Hawaiian Gardens : Administrator Reportedly Resigns at Request of Three

Ronald Downing, Hawaiian Gardens city administrator, has resigned, reportedly after being ousted by three City Council members. They are the same three who recently forced H.M. (Lennie) Wagner to give up the mayor’s post and Domenic Ruggeri to step down as vice mayor. Both remain on the council.

There was no formal announcement about Downing’s resignation. Wagner said she learned about it through a memo left in her City Hall mailbox from now-Mayor Rosalie Sher. Ruggeri said Downing was asked to resign during a special meeting of the council. Ruggeri said he and Wagner did not attend the meeting.

Downing was named administrator in November, 1988, after serving three months as assistant administrator. He could not be reached for comment. His resignation letter is dated Nov. 16.

According to Wagner and Ruggeri, the three council members who reportedly demanded the resignation were Sher, Kathleen Navejas and Esther Flores. Navejas said that was not true and that she would not discuss the resignation because it was a personnel matter.