A recent proposal by a Compton, California, resident was denied, and the man who was behind it says it has to do with tensions between a councilwoman and the city’s Mayor Aja Brown.

Chico Brown lives in Compton, and he raised $500,000 for a project to rebuild the city’s infrastructure. The former gang member wanted to rally rival gangs to restore parts of the city, which suffers from numerous potholes.

 The rival gang members were all for it, but when Chico Brown brought the issue before the City Council, Councilwomen Janna Zurita, Tana McCoy and Councilman Isaac Galvan voted it down.