5,000 Back Wilmington Cityhood

After a monthlong effort, a group pushing for cityhood for Wilmington has gathered more than 5,000 signatures supporting the drive to secede from the city of Los Angeles.

The New Wilmington Committee’s survey of people who live or work in the community has a goal of collecting up to 50,000 signatures by the end of summer.

“We’ve got a long way to go toward cityhood. But we feel this is a good beginning,” said Joseph Pacheco Mendez, the committee’s acting president.

The 70-member committee met Monday night to continue planning the cityhood drive, which stems from anger over what many Wilmington residents claim is a lack of adequate services and attention provided by Los Angeles.

The survey is a first step toward assessing the community’s support for returning cityhood to Wilmington, which was consolidated into Los Angeles in 1909. When the survey is completed, committee members intend to circulate petitions among Wilmington’s registered voters supporting the drive for cityhood.

Committee members acknowledge their drive will be uphill. It will require, among other things, the consent of the Los Angeles City Council. Harbor Councilwoman Joan Milke Flores has not yet taken a position on the secession movement, awaiting more information.