By CHRIS HAIRE, OC Register
In a few short days, Garden Grove will officially replace a political veteran with the new kid on the block.
Bao Nguyen
At Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, Bao Nguyen, a former board member for the Garden Grove Unified School District, will be sworn in as mayor – replacing 20-year council stalwart Bruce Broadwater and taking his first real step in city politics.
He will be joined by another addition to the council, Phat Bui, and will have to deal with a host of challenges, including the retirement of City Manager Matt Fertal and ongoing questions about the transparency of City Hall.
“This is my hometown, this is where I grew up and learned,” Nguyen said. “I’m excited to implement the reforms I’ve been talking about.”
At 34, he is believed to be the youngest mayor in the city’s history – and the first Vietnamese American elected as mayor of a city with a population larger than 100,000.
The reforms he campaigned on include transparency in City Hall, having Garden Grove put its financial data online and working more closely with the school district to create local job opportunities for graduates so they don’t move out of the city.
There is also the legacy of Broadwater.
Though he has been under fire for allegations that nepotism played a role in the city’s hiring of his son, Jeremy Broadwater, and other reasons, he lost the election by only 15 votes.
And Broadwater has a fervent bloc of supporters.
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