In a surprise move last week, Gardena Mayor Paul Tanaka announced his resignation from his job with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Tanaka, 54, an undersheriff, was the LASD’s second highest-ranking officer. One day earlier he had won re-election for his third term as mayor of Gardena.
He has been with the LASD for 33 years, and officially leave his job Aug. 1. Tanaka’s departure date will follow his July birthday, when he will be 55. Los Angeles County employees can retire at 55 to get their full retirement benefits.
In a surprise move last week, Gardena Mayor Paul Tanaka announced his resignation from his job with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Tanaka, 54, an undersheriff, was the LASD’s second highest-ranking officer. One day earlier he had won re-election for his third term as mayor of Gardena.
He has been with the LASD for 33 years, and officially leave his job Aug. 1. Tanaka’s departure date will follow his July birthday, when he will be 55. Los Angeles County employees can retire at 55 to get their full retirement benefits.
Tanaka’s sudden retirement was thought to be linked his controversial past with the Sheriff’s, including the overseeing of County Jail inmates beatings and the 2002 sale of Kevlar vests to Cambodia. The former involved an FBI investigation.
But Tanaka told the Daily Breeze last week that he is “retiring to spend more time with his family and to focus on the City of Gardena.”
Tanaka ran a quiet campaign for his third term as Gardena mayor, after being challenged by Councilwoman Rachel Johnson. He initially supported Johnson’s efforts, but pulled his support early in 2013 when the two city leaders clashed over campaign tactics.
He chose not to attend Gardena candidates forums in January and February, but did hold a community recognition night at the Nakaoka Center two weeks before the elections. Tanaka cruised to an easy victory over Johnson on March 5, garnering nearly 60 percent of the votes.
First elected councilman in 1999, Tanaka won the mayor’s post in 2005. He helped lead the City back from financial devastation of the 1990s.
A licensed CPA, Tanaka has managed the Sheriff’s department’s $2.5 billion budget. He said he will not run in the 2014 Sheriff’s race against his boss, Lee Baca.
