Meet the City Council.
Posted on 03/14/2006 10:35:37 PM PST by BurbankKarl
AP) LOS ANGELES The city of Gardena has reached a tentative agreement with two banks to refinance about $18 million in unpaid debt tied largely to a disastrous insurance venture.
Officials say the move will stave off the possibility of bankruptcy at City Hall.
The agreement calls for the industrial city to repay about 85 percent of $25.5 million in outstanding obligations.
Mayor Paul Tanaka says the city will not need to raise taxes to manage the restructured payments. The refinanced debt will be repaid over 30 years.
Gardena was saddled with the huge bill -- equal to about three-quarters of its annual budget -- after the collapse of the city-created Municipal Mutual Insurance Company, and the failure of a city-backed home-loan program.
An Associated Press investigation last year uncovered a trail of no-bid contracts and other special deals involved in the creation of Municipal Mutual -- at a time when city officials repeatedly ignored warnings the company would pose a dire risk to taxpayers.
Meet the City Council.
My guess: The losers in life's lottery.
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