Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
City Managers May Need to Start Justifying Salaries
Robert Rizzo, 56 (Huntington Beach Police Dept.)
()
Robert Rizzo, 56 (Huntington Beach Police Dept.)
City Managers all across Los Angeles are currently in the limelight after as we all probably know by know, the LA Times published an article revealing many shockingly high salaries. It was revealed that former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo made more than $1.5 million -- after all his annual compensations were factored in -- which is more than President Obama makes. The average salary for other city managers is more like $200,000.
Some now are even questioning the comparatively lower salaries, believing they too are enjoying unnecessary benefits.
But WeHo News took a different approach explaining that many times these high salaries are a reflection of the size and population of their city. One woman from West Hollywood said she is not worried about the $285,496 they pay their City Manager Paul Arevalo.
Support for LAist comes from
“Paul Arevalo is worth every cent we pay him,” Jeanne Dobrin, who attends virtually all public hearings told WeHo News. “He does an excellent job. I think he’s being paid well and deserving of it."
So what actually makes them 'deserving' of such high salaries?
A city manager is an appointed position when the form of government in a city is a council-manger. Council-manager government is when the mayor serves as the chairman to the council and holds a largely ceremonial role. The city manager on the other hand supervises the city government and implements policy.
A city manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of all city departments and staff, including hiring, firing, disciplining and suspending staff. They must also prepare, monitor and execute all aspects of the city’s budget; attend city council meetings; serve as the council’s main technical advisor; are the head of all public relations in terms of meeting with citizens, businesses, and stakeholders; as well as any other duties the council may assign. They don't, however, have any voting rights.
But despite the all the duties that may or may not justify such salaries, California Attorney General Jerry Brown says he expects legal action in “weeks, not months” for Rizzo, according to Bloomberg.
Brown even went as far as to claim that legal violations may include both civil and criminal statues.
“We want to see their e-mails, we want to see the ordinances, the resolutions, the minutes of meetings -- we want to find out exactly how they ever came to the conclusion that city officials should make so much money,” Brown said.
Support for LAist comes from
The city of Bell has a population of 38,000, made up of a largely Latino population with a per-capita income of $24,800 in 2008, which is in stark contrast to the $1.5 million Rizzo received.
The Los Angeles County grand jury as well as Attorney General Brown have subpoenaed all financial records and documents and are currently reviewing them for voter fraud and other scams, according to a recent update on Bloomberg.
But that's not all the legal trouble Rizzo is currently facing. He was arrested March 6 for DUI chargers, according to KTLA, and will now have to face the city he has been avoiding since the scandal first came out.
Rizzo, however has put city managers all over in the tough position of public scrutiny as citizens in Bell issued a warning to people across Los Angeles to look into their own city to make sure no scandal is taking place there as well.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity. -
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
Best of LAist