Posted on 08/07/2010 5:58:11 PM PDT by freespirited
BELL, Calif. - A former Bell city official's huge $787,000 salary is only half of his unusually generous total compensation, according to local media reports.
KTTV Fox 11 News first reported on Friday night that former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo's benefits, which include 20 weeks paid vacation, bring his total annual compensation to more than $1.5 million.
According to public records reviewed by the Los Angeles Times, Rizzo was to receive $386,786 in paid vacation and sick benefits this year, in addition to his base salary.
The documents show that Rizzo's investment accounts and other benefits received payments.
The Los Angeles district attorney's office and the California attorney general are investigating the huge salaries of several Bell officials.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Good thing he's not a Republican, he'd never hear the end of it.
I think we just found the new vacation czar.
That’s almost as much taxpayer funded vacation time as the 0bamas take.
20 weeks vacation? He’s delusional, thinks he’s the president.
The whole bunch of them should be in prison.
This is an extreme example but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. All local governments need to be examined.
I think Bell has just taken the place of Rio Lindo...
No wonder kaliforina is broke,, the voters voted for criminals!!!!!!!!!!!
You have that right. They were nothing but thieves who managed to get into office.
Is Rizzo hooked up with the Mob? Other than stupid voters, there is little else to explain it.
This kinda’ begs the question of how long this little “arrangement” has been in place. Was it just instituted, or is it long standing? How was the salary negotiated, and who were the parties that did the negotiating? I’m sure the AG will get into this, but this seems to have been an hideously cozy package.
From what I recall on FOX, there was an election where it was voted that Bell would become a charter city, meaning out of the oversight of the state.
I think around 400 citizens showed up to vote. Lots of factors: odd month/day of the week for an election, lots of people who barely speak English, vote fraud.
A lot of obnoxious things are passed in elections outside of November, when officials hope no one is looking or can be bothered to show up.
So?
I don’t know that this guy broke any laws.
I’ve read background on this story, since it’s been posted a few times.
Seems these folks set up and fixed the elections for themselves. Various shenanigans including using the police force to get out the vote. I think there are going to be multiple trials.
The citizens can be blamed for not paying attention, but I think they were basically taken advantage of.
From what I recall on FOX, there was an election where it was voted that Bell would become a charter city, meaning out of the oversight of the state.
I think around 400 citizens showed up to vote. Lots of factors: odd month/day of the week for an election, lots of people who barely speak English, vote fraud.
A lot of obnoxious things are passed in elections outside of November, when officials hope no one is looking or can be bothered to show up.
385 absentee ballots were sent in
The mayor and his friends
the whole thing designed so that 380 yes votes would make the town a “chartered city” with no oversight and they could do what ever they wanted.
ie $1,500,000 per year salary since they thought no one would notice.
Bell.
Not a great place to live or be.
They needed 380 and sent in 385...they didn’t even take the time to create a pretense of chance. That should be enough to prove vote fraud...I hope. If it isn’t, what else can be done about it? I know the AG is investigating, but if for some reason the election is found to be proper (i.e., can’t prove clear fraud), are the people of Bell stuck?
There is a definite lesson here.
I’d like to see the specifics over time. The LA Times story shows 107 vacation days and 36 sick days in the current compensation package, but doesn’t mention how many of those were payment-in-lieu days. I know municipal employees who’ve racked up a lot of vacation days due as a result of never taking any. The long term view will be useful because this guy was the lowest paid city manager in the county when he started.
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