The infamous California city that had people clamoring to be part of its local government is having a hard time. It seems no one wants to be part of Bell. Or even distantly related. It was that scandal that robbed Bell of $5.5 million dollars--with 8 arrested and six city leaders convicted of robbing blue-collar constituents.
Bell's tried to start from scratch, swearing in a brand-new, five-member City Council was just four months ago. Those members swore a complete overhaul of Bell. All the city needed was new leadership for a new go at things. The only problem: No one wants to be part of that 'leadership'.
Bell, California, would be that city that kind of got rocked in a one-of-a-kind scandal involving the arrest of 8 city leaders in 2010. Six were convicted, sentenced in February 2011 where a judge said Bell's mayor, vice mayor and four other past and present officials of the city shirked responsibility -- and sold out their blue-collar constituents for financial gain. That would be serious financial gain. Mayor Oscar Hernandez, Vice Mayor Teresa Jacobo, Councilman George Mirabal and former city council members George Cole, Luis Artiga and Victor Bello were all charged with taking part in a scam -- along with former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo and Assistant Bell City Manager Angela Spaccia -- that effectively robbed the ailing city of roughly $5.5 million dollars.
As far as salary or 'bonus' packages go, city leaders in Bell, California, enjoyed pretty nice incomes: Robert Rizzo apparently enjoyed an annual salary and compensation package that totaled around $1.5 million. Angela Spaccia was paid around $376,288 a year -- and Bell city council members each received about $100,000 a year. That hundred grand per year for council members was about 20 times higher of a salary than Bell members were legally entitled to make.
The judge presiding over the Bell case kind of made the suggestion that the officials were lucky: There was that insinuation the six men could've been charged with even more crimes than those for which they got nailed. Those six have been ordered to stay 100 yards away from City Hall and not engage in any government activity that could involved the city of Bell. It seems others, who were never jailed over the crimes, are taking those words to heart.
No one else wants to be caught near the California city either.
It's been more than a month and not only are city officials having a hard time finding worthy applicants, they can't get any. Not one.
The roles of city manager and every other top position remains unfilled -- completely vacant. There's no Bell police chief and no planning director. In fact Bell couldn't even get an accounting firm to audits city books until the state controller came in and kindly 'encouraged' an accounting place to perform the work for Bell. a firm to do the work.
City council members think they've made a discovery -- that Bell's reputation may be its biggest problem. No kidding.
It kind of has to do with that negative 'press' related to corruption.
Bell's got a deficit of roughly $5 million and a serious issue of building legal bills related to the scandal and the likelihood of major cutbacks in services. Bell residents were allegedly subjected to high, illegal taxation under previous city leadership.
In June 2011 Bell sent out a request for proposals -- looking for candidates through the League of California Cities and its nonprofit affiliate, the Latino Caucus. It simultaneously hit up the International City/County Management Association and plus more than 12 cities throughout Los Angeles County. Bell's been trying to find a candidate to replace interim City Administrator Pedro Carrillo -- whose been with the city for about a year and whose contract ends is coming to a fast close in days. The position is advertised as "interim city manager" -- but Bell officials say they'd consider making the job permanent.
Bell doesn't exactly want to let anyone go who might possibly be interested in playing city manager, since they can't get anyone to begin with. If you're good enough for interim, you might just be good enough for permanent.
Posted on the Bell city website, Carillo says hundreds have reviewed it. Despite the rough economy, there's still no takers. In fact the July 8 deadline for applications came and went -- for Bell officials made a new deadline of July 22. A city's got to hope.
Supposedly five potential applicants "seriously" inquired about the Bell position -- but Carrillo says those potential employees "declined to submit applications for consideration" for the available Bell job. When most places aren't even taking job applications, things are serious when potential job applicants themselves refuse anything beyond a resume. It seems not even applicants want to make things official -- or have any association whatsoever with the city plagued by scandal.
Things have been a bit of a mess since last year's scandal broke. Bell city leaders are said to fight frequently -- and residents apparently jeer its leadership, or lack thereof, in what one potential anonymous applicant likens to watching a football game with screaming both directions.
Governments may complain about a lack of citizen participation -- but that may be the one thing that's up since the whole salary scandal and indictments. Attendance at Bell council meetings has been boosted, with residents -- of a city on the potential brink of bankruptcy -- speaking their minds. The city manager would normally help guide the meetings and simmer down participants but Bell's missing one of those.
Aside from the potential deficit of nearly $5 million, Bell's legal problems are making the city take a further plunge after the salary scandal and illegal taxation issues. It's all bad. And if Bell wants to come out of the mess, it needs someone good -- really good. With a good reputation. It just makes it all the harder, since those with a good reputation aren't likely to have that rep tainted through association with a city that's had such a bad one over recent times.
West Coast regional director of the International City/County Management Association, Kevin Duggan, says he's got hope of finding someone to take on the job. It's always good to hold out hope. Unfortunately it doesn't make things any more realistic.