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Harold Hofmann, the longtime fixture in Lawndale civic circles who served as mayor of the city for 22 years, died today at his home of natural causes. He was 81.
Hofmann also served as a member of Lawndale's city council for ten years prior to becoming mayor, according to City News Service. He was sworn in for his 12th two-year term in 2012, making him one of the longest-serving elected officials in California history.
In an interview with the Daily Breeze, Hofmann talked about watching the city grow from its humble, dirt-road beginnings to a city of over 33,000.
According to the Breeze:
He was first elected mayor in April 1990, running on a platform of accountability among City Hall workers and improving the city's appearance. To that end, he has been successful. Projects completed during his tenure as mayor include a major push to beautify Hawthorne Boulevard with landscaped medians and sidewalks, construction of a new Lawndale branch of the Los Angeles County Library and a three-story community center adjacent City Hall.
