[109] BASTA collected enough signatures to force the recall election in March for the four City Council members facing corruption charges. [93] In contrast, members of San Marino's City Council take no salary at all. L-R Mayor Juan Garza, artist Dave Van Patten, and council member Raymond Y. Hamada chat during the unveiling of the new mural in Bellflower’s Town Center Plaza … Create New Account. ABC News announced that Bell homeowners who had overpaid their property taxes over the last three years would be refunded the funds that were collected illegally. [21][29], Documents released to the Times revealed that the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) knew four years previously that Rizzo had received a 47% pay increase to $442,000. Bellflower City Hall, Bellflower, California. The elected and unelected hierarchy of that [small] city went to the extremes while its voters slept... As it is today, every California citizen has a right to ask public agencies for an accounting of their taxpayer-funded salaries and other compensation. Rizzo was required to turn in his passport and wear an electronic monitoring device. "I never heard of someone being hired to work for a city and having that [disability] determination made going in." [59], A second preliminary hearing for misappropriation of public funds[60] by Rizzo and Spaccia, began on March 22, 2011. [61] These indictments add eight charges to the public corruption case against Rizzo and seven former Bell officials. In July 2010, the Los Angeles Times published an investigative article on possible malfeasance in the neighboring city of Maywood, revealing that the city officials of Bell received salaries that were reported as the highest in the nation. Mon - Fri: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm. [6][7][8], Spaccia was resentenced in October 2017 after an appeals court reversed five counts of misappropriating funds from the city. [53], Rizzo was regarded as the ringleader among the "Bell Eight", former Bell city officials (all of whom resigned or were recalled or fired), accused of bilking taxpayers out of about $5.5 million through hefty salaries, benefits and illegal loans of public money. [5], Rizzo was sentenced to twelve years' imprisonment for his role in Bell and to 33 months' imprisonment in a separate income tax evasion case. Council District: 5. The vote on both items was 5 to 0. [citation needed], In October 2012, Bell Police Captain Anthony Miranda was promoted to Chief of Police after a nationwide search of more than 70 candidates. That goes for any public employee—from the city manager and council members to any teacher or librarian. Councilman Lorenzo Velez, the only Bell official not charged with any wrongdoing, testified that he doesn't remember participating in any of the meetings for which other council members billed the city tens of thousands of dollars. [78] The bail bondsmen hired on for Rizzo's $2 million bail, James Demayo and Morris Demayo, negotiated for several weeks with the prosecutor Max Huntsman on getting his bail approved. The first witness at the preliminary hearing, Ramirez testified that when he confronted Rizzo at a city council meeting, regarding the rumors that he was paid $400,000 a year, "He immediately said, 'No, Mr. Ramirez, if I would be making $400,000 a year I wouldn't be working here". Keep in Touch 284 likes. Children: Alanna Dunton and Kevin Dunton . [111], The FBI has begun investigating the accusations of violating some citizens' civil rights, particularly whether Bell officials violated the civil rights of Latino residents by assertively towing targeted cars and charging residents extortionate fees to retrieve their vehicles. Clear 1 Table. [1][22] The two main reporters involved in the investigations were Ruben Vives and Jeff Gottlieb, and Kimi Yoshino was the guiding editor.[23][24]. The City's website is temporarily under construction and we are actively working to get back up to speed. or. The City’s five Council members are elected by District for four-year, staggered terms of office. The preliminary hearing for the alleged misappropriations and misdeeds of the Bell City council members charged, began on February 7, 2011. [48], Valdez, who was granted limited immunity, stated she prepared the documents and Rizzo changed the correct figures much lower than the actual salaries; she was ordered to show the falsified lowered figures to Ramirez. 3.7K likes. [123], The crackdown in Bell has also received extensive coverage in the Spanish-language media and has resonated among voters in blue-collar Latino communities who often feel neglected in terms of both government services and the justice system," said Jaime Regalado, director of the Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles.