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Bell, California

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Budget Y
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Meetings Y
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Elected Officials Y
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Administrative Officials N
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Permits, zoning N
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Audits N
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Contracts P
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Lobbying N
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Public records Y
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Local taxes N
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School district websites
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Transparency grading process


Portions of this article were taken from Wikipedia

Bell is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Its population was 35,477 at the 2010 census, down from 36,664 in the 2000 census.[1] Bell is located on the west bank of the Los Angeles River. At 2.5 square miles, Bell is number thirteen[2] in the list of the 25 smallest cities in the United States that have a population of at least 25,000 (ranked from smallest to largest in area).

In 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau ranked Bell's land area at 1245 out of 1257 cities (defined as incorporated areas) and two unincorporated areas that had a population of at least 25,000 in year 2000.

City residents voted to become a charter city in a special municipal election on November 29, 2005. Fewer than 400 voters turned out for that special election.[3]

[edit] Website evaluation

Main article: Evaluation of California city websites

[edit] The good

  • The city budget is available.[4]
  • Meeting records and future meeting dates are published.[5]
  • Council member names are listed on the site, along with individual email addresses.[6][7]
  • Requests for Proposals are listed online.[8]
  • Public records can be requested online, and citizens can contact the City Clerk's office for assistance.[9]

[edit] The bad

  • No information on administrative officials, including contact information, is posted.
  • Applications for building permits and zoning are not posted.
  • Audits are not available online.
  • Received bids and currently running contracts are not available.
  • Lobbying is not disclosed.
  • Local tax information is not posted.

[edit] Budget

Bell faces a budget deficit of $4 million, and may face insolvency in the near future.[10][11] The city has been forced to refund $5 million in illegal taxes taken under former City Manager Robert Rizzo, and owes $600,000 for services to City Atty. Jamie Casso and his law firm.[11] The city is considering disbanding its police department, which it spent $6 million on in 2009.[11] In August, 2011, the city was ordered to repay $500,000 to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, for failing to properly spend grant money given in 2003 and 2004.[10]

The city budget is available here.

[edit] Public officials

[edit] Elected officials

The city is governed by a 5 member City Council. Members are:[12]

Name Title
Ali Saleh Mayor
Danny Harber Vice-Mayor
Violeta Alvarez Councilmember
Ana Maria Quintana Councilmember
Nestor E. Valencia Councilmember

[edit] Administrative officials

The current Interim City Manager, hired in August 2011, is Arne Croce, former city manager of San Mateo, California. Croce Ken Hampian, who was chosen to fill the position for a short period of time following the resignation and indictment of former city manager Roger Rizzo.[13]

A few other key administrative officials can be found here.

[edit] Salaries

Interim City Manager Arne Croce will be paid $3,230 per week, and will receive no benefits.[13] The City Clerk's website posts a link to salary data provided by the State Comptroller's Office.[14]

[edit] City salary scandal

It was revealed in July of 2010 that the Chief Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo was earning a salary of $787,637, with annual 12 percent raises.[15] The total for his salary came to $1.5 million when benefits were included.[16] The LA Times reported it may be the highest paid city manager position in the nation.[17] The City Council was also paying its police chief $457,000, more than Los Angeles Police Chief, $845,906 when benefits were added in.[18] The Assistant City Manager, Angela Spaccia's, salary of $376,288 doubled when benefits were included.[18] A story by the Los Angeles Times also reported that Bell council members earn almost $100,000 for part-time work.[15] On average the city council was earning $8,083 per month.[15]

Rizzo had also hidden $4.5 million in a supplemental retirement account.[19] The account was created for Rizzo and Angela Spaccia to allow them to skirt IRS regulations capping government pensions. Another retirement account was created for 40 other employees to also help them receive pay above the IRS regulations.[19]

All of the elected officials resigned shortly after, but constituents are still on the hook to pay the officials pensions. Rizzo's pension may cost taxpayers $31 million over his lifetime, annually costing them around $1 million.[20] However, CalPERS is investigating the situation, and currently the benefits have been frozen.[21] Rizzo also approved pension increases for 41 other Bell employees that exceed state limits and will increase pension costs by 85 percent.[22] Assistant City Administrator Angela Spaccia could receive an annual pension of more than $375,000.

Other high salaries were revealed shortly after the investigation was launched. The city's director of administrative services, Lourdes Garcia, was earning $422,707, and the director of general services, Eric Eggena, earned $421,402.[23] These figures include benefits and other compensation.

Also, it was reported that the director of community services, Annette Peretz, earned $273,542, a deputy city engineer earned $247,573, the business development coordinator earned $295,627, a police captain earned $238,075 and a police lieutenant earned $229,992.[23] Four of five council members received nearly $100,000 a year for their part-time service.[24] Council members have since voted to reduce the pay for the part-time position to about $8,000 annually.[24]

[edit] Resignation, arrests, and trial

Eight city officials and former officials were arrested on Sept. 21, 2010 as a result of the salary and pension scandal.[24] Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley called the case "corruption on steroids."[24] City manager Rizzo was charged with 53 counts of misappropriation of public funds and conflict of interest.[24] In March, 2011, Rizzo and his assistant, Angela Spaccia, were indicted on an additional 7 charges.[25] Rizzo is also performing 80 hours of community service after being convicted of drunk driving.[26] Also taken into custody and charged:[27]

  • former Mayor Oscar Hernandez
  • former Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia
  • Vice Mayor Teresa Jacobo
  • council members George Mirabal
  • council member Luis Artiga
  • former council members George Cole
  • former council member Victor Bello

