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Gilbert D. Smith

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American politician
Gilbert D. Smith
Gilbert Smith, mayor of Carson
Mayor of Carson
In office
1970–1971
Preceded byJohn L. Junk
Succeeded byJohn H. Leahy
In office
1974–1975
Preceded bySak Yamamoto
Succeeded byClarence A. Bridgers
City Council of Carson
In office
February 1968 – March 1980
Personal details
Born1933 or 1934 (age 90–91)
SpouseGlenda Smith
Children3

Gilbert D. Smith (born 1933/1934) is an American politician who served as the first African-American mayor of Carson, California.

Biography

Smith was born in Los Angeles and attended Los Angeles public schools. In 1952, he graduated from Manual Arts High School and then went on to study commercial art at the Los Angeles Trade–Technical College. He operates his own commercial art business. Smith was active in community organizations which led to his involvement in the Dominguez-Carson incorporation movement (Dominguez being one of the proposed names for the new city) and served as chairman of the Dominguez-Carson Coordinating Council.

In 1968, he was elected as one of five members to the first City Council of Carson, incorporated February 20, 1968. In 1970, he was elected to a four-year term on the City Council and then was appointed mayor in a unanimous vote by the City Council succeeding John L. Junk. Carson was less than 20% African-American at the time. In June 1970, he implemented a summer jobs program to take idle teens off the streets. He also set an action list to tackle the largest problems that he identified in the city: the limited regulation of the city's 97 junk and salvage yards; the proximity of residential areas to the city's seven refineries; and the future use of closed dump sites. The city of 75,000 was also bisected by three freeways diving the city into separate communities and had little in the way of shopping or recreation.

In November 1970, the city was raked with allegations of bribery charging the city's prior mayor, John Junk, an incumbent councilmember, Dannie H. Spence, a former deputy district attorney and attorney general who were both from Carson, a member of Carson's Environmental Control Commission, and a former member of the Parks and Recreation Commission; they were all charged with soliciting bribes to resolve zoning matters. Smith froze all new zoning requests for review. In December 1970, he dedicated the Main Street project, paid for with gas taxes, which created a shopping and recreational street for the city. In January 1971, he was appointed to the transportation committee of League of California Cities, Los Angeles County Division. In May 1971, the City Council appointed John H. Leahy as mayor. In October 1971, the city broken ground on a new post office. In May 1973, Smith unsuccessfully ran for the open seat in the 67th district of the California Assembly after the death of Larry Townsend running on a platform of using tax revenues to develop more mass transportation to reduce pollution, and to reevaluate the need for so many freeways, in particular, the Century Freeway. In March 1974, he won re-election to the City Council in a nine-way race competing for two open seats finishing second with 991 votes to John A. Marbut (1,050 votes). He was reappointed mayor, succeeding Sak Yamamoto, and was faced with the approval of a $5.4 million budget with nearly all of it dedicated to the current provision of services (with a $22,000 cushion). In May 1975, he was named a vice chairman of the United Way. In 1975, John Marbut was appointed mayor. In the same year, the Council rejected opening new waste facilities in city. In January 1977, he was named as president of the California League of Cities and tasked with assisting California cities to manage reductions in property taxes without losing revenues. Smith was credited with helping to transform Carson from a hodgepodge city of salvage yards and refineries bisected by highways to a city with a vibrant shopping corridor that derives all its revenues from sales and gas taxes. In March 1978, he won re-election to the City Council in a ten-way race competing for two open seats finishing first with 3,065 votes to John A. Marbut (3,031 votes). Smith announced that he would resign in November 1979 although after the successful recall of councilmen Sak Yamamoto and John Marbut, he would stay on until March 1980.

Personal life

He is married to Glenda Smith; they have three sons.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Carson's New Mayor Lends an Ear to His Community". Los Angeles Times. June 21, 1970. pp. 1, 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Educator gets high number of votes". San Pedro News-Pilot. February 7, 1968 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Andrew, Bob (April 15, 1970). "Carson Vetoes Ballot Issues". Press-Telegram – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Andrew, Bob (April 22, 1970). "Carson Council Names Smith as City's First Negro Mayor". Long Beach Independent – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Smith named to Carson mayor post". San Pedro News-Pilot. April 23, 1970 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Carson sets summer jobs program YES". San Pedro News-Pilot. Jun 16, 1970 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Dye, Lee (November 1, 1970). "Aura of Apathy Adds to Carson's Problems". The Los Angeles Times. pp. 1, 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Main Street ribbon cut at dedication". San Pedro News-Pilot. December 2, 1971 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Carson city mayor gets league post". San Pedro News-Pilot. January 14, 1971 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Youths observe city government". San Pedro News-Pilot. May 4, 1971 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Ground broken for mail unit". San Pedro News-Pilot. October 26, 1971 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Lee, Mary Ann (May 27, 1973). "No Winner Seen in Vote for Assembly Seat". Los Angeles Times. pp. 1, 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Carson: 2 council seats". Los Angeles Times. March 6, 1974 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Carson officials attend meeting". San Pedro News-Pilot. April 30, 1974 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Gnarre, Sam (September 20, 2014). "Sak Yamamoto, former Carson mayor and unlikely film star". South Bay Daily Breeze.
  16. Andrew, Bob (May 26, 1974). "Carson studying $5.4 million budget". Press-Telegram – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "United Way names chairman". San Pedro News-Pilot. May 9, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Andrew, Bob (April 6, 1976). "Waste plan rejected by Carson". Press-Telegram – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Carson Man Gets Key Role in Tax Reform". Los Angeles Times. January 30, 1977. pp. 1, 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "League to Install Carson Man". The Los Angeles Times . January 23, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Carson, 2 Council Seats". Los Angeles Times. March 9, 1978 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. Smith, Doug (October 21, 1979). "Carson Councilman Says He'll Postpone Resignation Until 2 Council Seats Are Filled". Los Angeles Times – via Newspapers.com.
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