California Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) has called for a court-appointed monitor to have “complete and unfettered access to all matters relating to the City” of Bell, following a salary inflation scandal that resulted in the arrest of eight city officials last month.
In a September 30 letter, Brown asked that the monitor investigate “fraud, dishonesty, incompetence, misconduct, mismanagement, or any irregularity” in the city government, according to the Los Angeles Times.
This would only prevent Bell from going into receivership, which Brown’s office had been pushing for previously.
The city still faces the problem of its City Council, among other things, which had to cancel a meeting yesterday when only one member showed up. Lorenzo Velez — the only City Council member not charged with a crime — appeared alone at the meeting after Mayor Oscar Hernandez and Councilwoman Teresa Jacobo called in sick. Councilman Luis Artiga resigned earlier in the day, while Councilman George Mirabal didn’t make bail following the officials’ arrests.
Residents of the working class city near Los Angeles have called for the other three members to resign, but according to the Times, “three months probably would be required until a special election could be held to replace them.” Without a council, most of the city’s activities would be at a standstill.
The eight city officials are accused of using public funds to pad their salaries, some making as much as $96,000 a year for part-time elected positions.
Full coverage the Bell officials here.
