Bill to disincorporate Vernon passes Assembly committee

The state Legislature moved a step closer Wednesday to eliminating the city of Vernon, as an Assembly committee unanimously supported legislation that would disincorporate the city and make it part of Los Angeles County.

The bill's author, Assembly Speaker John Pérez (D-Los Angeles), urged other legislators to support his effort to dissolve Vernon's municipal government, calling it "a city whose corruption is the worst we've seen in the state."

"The responsibility is ours to act now," said Pérez, whose district includes Vernon. "We have the authority and the moral obligation to clean this up."

He was joined by Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and more than 100 other supporters from surrounding communities such as Maywood, Boyle Heights and Huntington Park.

A coalition of business owners, workers and labor leaders spoke in defense of Vernon, which has 1,800 businesses and 55,000 employees, but fewer than 100 residents. They said Pérez's bill would cause a loss of jobs.

"We need to maintain the stability of our economic environment -- this bill is creating havoc," said Peter Corselli, manager at U.S. Growers Cold Storage in Vernon. "The sooner this bill dies, the better."

Gene Erbin, an attorney representing Vernon, also testified on the city's behalf, saying the bill was unconstitutional.

But the seven legislators on the Local Government Committee sided strongly with Pérez, who reiterated his promise to add provisions to the legislation to protect businesses.

Assemblyman Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) described Vernon as "a long-running joke" in the local government community.

Others commended Pérez for taking on the issue.

"Enough is enough," said Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-Watsonville). "The day of reckoning for Vernon is today."

The bill now heads to the Assembly floor. It could be voted into law as early as September.

-- Sam Allen in Sacramento

Comments

[boochie]

The county can't wait to get it's hands on well-run and money making Vernon. After they take control they will run it into the ground like all the surrounding communities.

[El Fweido]

Just replacing one set of crooks for another. the only reason these politicans want to break up Vernon so bad is that they want in. They want to another few seats to 'carpet bag' their cronies just like they do now.

[Kittybarfola]

I hope the bill does die and should start investigating Maywood next. Maywood is not far from the Vernon/Bell tree.

[Kittybarfola]

The L.A. County just wants to take over the city in a power grab to take the revenue the city is making and the jobs, etc. I don't trust the County to take care of the city. It will be run down in no time if they do take over.

[elvizcarra]

wow, these comments sound like Vernon city employees. kiss ur jobs, and your corrupt way of life goodbye!!!

[Trilby]

Vernon would have survived if the city managers had moderated their greed. But is was never enough. They even closed almost all the retail businesses, in favor of commercial (b2b). Restaurants, stores and weekend operations were also banned. Just to keep the police & city services duties to a minimum. Meanwhile, all the civic burden was been transferred to the surrounding cities. Shows what can happen when self-interest is taken to an extreme. It's not "making money", it's selfishness, theft & fraud.

[theo]

Dirty, dirty, dirty... It's all sooooo dirty....

[Stuart IV]

Somebody should look into who is paying Perez to pursue this issue. What is his payday for this? You'd be surprised...or maybe not.

[TruBlu]

The media keeps harping on the fact that Vernon has such few residents.. Wake up! Who and the heck would want to live next to a slaughter house (farmer john - which smells amazing in the summer), a rendering plant and thousands of other industrial buildings. It was never intended to be a family based community. The motto is even "Exclusivley Industrial". Remember that this legislation is soley based on the greed and money driven politicians. They are going to take a self sufficient city and run it into the ground just like LA City.

[Scott]

Yeah Vernon is corrupt, the mayor and his family treat it like a heirloom and Vernon police are a damn joke with nothing to do but hide on Downey road and create speed traps. Anyway I am very happy this passed, the way this city is ran is a city

[Mike]

Good. The City of Vernon needs to go. The salaries and state taxpayer funded retirement benefits of Vernon's city officials says it all:

Eric T. Fresch, former city administrator and deputy city attorney - $1.65 million in 2008;

Donal O'Callaghan, former city administrator and utilities director - $785,000 last year;

Roirdan S. Burnett, city treasurer/finance director - $570,000 last year;

Jeffrey A. Harrison, former city attorney - $800,000 last year;

Bruce Malkenhorst Jr., former city clerk - $290,000 in 2008;

Bruce Malkenhorst Sr., former city administrator - retired in 2005, receives a pension of more than $500,000 a year, the highest in the state

[ralph e shaffer]

I fully understand the business owners' fear that once disincorporation takes place the annexationists will fight over the carcass and Vernon's business owners will suffer.

There is an alternative that none of the dailies will print: As Vernon is disincorporated, immediately turn it into an industrial special district with all the power of a city but with the voters being the people who work there and who own businesses there. They get to keep their cheaper electric power, their police and fire departments, and can run the city to promote business without the corruption that has marked that cit for over a century.