Washington Statue Plans Scaled Back

Responding to public opposition, the Monterey Park City Council has rescinded a decision to spend $50,000 on a statue dedicated to George Washington and the U.S. Constitution. The council instead voted to create a committee to seek private funding for the statue and to find a suitable location for it.

In March, on a 3-2 vote, the council had approved the statue expenditure, but public opposition began to grow. Mayor Barry L. Hatch was criticized for wanting to remove a City Hall statue dedicated to the 1984 Summer Olympic Games and place the Washington monument in its place.