My mother and I walked into a council room at Glendora City Hall to meet with my interviewee, Glendora City Council Member and current Mayor Mendell Thompson. I expected to meet with him in his office, but it turns out that he does not have an office. I saw a flag at the end of the room that I did not recognize and asked about it. He said that the flag is a sister city. The city is called Koto. It is located in Japan. He recently went there because Glendora has a student exchange with Koto.
My next question was “how many hours do you work in a week?” He said he works 25 to 30 hours a week and only gets paid 700 dollars a month. But he doesn\’t do it for the money because he retired from a banking job at America’s Christian Credit Union for 43 years and was the CEO for 34 years.
What does a Mayor do?
A mayor mostly runs council meetings and answers questions citizens ask him and represents Glendora. He also ensures that citizens are safe and makes sure they receive needed services. He also does ribbon cutting for new businesses and figures out ways to solve problems and many more great things. He says, “I want to make sure that the city is safe.”
What made you want to become the Mayor of Glendora?
He never dreamed of being a council member but he was interested in local government. When he first ran for Mayor 6 people ran for 3 spots. He was asked to run. He told me, “I’ve been on council for 9 and a half years. Ran twice unopposed and ran because I love this city. My wife and I have lived here for close to 40 years. Our kids go to school here, go to church here, one works here, and our grandkids go to school here. The city has been great to us and I love the city. I want to see it succeed and flourish and be everything it has been to us. We’re just a community. We\’re all in school together. We go to the same shops and eat together. I just wanted to be a part of making sure this city is special for you and all the kids yet to come.”
What are some challenges being a Mayor?
“For me the good has far outweighed the bad,” he said. When there\’s a leak we have to notify many companies so we don\’t ruin any other pipes. The pipes in Glendora are about 100 years old. He says, “Probably the most challenging thing is trying to satisfy everyone’s needs. When emails come into the city, it’s the mayor\’s job to respond to every email. Trying to make everybody happy.”
How did the peacocks get here?
The peacocks came from farmers. They brought them here to eat all the snakes and rodents. They removed 70 birds to a sanctuary and now there are 102.
What could Glendora citizens do to support the city?
Thompson said, “Trust us. It’s hard to trust the government, but our leaders live here. We’re invested here. I want the best for this city. Secondly, they need to be honest and create change. Thirdly get involved in a commission, in volunteering, in your church to help the homeless, help the foster kids, help the single moms, volunteer at schools.” He also says, “Citizens could coach a team, coach scouts, be involved, get to know people, serve on our library board, serve on our trials, we all live here and we all need to love and care for what we’ve been entrusted to steward.”
In conclusion, Mayor Mendell Thompson loves the city of Glendora, and it’s clear he’s dedicated to this community.oves the city of Glendora, and it’s clear he’s dedicated to this community.