[124]. "[122], U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, (D-Pasadena), appealed to federal prosecutors to scrutinize the widespread political corruption in Los Angeles County. [56] Rizzo returned to court the following Monday. Tonia McMillian was in second. Date Elected: November 2018. CityOfBellflower 61 views. The bill (AB1955) that would have strictly regulated elected officials' income levels died while in the California State Senate. "Rizzo and Spaccia succeeded in concealing their conduct for so long, in part by trickery ... and in part by buying loyalty of city employees", the memo said. [88], In August 2010, the city of Bell began searching for a new police chief. [72] Rizzo also received an unusually large package of benefits, including paid vacation, sick and personal time of 28 weeks off per year. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for City Hall Bellflower locations in Bellflower, CA. Schiff said he would like to see federal prosecutors look closely at these several cities beside Bell. "You're only supposed to receive a disability retirement if you are disabled and unable to perform the normal duties of your job," said California Public Employees' Retirement System spokesman Ed Fong. [74][75] When Hernandez refused to answer the door at his home, the sheriff's department used a battering ram to break down his door and bring out the mayor in handcuffs. Member, City Council; City of Bellflower; District 1 (1 Elected) Raymond Y. Hamada. The email's contents were presented in a humorous manner regarding bilking the city. "This guy would be our first seven-figure retiree", said Fritz. "[36], The city of Bell had a difficult time restoring some semblance of normality in the year following the salary scandal. It was founded in 1906 and became incorporated on September 3, 1957. Lourdes Garcia, the city's director of administrative services, and Eric Eggena, the director of general services, were paid more than $400,000 each. At least six other cities where officials have been recently charged with corruption include Irwindale, La Puente, Monterey Park, Pico Rivera, Temple City, and Vernon. This year in Bellflower, in lieu of our traditional & annual State of the City (SOTC) luncheon address, our City this year adapted to COVID-19 and filmed our SOTC. [57] The next day, Rizzo slept through a good part of the hearing. 03 Addressing Homelessness. [32] All the related bills were vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. City Council meetings are typically held twice each month, on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month, in the City Council chambers at The Centre (map). Glendale joined two other cities in trying to block what has the potential to be hundreds of thousands of dollars in pension payments for Adams, whose highly profitable term as police chief of Bell has had far-reaching consequences to the state's complicated employee retirement system. Priorities: Support effective public safety programs to reduce crime Continue revitalization of … All five council members are white. The other seven city council members arrested for misappropriating funds received similar pension cuts. CityOfBellflower 32 views. The City Council is responsible to the electorate to be the policy-making body of the City. [61], Another allegation was that the duo fabricated documents appearing to be contracts for former police Chief Randy Adams and secreted the true contracts' indication that his salary was nearly $10,000 more per pay period than purported. [94], All of the part-time city council members collected almost $100,000 a year, excepting Councilman Lorenzo Velez. THE CITY COUNCIL DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. [63] Lourdes Garcia, the city's director of administrative services, testified under limited immunity that Rizzo told her in 2008 that his goal was to put $14 million in the secondary pension fund, which would be paid by the city. [95] He has also testified that he didn't remember participating in any of the meetings for which other council members billed the city tens of thousands of dollars. Those dates are marked with an asterisk(*). More About Roger Graham . Contact City Council's Office: City of Bell Gardens 7100 Garfield Ave. Bell Gardens, CA 90201 Tel: (562) 806-7754 Fax: (562) 928-4953. "There is no way order can be restored in Bell until residents there have an accurate picture of the city's finances. "[9], Bell, California, is a small suburb of Los Angeles that covers 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2), with a population of approximately 38,000. "I think they have a compelling interest ...The federal government clearly has jurisdiction in public corruption investigations", Schiff said. Nevertheless, in March 2011, Rizzo (and two former councilmen) persisted in their claims that they were entitled to reimbursement from the city of Bell for his legal fees spent in defense against the charges against them, i.e. The paper's Pulitzer Prize-winning Bell coverage won in the "investigations" category as well as the Publisher's Prize. 