Defiant Bell mayor defends city manager's high salary, hours after official resigns

 

A defiant Bell City Council defended the hefty compensation awarded to City Manager Robert Rizzo and two other officials just hours after the three agreed to resign amid a public outcry.

In the city's first formal statement on the salary issue, Bell released a letter from Mayor Oscar Hernandez in which he praised Rizzo's service to the city and said his nearly $800,000 annual salary was justified.

"Unlike the skewed view of the facts, the Los Angeles Times presented to advance the paper's own agenda, a look at the big picture of city compensation shows that salaries of the City Manager and other top city staff have been in line with similar positions over the period of their tenure," Hernandez said in the letter.

Hernandez did address the outrage generated after The Times revealed the salaries last week, adding: "We recognize that today's economic climate and the financial hardships so many families are suffering put our past compensation decisions in a new light.  To the residents of Bell, we apologize."

As part of the resignations, Rizzo, Police Chief Randy Adams and Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia will not receive severance packages. Rizzo will step down at the end of August and Spaccia will leave at the end of September. Adams also will leave at the end of August after completing an evaluation of the Police Department.

Rizzo earns nearly $800,000 a year, believed to make him the highest-paid city manager in California and possibly the nation. Adams makes $457,000 — 50% more than Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck — and Spaccia makes $376,288, more than the top administrator for Los Angeles County.

The decision was announced at midnight to a crowd of angry Bell residents that had been waiting anxiously since 4:30 p.m. when the City Council began its meeting. None of the administrators attended the session. The crowd erupted in applause after the announcement but immediately yelled out questions about what would happen to the council members. Four of the five are paid close to $100,000 annually. When residents' questions were not answered, they shouted, "Recall!"

"Definitely letting go of these three top officials is the first step we need to fix the city," said Cristina Garcia, a member of BASTA, or the Bell Assn. to Stop the Abuse.

Throughout the evening, several residents complained that the council was taking too long, while others clapped in unison to urge the members to come out.

"This is outrageous," said Marcelino Ceja, who has lived in the city for 17 years. "They have to hurry up. I've got kids to feed."

The emergency meeting followed several days of negotiations between the officials and attorneys for the city to reach deals.The crowd began shouting when Councilman Lorenzo Velez's request to open the meeting to the public was overruled by the city attorney, who said the city would be at legal risk if it discussed personnel matters in public.

-- Ruben Vives at Bell City Hall

Photo: Bell Mayor Oscar Hernandez listens as the resignations of the police chief, city manager and assistant city manager are announced after the City Council met behind closed doors for nearly six hours. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

 

Comments

[Ralph Cailipan]

I don't have to read whatever he has to say to depend those 3 greedy city employees but it smells fishy

[Me]

Interesting...

The mayor of Bell makes more than the President of the United States!

And who said that crime does not pay?

[Christine]

The Mayor must be getting paid well to wear a Tommy Bahamas shirt that cost over $100.00.

[Doug]

He defends their outrageousness by saying they were paid similar amounts...probably in other outrageous situations as well. The Mayor needs a new title...ex-Mayor. It's good to see Bell cleaning out the maggots.

[Buzz99]

That's your stimulus dollars at work. I know a guy that works for LAPD and he's only making minimum wage right now because of cut backs. Everyone should be outraged, and if the mayor knew about their salary's and defends them, he should be removed as well.

[Rick Vena]

Hint....400 out of 40,000 actually participated in the vote to exempt these folks from salary limits. Sure, they abused their positions but the voters have their share of blame.

[What excuse do we have this time?]

Those who try to justify GREED are an amazing group of people, they deny reality. They are so blinded by greed-they do not want to understand any one else's perspective. Hopefully, a small loophole in the law will reverse these salaries and pensions to be paid to these people. What a racket in Bell.

[Hatch]

After reading every comment on this story, I am glad and maybe a little surprised that the rants were about the politicians in the story, and not superfluous ideologies. I may not live up there, but, I applaud you people for seeing the truth and keeping your anger focused on the root cause.

And, to the LA Times, I say Good Job! I no longer think of you as just another liberal rag.

[pafueraraza]

how did this guy make office? doesn't even know how to speak...wow
maybe drug cartels from south of the border are paying these guys salaries, so that they can do business in the area....incredible mr. hernandez go back to your corrupt country and leave this one to us....

[mymy]

Don't forget their multimillion dollars pensions!

[michael p comorre]

Their are many violations of the conflicts of intrest laws that have been violated inclding the open meeting provisions of the Brown Act.Many of the Board resolutins approving thies salaries will be set aside by the courts for breach of duties of care by a fiduicary.Actually RECO may have some application.I normally don not pre-judge matters without hearing all the facts of the case. However this is so biatant that it is justified at this time and it should be up to the parties in question to prove otherwise,at least in a civil action where we do not have the burden of proff and beyond a reasonable doubt standard to deal with. Michael C. Cathedral City CA.

