Lionel B. Cade (August 14, 1918 – April 3, 1990) was an American politician and accountant who served as mayor of Compton, California, from 1977 until 1981.
Lionel Cade | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of Compton, California | |
| In office 1977–1981 | |
| Preceded by | Doris A. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Walter R. Tucker, Jr. |
| City Council of Compton, California | |
| In office 1964–1973 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 14, 1918 Hardin County, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | April 3, 1990 (aged 71) |
Biography
editCade was born in Hardin County, Texas, on August 14, 1918, the son of Charley and Virginia (Slocum) Cade. During World War II, he was a member of the U.S. Army's first black paratroop battalion, the 555th. He also served his country during the Korean War.
Cade earned a bachelor's degree at the University of San Francisco and a master's from USC.
When the Rev. Raul Imschweiler did not seek re-election to the Compton City Council in 1961, Cade ran for his seat. He lost to Robert Kerr by just 413 votes. In 1964, he was appointed to the Council, one of the first African Americans to serve there. He was elected to a four-year term the following year and reelected in 1969. He was a member of the council until 1973, when he made his first attempt as mayor. He finished third. Despite that defeat, he was successful on his second try[1] in 1977.
An accountant by profession, Cade ordered an audit of the city's finances soon after he took office. He discovered that the city had a deficit of $2 million. As a result of that finding, Cade initiated a series of cost-cutting measures that wiped out the debt within one year. In 1978, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 13, an initiative that severely reduced property tax revenues. Since much of the fat was already eliminated from Compton's budget, it was one of the hardest hit by the measure.
In his 1981 reelection campaign, Cade was soundly defeated by his opponent, Walter R. Tucker, Jr., a local dentist. Cade later moved to Stockton, where he spent the remainder of his life.
Death
editReferences
edit- ^ "Compton Voters to Elect New Mayor". Los Angeles Times. June 2, 1977. pp. 1, 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Compton : Former Councilman and Mayor Lionel Cade Dies". The Los Angeles Times. April 12, 1990.
Sources
edit- Los Angeles Times, "Former Councilman and Mayor Lionel Cade Dies," April 12, 1990, page J-2.
- Miller, Gary J., Cities by Contract: The Politics of Municipal Incorporation, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, England, 1981
 | This article about a mayor in California is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |