El Sereno resident Ray Rios has lost three close friends to COVID-19 and watched as the lines at a local coronavirus testing site grew longer this week, a sign of the unending pandemic.
The prospect of Mayor Eric Garcetti leaving to join President-elect Joe Biden during the health crisis was disconcerting to Rios, who said Friday that he was relieved Garcetti is staying in Los Angeles.
“Right now is no time for transition,” said Rios, who heads a homeowners association. “He needs to hold the reins to everything that’s going on.”
In a year marked by massive upheaval and anxiety brought about by the pandemic, some community leaders and activists suggested Friday there was little appetite for a change at the top of City Hall at this particular moment.
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THE BUZZ
GARCETTI A NO-GO: He was there for Joe Biden’s presidential bid from the start, but
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Thursday put an end to longstanding speculation about his future, saying he’s staying in town and won’t be taking a post in the Biden Administration after all.