Former Police Chief Randy Adams was not arrested. He made $457,000 a year.[24] When explaining why he was not arrested, the District Attorney explained, ""Being paid excessive salaries is not a crime. Illegally obtaining those salaries is a crime."[24] The case against the officials may be dismissed after a Judge said that Jerry Brown may have overreached his powers by asking the officials be forced to repay the city for the stolen funds.[28]

In July, 2011, a judge ruled that the city would not have to pay for the cost's of Robert Rizzo's legal defense, agreeing that Rizzo's actions for which he was brought before the court were for his own personal gain, and not having to do with city business.[29]


[edit] Lobbying

[edit] Transparency and public records

The City Clerk's webpage now contains an online form for requesting public records from the city under the California Public Records Act.[30]

[edit] Transparency following the scandal

Several officials have come forward to demand greater transparency as a result of the Bell salaries. State Controller John Chiang expanded salary reporting requirement that all cities and counties must report salaries to him by October 15th of this year and that the salaries will be posted on the Controller's website in November.[31] Treasurer Bill Lockyer has proposed new auditing rules which would require reporting large pay increases that affect pension benefits.[32] Both of the officials have roles in CalPERS, California's retirement system, who knew about the salaries since 2006.[32]

Then Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown called for an investigation into the situation.[32] Sen. Lou Correa has proposed the Taxpayer Right to Know Act, which would create database of public employee salaries.[33] The League of California Cities is also drafting legislation to proactively disclose salary and pension information for local employees.[34] The League of California Cities has insisted for the transparency effort to work the legislation must encourage citizen engagement, transparency, and local control.[34]

Most recently, a judge rejected the request by the attorney general’s office to put a monitor in charge of Bell’s finances.[35]

[edit] Public records lawsuit

In the wake of the city manger, the city was refusing to comply with the California Public Records Act, and would not disclose numerous amounts of data to the LA Times including the salaries of the Interim City Manager Pedro Carrillo and Finance Director Lourdes Garcia.[36] The LA Times is filing a public records lawsuit asking a judge to force the city to hand over the information.[36]

It was reported that boxes were being removed from City Hall late at night in August 2010, well after normal city hours. The interim Chief Administrator Pedro Carrillo insisted no documents were shredded and that a document cataloging firm had been hired to make copies of records.[37]

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ↑ County and City Data Book: 2007. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2010-07-23
  2. ↑ Smallest Cities in the United States, Geography.about.com, 2010-07-26
  3. ↑ Bell council seeks resignations of 3 city officials, "Los Angeles Times," July 21, 2010
  4. ↑ Budget
  5. ↑ Meetings
  6. ↑ Council
  7. ↑ Contact Us
  8. ↑ RFP's
  9. ↑ Records Request
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Bell Ordered to Repay $500,000 to State Agency, "NBC Los Angeles," August 8, 2011
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 La Times, Bell nearly broke, faces drastic cuts, audit finds, Dec. 18, 2010
  12. ↑ Council
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Bell hires 'one of the most respected city managers in California', "Los Angeles Times," August 12, 2011
  14. ↑ City Government Salaries
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Bloomberg, California Official's $800,000 Salary in City of 38,000 Triggers Protests, July 20, 2010
  16. ↑ OC Register, O.C. cities dash to post personnel salaries, Aug. 8, 2010
  17. ↑ LA Times, Bell city manager might be highest paid in nation: $787,637 a year, July 14, 2010
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 LA Times, Benefits push Bell ex-manager's compensation to more than $1.5 million, Aug. 7, 2010
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 LA Times, Bell hopes to take back $4.5 million found in pension account created by Rizzo, April 26, 2011
  20. ↑ Watchdog, Pension debt rings Bell in pay scandal, July 28, 2009
  21. ↑ EMII, CalPERS Launches Salary Review, Aug. 6, 2010
  22. ↑ LA Times, Pensions for Rizzo, 40 other Bell employees will be larger than first estimated, Sept. 30, 2010
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 LA Times, Bell admits more hefty city salaries, Aug7, 2010
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 24.6 The Washington Post "8 arrested in California salary scandal" Sept. 22, 2010
  25. ↑ Former Bell City Manager Indicted on New Charges, "NBC Los Angeles," March 30, 2011
  26. ↑ LA Times, Robert Rizzo is serving time behind cars, Jan. 13, 2011
  27. ↑ Cal Watch, DA: Bell Officials ‘Looted At Will’, Sept. 22, 2010
  28. ↑ LA Times, Attorney general's lawsuit against Bell officials could be in jeopardy, Nov. 5, 2010
  29. ↑ Judge Won't Order Bell to Pay Rizzo's Bills, "NBC Los Angeles," July 26, 2011
  30. ↑ Public Records Request
  31. ↑ Sacramento Bee, Chiang orders California cities and counties to report salaries, Aug. 3, 2010
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 OC Register, Brian Calle: After Bell's toll, what's next?, Aug. 6, 2010
  33. ↑ OC Register, Lou Correa, Brandman and the ‘Taxpayer Right to Know Act’, Aug. 5, 2010
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Daily News, Christopher McKenzie: Three keys to ensure more transparent city governments, Aug 8, 2010
  35. ↑ LA Times, L.A. judge rejects putting court-appointed monitor in charge of Bell, Dec. 7, 2010
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 LA Times, Bell withholds public records, Aug. 3, 2010
  37. ↑ LA Now, Boxes removed from Bell City Hall at night, but officials say no documents have been destroyed, Aug. 6, 2010

Some of this information was taken from Wikipedia in August of 2010.

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