Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, a Republican, made the comments during a city council meeting on Feb. 25. (City of Lancaster)
The resident replied that the mayor's approach "was not kind."
The mayor is now facing a recall effort following his comments at the city council meeting, although it has only collected 6% of its goal of 20,000 signatures. He has faced past scrutiny over his controversial moves, including his decision to extend mayoral terms from two years to four.
"For too long, Mayor R. Rex Parris has prioritized personal gain over the well-being of residents. His administration has been marked by mismanagement, controversial policies, and a disregard for transparency," a recall petition reads.
"Lancaster deserves leadership that listens, serves, and uplifts the community – not one that divides and exploits it," it adds.
But Parris has reaffirmed his position about wanting to give homeless people the
Mayor R. Rex Parris said he wants to give homeless people "all the fentanyl they want." (Craig Kohlruss/The Fresno Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
"I made it very clear I was talking about the criminal element that were let out of the prisons that have now become 40 to 45% of what’s referred to as the homeless population," Parris said.
"They are responsible for most of our robberies, most of our rapes, and at least half of our murders," he continued. "There’s nothing that we can do for these people."
The mayor did not provide data to back up his claims about the number of crimes homeless people are responsible for.
Parris said he did not expect his comments to be taken "literally," telling the outlet that fentanyl is "so easy" to obtain on the streets that it would not make a difference if the city offered the opioid to homeless people for free.
The mayor sought to credit Lancaster for providing more "innovative" solutions to the
