also decided which of the 39 candidates would be the city’s first five council members. The voters also elected a first city council whose members were: Robert W. Baker; William J. Burns; Angelo M. Iacoboni, who was selected by the Council to serve as Mayor; Gene Nebeker, who was chosen Mayor Pro Tem; and George Nye, Jr.
The election results came as a great surprise to many people. But, the least surprised were those who worked so hard to see their dream of “Tomorrow’s City Today” come true.
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