Bell official to ask state controller to independently audit city's finances

Bell's interim chief administrator is to ask State Controller John Chiang to conduct an independent audit of the city's finances -- part of the city's "commitment to increased transparency and accountability to the public," according to a news release.

Pedro Carrillo, the interim chief administrative officer, plans to hold a news conference at Bell City Hall on Tuesday to announce the audit.

A Times report revealed that the city's top officials received some of the highest municipal wages in the nation. City Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo made $787,637 a year, almost twice the salary of President Obama; Police Chief Randy Adams made $457,000, 50% more than Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck; and Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia made $376,288, more than the top administrator for Los Angeles County.

All three resigned last week.

On Monday night, four city council members -- who are being investigated for their own $100,000 annual salaries -- agreed to take a 90% pay cut. Mayor Oscar Hernandez said he would forfeit pay for the remainder of his term and will not seek re-election.

For complete coverage of Bell, see www.latimes.com/Bell.

-- Jeff Gottlieb

Comments

[Look for Truth]

Carillo is just as corrupt as the rest. He takes his orders from Bob Rizzo, who hired him.

[Dan]

Bell's the first - which city will be next?

Here's the Hope and Change we've been hearing about for what seems like an eternity.

Fortunately it's starting at the local levels.

[mp3andy]

Come to Ventura County where they just voted in a retired CHP with a $155,000 pension at age 55 to be the new county clerk with a $160,000 salary plus benefits and more pension benefits

Ventura county budget has gone up 140% in the past ten years from $700 million to $1.7 billion...and the sheriff is about to retire with a pension approaching $250,000-300,000...nobody knows

[doxie]

LA Times: Is Assistant City Manager Spaccia still the acting City Manager of Maywood? Has she resigned from that position?

[Hugo Avila]

Hmmm...

I don't know enough about Carillo to make an opinion about him. Nonetheless, something smells and I expect him to wash his hands off by distancing himself from the corruption. My suspicion is that he is another puppet to the corruption machine

[peter wolf]

Why stop at Bell's finances? Every city in the state that has been run by Democrats bowing and scraping for public employees campaign contributions is in the same messed-up condition.