“If they arrest me, they arrest me” Lancaster mayor says firework show is still scheduled for July 4th

LANCASTER, Calif. - The mayor of Lancaster says 'the show must go on' and is still planning a July Fourth show despite a ban in LA County.

It started out that the mayor of Lancaster, R. Rex Parris, wanted to do a fireworks show that might be like going to a drive-in movie…you watch from your car.

This is his plan for 2020 due to coronavirus concerns, but the county of Los Angeles has prohibited all firework shows this Fourth of July weekend.

Mayor Rex Parris says the show must go on and after not having any luck with local officials he set his own plan in motion.

”I’m going forward. If they arrest me, they arrest me,” the mayor told FOX 11’s Hal Eisner.

“It’s going to be on the Eastside of Lancaster and we’re talking to a vendor and he is designing the show and the shells that he is using are going to be super high. There’s not going to be any reason people have to congregate. You don’t even have to come out there. You’re going to be able to see it quite well,” the mayor added.

The mayor told FOX 11 News there will be an emergency meeting with the Lancaster City Council Saturday for the purpose of finalizing the firework display, issuing a permit with the vendor, and signing the contract.

In his dispute with the county’s Public Health Department, on Saturday the mayor says he’ll be announcing that he wants to have another meeting in which they will discuss terminating their service with the LA County Public Health Department. Rex Parris says he wants to have his own public health agency in Lancaster. Appointing his own public director, ER doctor Larry Stock.

We called the county to try and get their take on this… One county worker said this is something that might have to be approved by the state.