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The City Council of this tiny blue-collar city voted to slash its bloated salaries, but some residents suggested nothing short of a totally cleaned house would appease their anger.
Under pressure from furious Bell community members, council members on Monday voted to cut their own salaries by 90 percent and two said they would not seek re-election when their terms end.
Four of the five council members were getting paid nearly $100,000 for their part-time jobs. Other officials were getting paid far more and the city manager, who made nearly $800,000, has already resigned. Attorney General Jerry Brown on Monday revealed he had subpoenaed hundreds of city records.
Hundreds of residents packed the community center on Monday to assail council members who listened to more than five hours of public comment. After the council announced its decision to cut its salaries, dozens of people waited for hours to vent their anger. Many demanded the council resign immediately.
Bell's city manager, police chief and assistant city manager all resigned last week after it was revealed they were making salaries totaling $1.6 million a year.
The salaries exploded into public view after a Los Angeles Times investigation, based on California Public Records Act requests, showed the city payroll was bloated with six-figure salaries:
_ Chief Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo made $787,637 a year, getting a series of raises since being hired in 1993 at $72,000. President Barack Obama makes $400,000.
_ Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia made $376,288 a year.
_ Police Chief Randy Adams earned $457,000 — $150,000 more than Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck.
Councilman Lorenzo Velez makes about $8,000 a year, in line with the part-time pay for council members of similar-sized cities. He urged his colleagues to reduce their salaries to that level.