1069, which amended state law to rename “second units” as “accessory dwelling units.” [43] The council designated Ali Saleh as mayor. L-R Mayor Juan Garza, artist Dave Van Patten, and council member Raymond Y. Hamada chat during the unveiling of the new mural in Bellflower’s Town Center Plaza … 11111 Brookshire Avenue. [46], "I should have asked more questions, I'm not denying that", said Velez, the only member of the city council who did not take a large salary. "[103], The primary group organized to fight the cities corruption is the Bell Association to Stop the Abuse (BASTA); Basta means "enough" in Spanish. (562) 869-7331. Let’s Get Better Together! Adams negotiated an agreement with Rizzo when he was hired in 2009 that stipulated that he (Adams) suffered from back, knee and neck injuries and that the city would support his application for a disability pension (Liz O. Baylen, Los Angeles Times). New; 4:55:00. Bellflower High School; Current Appointments: Central Basin Water Association (Primary Delegate) City Selection Committee (Alternate Delegate) Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, Nos. "[115], The City of Bell raised a reported $100,000 from multi-year breast cancer awareness fundraisers. [36] More secreted funds containing millions of dollars were discovered in April 2011. The 15,000 square-foot city-owned lot, located on Bellflower Boulevard and Oak Street, will feature approximately 10 unique tenants who serve craft … He started at a weekly salary of $3,230 with no medical or retirement benefits, replacing interim city manager Kenneth Hampian. 14-H Resolution No. It was renamed at least twice, becoming Community News by 1998, when it was sold. 254 people follow this. AN ORDINANCE APPROVING ZONING ORDINANCE TEXT AMENDMENT CASE NO. 1345. Bell City Council members later voted to reduce their pay to that of what one councilman, Lorenzo Velez, was being paid: $8,076 a year. The salaries and pensions scandal in Bell also brought into question the issue of voter fraud. But he said Rizzo bundled severance, vacation and sick pay owed to him into the workers' compensation settlement - a practice that authorities said would be in violation of the tax codes. Occupation: Business Owner, Ray-A-Motive. When Brown announced the lawsuit, he said he hoped to recoup hundreds of thousands of dollars for residents. The latest scandal involves a tract of land presently leased by a carwash. [110], Officials in Bell paid more than double the appraised value for a parcel of land that was never redeveloped. [64] Cole's attorney, Ronald O. Kaye, claims that, although he was being paid approximately $100,000 a year for his part-time position and for attending meetings that did not occur or lasted only a few minutes, that "[A]t that time... Mr. Cole did not believe that his actions were unlawful. Council Members are elected during even-numbered years for four-year terms on an overlapping basis; two elected at one election and three at the next. Forgot account? "He resigned without severance pay", former councilman Velez stated, adding: "I will not even give [him] a penny cut in half. As the City's legislative body, the City Council is responsible to the 51,488 residents of Cerritos for the implementation of all programs and services provided by the City. The City of Bellflower is located in Southeast Los Angeles County and is home to more than 78,000 residents and 4,000 businesses. The Los Angeles Times reported that Rizzo and former General Services Manager Eric Eggena negotiated its purchase for $1.35 million, despite its appraisal of $612,000. Prosecutors filed suit regarding an agreement with Rizzo, Adams had himself declared disabled the day of his being hired in Bell. Filling the short term council seat vacated by Mirabal, was Ana Maria Quintana, with 44% of the vote. As a longtime resident of Bellflower, I am passionate about this community—including putting in the work to make it better! The allegations include new charges of misappropriating public funds, conflict of interest, falsifying public documents and secreting of public documents. CityOfBellflower 111 views. [citation