August 6, 2010

LA City Salary posting and Public Records Act request to Lakewood for same

The City of LA in response to the Bell scandal has posted a 547 page pdf document that is supposed to represent all the salaries of current "full time" employees. It does not list other perks, healthcare contributions or pension costs to taxpayers of course. It is also rather vague in that it does not state definitively if all the positions posted are currently filled or for how long they have been filled and paid at that rate. Nonetheless it is a start and is in line with the full disclosure other cities are making in light of the Bell scandal

So given this most recent developments above we are making a Public Records Act request as follows to the city of Lakewood:

LAAG is requesting all 2010 records that pertain to:

1. stipends or salaries of current city council members;

2. Health care contributions made by the city for current city council members;

3. public employee pension contributions made by the city for current city council members;

4. payments made by the city for perks (i.e. cellphone costs, car allowances, internet access, home offices, travel expenses and seminar fees for non state mandated trips, etc.) for current city council members;

5. stipends or salaries of current top 5 compensated employees in each city department;

6. Health care contributions made by the city for current top 5 compensated employees in each city department;

7. public employee pension contributions made by the city for current top 5 compensated employees in each city department;

8. payments made by the city for perks (i.e. cellphone costs, car allowances, internet access, home offices, travel expenses and seminar fees for non state mandated trips, etc.) for current top 5 compensated employees in each city department;

9. stipends or salaries of current top 5 compensated employees in city managers department;

10. Health care contributions made by the city for current top 5 compensated employees in city managers department;

11. public employee pension contributions made by the city for current top 5 compensated employees in city managers department;

12. payments made by the city for perks (i.e. cellphone costs, car allowances, internet access, home offices, travel expenses and seminar fees for non state mandated trips, etc.) for current top 5 compensated employees in city managers department;

13. All payments made to city attorney in last 12 months.

Please contact LAAG and make arrangement for us to view these materials. We will then make a decision on what materials to copy if any.

See the City's response here

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™ click here to receive LAAG posts by email

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

After reading the Los Angeles Times article and http://www.laag.us/2010/08/city-manger-compensation-in-la-county.html on how much city managers make in our local area, I was floored, to say the least, to learn of the hefty salary city manager Howard Chambers makes. After picking myself up off that metaphorical floor, I was left with only one question: How in the hell does he justify a $240,595 salary for a city with a population of only 86.636? His salary breaks down to about $125 an hour, $1000 a day, $5000 a week, and $20,000 a month. Astonishing.

Howard Chambers is right up there with Los Angeles city manager Miguel Santana who manages a population of over four million people! You tell me, Mr. Chambers, exactly what special talents you bring to this city to deserve such a salary that rivals that of a city with a population 48 times larger than ours?

That question, however, is rhetorical because there are no justifications for this abuse of your constituents' money and trust. As my family struggles day to day to stay afloat, Howard Chambers and his assistants are apparently living high on the hog off of our well-worn backs.

As word of this financial abuse spreads, they will have to answer to someone at some point. Hopefully sooner, rather than later. I, myself, will be doing whatever I can to inform others. This comment has already been sent to Howard Chambers and staff.

A more realistic title of the Lakewood book would read: "The Lakewood Story: Deception, Dishonesty, Immorality."


C. Dean
A Not-Very-Proud Resident of Lakewood