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If you're going to work part-time as a pubic official and make $100,000 a year in an unheard of city in southeastern Los Angeles County, it's going to get attention once news breaks. And ever since the LA Times broke the story two weeks ago, the small city of Bell has been immersed in controversy. The latest move came this morning when California's Attorney General Jerry Brown announced that he has subpoenaed records.
"These outrageous pay practices are an insult to the hard-working people of Bell and have provoked righteous indignation in California and even across the country," Brown said. "I'm determined to get to the bottom of these exorbitant payouts and protect the state's pension system against such abuses, and today's subpoenas are an important step in that process."
In addition to the extremely high salaries for some of the part-time city councilmembers, three city employees, who will now resign, were given amounts that could be some of the highest in the nation. The city manager, for example, received nearly $800,000 a year.
Brown today said he will look for any wrongdoing, civil and criminal, and warned officials across the state that similar schemes will not be allowed. Hundreds of employment, salary, and contract records were subpoenaed.
Bell city councilmembers are scheduled to meet and discuss their salaries today.