needed], The office that manages retirement benefits for California public employees reportedly looked into the validity of pension plans for at least 10 police officers, including four chiefs, who received disability pensions and workers' compensation settlements when they were compelled to leave their jobs at the city of Bell. Occupation: CPA/Council Member Dan L. Koops 1599 votes 25.9%. The current year's meeting schedule is posted on this website. The Palm Springs Desert Sun maintained, in an editorial: That, in a very disturbing way, we all owe the community of Bell thanks. [67], In her February 9 ruling, Kennedy stated that Rizzo "virtually ran this loan program unilaterally" and distributed at least 40 loans totaling almost $2 million between 2001 and 2010. Place of Birth: Bangor, Maine. Contact Raymond Dunton - Bellflower City Council on Messenger. Degree, Cal State Fullerton Born and raised in Bellflower. Judge Ronald S. Coen handed down a new sentence of ten years on the remaining charges of which she was convicted and the amount of money she was ordered to repay in restitution remained the same, which her lawyers planned to appeal, "contending that she was being told to repay money related to crimes which she no longer stands convicted of. Victor A. Sanchez was leading early in election returns for the city of Bellflower City Council’s District 4 seat. In September 2010, Rizzo, Hernandez, Spaccia and council members George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo, Luis Artiga, George Cole and Victor Bello were arrested and charged with misappropriation of public funds. But the permit holders and others seeking to establish a marijuana-related operation will be under new rules, also approved by the council Dec. 10. [30]"These outrageous salaries in Bell are shocking and beyond belief," said Brown. Occupation: Business Owner Bellflower Planning Commissioner Bellflower-Somerset Mutual Water Company Bellflower Chamber of Commerce Bellflower Public Transit Committee B.A. 562-866-9771, extension 2103 citycouncil@lakewoodcity.org 5050 Clark Avenue, Lakewood, California 90712. "[48] Later that day, February 23, 2011, Rizzo complained of chest pains and feeling light-headed and was carried out on a stretcher during his preliminary hearing. They all had to be arraigned again after the judge made the decision to put them on trial. But the permit holders and others seeking to establish a marijuana-related operation will be under new rules, also approved by the council Dec. 10. [87], In February 2008, it was revealed on CBS News that Adams allegedly exchanged e-mails with the assistant city manager on how they were going to arrange his over $400,000 salary and how to hide that fact from Bell's taxpaying citizens. FOR BELLFLOWER CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 4! "[67], Rizzo collected a salary of US$787,637 a year, with yearly 12% increases scheduled every July, he received $1.5 million in the last year. While the Council meets regularly on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, the calendar was adjusted for special events and/or holidays. [121], A local newspaper, the Industrial Post, was founded in Bell in 1924. BELLFLOWER — In a special meeting Dec. 10, the City Council renewed for another year 12 marijuana permits held by five groups. It was because of two intrepid L.A. Times reporters. The commission said it was also looking into whether the Bell Police Officers Association was properly noted as the source of the flyer. I stand for VALUES, PROGRESS and LEADERSHIP, and it is my greatest privilege to continue to serve you as your Mayor. He acknowledged it was a "novel legal approach" but said he was "confident his office had the authority. Rizzo was hired around that time. Nov 2011 – Present 8 years 10 months. [127], The L.A. Times announced the winners of its in-house editorial awards May 2011. Victor A. Sanchez was leading with 44% of the vote for the city of Bellflower City Council’s District 4 seat. Each member of the City Council serves without financial compensation. BELLFLOWER — In a special meeting Dec. 10, the City Council renewed for another year 12 marijuana permits held by five groups. [129], "Robert Rizzo" redirects here. [54] Former Bell City Attorney Edward Lee confirmed during a testimony in 2010 that he outlined the clause in Rizzo's contract that was intended to guarantee the former city manager defense funds "against any type of claim", according to the court papers. City Council Member City of Bellflower. "[80], Rizzo was ordered to stand trial in an additional conflict-of-interest charge regarding a racehorse deal with Bell's privately contracted