Posted on 07/19/2010 6:44:21 PM PDT by Spktyr
One of the poorest cities in Los Angeles County has come under public scrutiny for paying its top officials some of the highest salaries in the nation, including almost $800,000 annually for its city manager.
The city of Bell pays Chief Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo $787,637 annually, and also pays police Chief Randy Adams $457,000 a year, about 50 percent more than Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck or Sheriff Lee Baca make, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia is paid $376,288 annually, which is more than most city managers are paid. Rizzo, who has run Bell’s day-to-day civic affairs since 1993, was unapologetic about his salary, The Times reported.
“If that’s a number people choke on, maybe I’m in the wrong business,” Rizzo said. “I could go into private business and make that money. This council has compensated me for the job I’ve done.”
Bell Mayor Oscar Hernandez defended the salaries, and he and other City Council members told the newspaper that their city was near bankruptcy when Rizzo came aboard. Since then, they said, he has put Bell on sound financial footing, with its general fund nearly tripling to about $15 million.
Bell made headlines in recent weeks when the city of 37,000 agreed to take over operations of the neighboring city of Maywood, which fired most of its employees and disbanded its police department when it could not obtain insurance.
The salaries do not appear to violate any laws, but an investigation is being conducted, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Dave Demerjian, head of the office’s Public Integrity Division said state law governs how much city council members can be paid, but not the amounts that council members decide to pay administrators.
The DA’s office is investigating Bell over the hefty compensation amounts of its City Council members, about $100,000 a year for part-time positions. Normally, council members in a city the size of Bell would be paid about $400 a month, Demerjian said. The council has increased its compensation by paying members for serving on a variety of city agencies, and each member is paid $7,873 per month for sitting on the boards.
Compare that to the City of Dallas, which has about 1,300,000 people inside its borders. The city manager here, who many feel is overpaid, makes about $278,000.
Something is wrong here, and it's not in Dallas.
With moves like this, how is California NOT doomed?
Speaking of commentary, you want to explain this?
Unless you can show fraud or bribery step back. Here’s the way it works. The voters elect the city council. The city council sets the salaries. The voters can re-elect or not. Rinse and repeat.
Beyond disgusting. Pure theft.
Insanity.
In a rational world this 'manager' and the entire City Council that approved this arrangement would be swinging by their heels in the Town Square.
Bell is a rather rough area. I’m surprised these two guys get that little. You’d have to pay me a $1000000 to show up by 9 and leave by 3, and I’d never be in the vicinity at night.
Oh, I am not saying they’re breaking the law.
I *am* saying that this is obscene - and that dragnet2 needs to remove the beam from his own eye before complaining bitterly about the mote in Texans’.
With stupidity like that, there is no chance of California ever recovering.
There are also liquor stores around.
These people should be arrested, hauled into the city square, and summarily SHOT!
What an outrage!
Mexican corruption has moved north to Kalifornia!
Knowing what the taxes are like there would help put this in perspective.
‘Public service’ has become a phrase for ‘legalized theft’...pension included.
All courtesy of the f#7*s that pay the taxes.
Then do it, leech...
There is nome funky story about this town and these “administrators.” Someone here used to post about it, but I can’t remember the details.
Should be “some”
Nice work if you can get it.
Arrogant little MF to boot.
Looks like the Mobs got nothing on the crooks running Bell, CA.
Rizzo should understand that ripping off the tax paying public is a dangerous game, he had better be clean as a whistle because he and his "Associates" are now targets of investigation.
Yes....I’ve remarked that Public Employees have become the barbarian hordes of our time.
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