[Unbiased]

WOW!!! Clearly running it like Bell was actually in Mexico and not the USA. But I would hardly compare Brown to these criminals. Let's not throw the baby out with the wash!

[katherine]

It was on the ballot to do a pay increase and it got passed. I heard roughly only 400 people showed up to vote when the pay increase was on the ballot. Shame on both sides. It really is too bad considering where the economy is, but can you blame people when you give them that much leeway. Thanks for reminding me hope important it is to be an informed voter..it does matter.

[William S.]

I think this looks much worse on the politicians than the Hispanic community. The politicians pulled a fast one and the community was asleep at the ballot box. The politicians who wrote the legislation banked on no one voting and the 390 people who did vote were mostly plants who voted for it. It's despicable, disgusting, dishonest and hopefully Attorney General Brown who is opening an investigation will find improprieties and throw the entire election out including the ridiculous salaries and pensions. Remember Jerry Brown is running for Governor. He is well liked in the Hispanic community and vice-versa. He has total motivation to be involved as an advocate for the citizens of Bell. This is not over by any means....stay tuned.

[commonman13]

These city council members are greedy,rogue and corrupt. I really think they should be behind bars for stealing so much money and for them not having remorse shows the depth of their unethical behavior. They have hoarded millions and they need to be forfeited. Death Penalty on these dirt bags would be a light punishment. How about public hanging?
Many many cities and town in Califonia and other states are just as corrupt like Los Angeles,San francisco,Mountain View,Sunnyvale,Palo Alto,Menlo Park,San Jose...

[Toby]

Not only does Rizzo and everyone needs to go to jail...they need to give the money back.

Anything less would be outrageous

And if Oscar Hernandez is so drunk on power that he can't see this...he should be the first to be arrested.

[Verizon User]

Mr. Mayor Oscar Hernandez, these salaries ARE NOT justifiable!!! For you to say that, shows you are totally incompetent to hold ANY position, let alone lead a city. Your comments are an INSULT to ALL taxpayers and a SLAP in the face of the Bell residents!!! You don't get it, you will NEVER get it.

Residents of Bell, RECALL, RECALL, RECALL!!!

[Adolf HITLER]

These People Should Be Persecuted on a Court of LAW!!!! and Return ALL the MONEY back to the CITY of BELL.... Why are they just letting them GO?? Without a TRAIL??

[golfdoc]

i hope that there is a thorough investigation by the ca. a.g. these salaries are so far out of whack there must have been a lot of complicity in pushing these salaries through. everyone from the entire city gov't. needs to be looked at. if there are crimes, strip all benefits & pensions followed by lengthy jail sentences.

[Whittier5]

Where is it written that a Public Administrator has to be paid on the Cheap?
What would the Bell CM's salary be IF he were CEO of a commercial firm of similar Budget and Responsibility?? IF you could find a commercial firm with similar Responsibility...

The Bell situation may or may not be an example of "corruption". We don't know enough about how this came to pass. My own City pays its CM an enormous Salary in my view - on a par with the Bell Police Chief. But,,,
My concern isn't so much the Salary as the Pension!! That is incredible.

The comparison to the President's salary has been made. The President position, regardless of Party, is way more than a $10M position.

The main reason some of the decisions made by Public HIRED Officials may not be the greatest is that we make no attempt to hire the Best & Brightest.

Where was the Public outrage in the streets when it became known that the Goldman Sachs Execs were receiving $Multi-Million Salaries and $1.6B BONUSES??

Be sure that the dollars to pay Banksters' Salaries and Bonuses, along with those of other Execs at Big Banks and Wall St firms ARE indeed coming out of the pockets of We the People just as surely as are the tax dollars to pay the Bell officials - TARP or No TARP.

Far from providing for the Public Welfare of 38,000 7X24X365, all we have received from the Banks is the Trashing of our Economy.

Put it in perspective, People

[aj]

I know it will cost a lot of money not to mention time and other resources, but the District Attorney, the Attorney General, and even the Federal Government, should investigate these matters.

They should go to jail and lose part of their pension.

[jackofalltrades]

big deal, this happens everyday at the white house, with obama's liberal thugs,,,,,,,,,,,lying , cheating , corrupting, so what? this is peanuts

[Johnny]

There is a reason California is broke. All these huge salaries for City Managers and others that do very little work. There is no position in the Country that has more responsibility than that of the President of the United States. Yet, the President makes 50% less than these characters in one of California's smallest cities. Way to go California!

However, Bell is not unique. Other cities pay their managers and other officials similar salaries but none as high as Bell. So, unless there is a law preventing these things, these politicians will not change.

[mc2]

Is there anyone in our government
that IS NOT CORRUPT?

20 years ago, I would say VERY FEW.
Today, I would say A LOT.

[Edward]

I'd like the mayor, asserting we've been given a "skewed view of the facts the LA Times presented," to present his own view of the facts, and how they differ.

I personally believe his view will be the same, that under a cloud of distortion, civic ignorance, and intention misrepresentation, the city council abrogated the public trust. But I'd be willing to listen, of course.