planning director. Organizers with BASTA began the recall process in August after unsuccessfully calling for the resignation of Mayor Oscar Hernandez and council members Luis Artiga, Teresa Jacobo and George Mirabal. [89], In October 2011, the city hired the first Interim Chief of Police since the scandal broke. [68] In addition, both Rancho Cucamonga and Hesperia may be obligated to pay significant percentages of Rizzo's estimated $600,000 annual pension, according to Daily Press estimates. [92] Bell Police Chief Adams, who oversaw a 46-person department, had an annual salary of $457,000, which is 33% higher than the LAPD police chief, Charlie Beck who oversees 12,899 employees in Los Angeles and earns $307,000. The Bell scandal involved the misappropriation of public funds in Bell, California, United States, over a period of several years in the late 2000s. Bellflower City Council Meeting June 10, 2019 - Duration: 3:36:26. [13] Small businesses, auto shops, markets, carnicerias, and panaderias dominate the streets of Bell. "[31], The California legislature's law-making season ended in August 2010. When residents were told by the state auditor that their political leaders mismanaged tens of millions of dollars of the blue-collar city's money, using it largely to pay themselves enormous salaries, they "gasped in shock and disbelief. In 2005, a measure approved by Bell voters exempted the city from a state law enacted earlier that year which limited the salary of council members of general-law cities—cities without a charter of their own. 2, 3, & 18 (Alternate Delegate District Nos. "With record deficits and painful budget cuts facing California cities, astronomical local government salaries raise serious questions and demand a thorough investigation. [120], In connection with an accusation (AC2012-17) that the audit firm Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. Bellflower City Hall, Bellflower, California. Adams was not charged or arrested. The city of Bellflower wants to sell its aging water system to a big for-profit water company that is better able to manage it. [47] She also testified that Rizzo awarded himself contracts with hefty raises without any approval from the city attorney. In September 2010, Lieutenant Governor Maldonado signed Assembly Bill 900, which returned $3,000,000 collected from 4,000 residents. According to Randi Stover, assistant to City Manager Jeffrey L. Stewart, the … Bellflower City Council Member - 4 years City of Bellflower Planning Commissioner - 8 years Bellflower Resident - 48 years Married - 28 years Attended BUSD K-12, Cerritos College, UTI Kiwanis Club 1992-Present Bellflower Chamber of Commerce 1986-Present dunton4council@verizon.net. [72] Rizzo was in line to receive a pension of $880,000 annually.[73]. [14] The city's unemployment level is 16%. Belcher complied and served as the Interim Chief of Police for one year. Residents voted in a completely new city council, and Bell's interim city manager stabilized the shaky financial position by implementing a balanced budget that eliminated several high-ranking administrative and police positions, uses federal grant money to pay some police officers' salaries, and makes other cuts. This video is unavailable. "Bell residents know their civic house is in disarray," said Supervisor Gloria Molina. Trustee/Deacon Calvary Baptist Church. [107] The Police Officers Association has opposed the contracting of services of the Police Department or consolidation of police services into a joint powers authority[108] and criticized the posting of salaries on the Bell City Clerk's website, calling them "deceptive" due to the inclusion of overtime. [citation needed], "If Rizzo wanted to get rid of you, he'd make some way to pay you off and make it beneficial for you financially", said former Chief Andreas Probst, who was granted a $250,000 workers' compensation settlement and an annual disability retirement of $158,057. In some months the Council meets regularly on the City of Bell assessed property owners sewer! And became incorporated on September 3, & 18 ( city of bellflower city council Delegate Nos., schiff said located in Southeast Los Angeles County, California 90712 cities, astronomical local salaries... Rizzo awarded himself contracts city of bellflower city council hefty raises without any approval from the City.! San Marino 's City Council meeting June 22, 2020 - … Bellflower City Council in 4! ' expense for someone who has everyone ’ s District 4 seat understand... Governor Abel Maldonado, approved the bill never redeveloped Bell Police Officers Association was properly as! 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