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Anaheim Council Moves Forward On A Handful Of Reform Efforts
Former Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu on Feb. 5, 2022. Sidhu resigned in May 2022, a week after FBI documents revealed he was under federal investigation for an alleged quid pro quo scheme involving the now-canceled sale of Angel Stadium.
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The Anaheim City Council is taking what one civic watchdog called "baby steps" toward increasing transparency after an independent investigation identified widespread influence-peddling and pay-to-play politics in Orange County's largest city.
Late Tuesday the city council voted to:
- Support the state auditor's investigation, announced Saturday, of $6.5 million in COVID-19 relief funds given to the city's visitors bureau.
- Make contracts more accessible to the public on the city's website.
- Direct city staff to study the possibility of cutting off funding to the visitors bureau, which is charged with booking the Anaheim Convention Center.
- Direct city staff to present options for tightening lobbying rules.
These measures and several others were watered down from Mayor Ashleigh Aitken's original proposals. Aitken campaigned on a platform of reform and restoring faith in Anaheim city government after an FBI corruption investigation last year led former Mayor Harry Sidhu to resign.
A few months after Sidhu’s resignation, former Anaheim Chamber of Commerce President Todd Ament pled guilty to several crimes after an FBI affidavit revealed he was part of a self-described "cabal" that essentially ran city government.
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Residents react
Some residents were disappointed with the minimal action on reform on Tuesday, calling for full implementation of the independent investigators' suggestions.
These suggestions included appointing an ombudsman, cutting off funding to the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce until conducting a full audit of their finances, and requiring city employees who are lobbied by outside entities to report it.
"There should not be a question. We should be doing this," resident Mark Richard Daniels said of adopting the report's recommendations.
Tips to stay informed
FOR ANAHEIM RESIDENTS
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Read the full report yourself: You can find it here.
How to stay updated: The next city council meeting is Sept. 12. Check the council calendar here.
Where to submit feedback: You can contact the mayor or your city councilmember directly. You can also request a meeting with the mayor.
Send us a tip: Submit a tip at the bottom of this story or send an email to our Orange County correspondent: jreplogle@scpr.org.
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Residents also criticized Aitken for handpicking the members of a committee of community leaders to offer recommendations for reform rather than opening it up to all members of the public.
"What a joke," said Sandra Cazares from the community group Madres en Acción Ponderosa. "We, the public, should be part of this advisory committee if transparency is really what you want to restore."
Aitken said when announcing her advisory committee last week that public input would be invited.
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