Candidates for a 25th Judicial District judge vacancy will be interviewed on Sept. 8 at the Finney County Courthouse. Gavel
Palmdale, California – The Palmdale City Council voted Tuesday night to strip Mayor Richard J. Loa of his title and remove him from all committee assignments, pending the outcome of an investigation into confidential allegations. The decision, made in a tense and theatrical public meeting, marks a stunning fall for a longtime figure in local and state politics.
The controversy began when City Attorney Alexandra Halfman requested that Loa recuse himself from participating in a closed session agenda item—Item 13.1—citing an unspecified conflict of interest. Loa, visibly caught off guard, questioned the basis for the request, asking when the item was added and why its confidentiality had not been disclosed earlier.
After a closed session lasting over an hour, Councilwoman Andrea Alarcón introduced an emergency motion “based on information that was just recently brought to light.” Without Loa’s participation, the remaining council members voted unanimously to remove him from his role as mayor and from all city committee positions. Councilwoman Laura Bettencourt, currently serving as Mayor Pro Tem, will assume mayoral duties while the investigation proceeds.
The specific nature of the allegations remains unknown. City officials have declined to comment on the scope of the inquiry, citing legal and privacy concerns.
Loa, a veteran of Palmdale politics, was appointed to the City Council in 2018 and had served as Mayor Pro Tem three times before becoming mayor on January 1, 2025. His political career extends beyond Palmdale. In 2001, he was first elected to the council, later departing to serve under Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in several state-level positions, including on the Board of Prison Terms and in the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Loa’s removal is complicated by recent changes to the city’s governance. In 2022, Palmdale transitioned away from direct mayoral elections in favor of a rotational system among council members. That system was reversed in April, when the council voted to allow a majority of members to appoint and remove a sitting mayor mid-term. Loa cast the sole dissenting vote against that change.
Tuesday’s decision was made possible by that new rule.
The sudden move has sparked questions about transparency and internal council dynamics, especially given the lack of public information about the allegations. KTLA has reached out to Loa for comment. As of Wednesday afternoon, he had not issued a public statement.
While the council’s action may be legal under city rules, it leaves residents with little clarity and a leadership vacuum as Palmdale enters the second half of the year. The political fallout, and the substance of the allegations, remain to be seen.
