Editing Bell, California (section)

===2010 city official corruption scandal===
{{Main|City of Bell scandal}}
In July 2010, when two ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' reporters, Jeff Gottlieb and Ruben Vives, were investigating possible malfeasance in the neighboring city of [[Maywood, California|Maywood]], it was revealed that Bell city officials were receiving unusually large salaries, perhaps the highest in the United States. The salaries came into the public eye after the newspaper's investigation, based on [[California Public Records Act]] requests, showed that the city payroll was swollen with six- to seven-figure salaries.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rogers |first=John |url=http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/116/2010/july/27/la-suburb-to-discuss-firing-high-paid-officials.html |title=DA probes voter fraud allegations in Calif. city |publisher=PhillyBurbs.com |date=July 27, 2010 |access-date=July 29, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[Robert Rizzo]], the [[City manager]], received $787,637 a year, almost double the salary of the [[President of the United States]]. Including benefits, he had received $1.5 million in the last year.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-bell-manager-compensation-mobile,0,52255.story |title=Former Bell city manager's compensation totaled $1.5 million a year, records show |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=August 8, 2010 |access-date=August 8, 2010 |first1=Jeff |last1=Gottlieb |first2=Ruben |last2=Vives |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100811161838/http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-bell-manager-compensation-mobile%2C0%2C52255.story |archive-date=August 11, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> Rizzo's assistant, Angela Spaccia, was earning $376,288 a year, more than the top administrator for [[Los Angeles County]].<ref name="latimes1"/> The police chief, Randy Adams, was paid $457,000, 33% more than Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck.<ref name="latimes1"/> All three resigned following news reports and public outcry. All but one of the members of the city council were receiving $100,000 for their part-time work, salaries which were authorized by a sparsely attended special election,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/07/bell-council-found-loophole-in-law-to-allow-big-salaries.html | work=Los Angeles Times | title=L.A. Now | date=July 22, 2010}}</ref> giving the city "Charter" status. By comparison, council members in cities similar to Bell in size make an average of $4,800 a year, prosecutors have noted.<ref name="latimes1"/>

In September 2010, the California Attorney General's office filed a lawsuit against eight former and current City of Bell employees, requesting the return of what the suit calls "excessive salaries" as well a reduction in pension benefits accrued as a result of those higher salaries.<ref name="CNN">{{Cite news|title=California AG sues over California town's municipal salaries|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/09/15/california.bell.lawsuits/|access-date= September 16, 2010|publisher=CNN|date=September 15, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100918072807/http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/09/15/california.bell.lawsuits/| archive-date= September 18, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> Allegations about irregularities in the 2009 election also were examined by the [[FBI]] and [[California Secretary of State]] office.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Winton |first=Richard |last2=Gottlieb |first2=Jeff |last3=Blankstein |first3=Andrew |date=2010-07-28 |title=L.A. County D.A. expands probe into Bell government |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2010-jul-28-la-me-bell-elections-20100728-story.html |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The city's high [[property tax]]es are also being investigated.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-aug-16-la-oe-gelinas-bell-bonds-20100816-story.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717063854/http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/16/opinion/la-oe-gelinas-bell-bonds-20100816/2|url-status=live|archive-date=July 17, 2012|title=Bell stuck in a money rut|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 16, 2010|access-date=August 30, 2010 | first=Nicole | last=Gelinas}}</ref>

On September 21, 2010, former city manager Robert Rizzo, Mayor Oscar Hernandez, former assistant city manager Angela Spaccia and council members George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo, Luis Artiga, George Cole and Victor Bello were arrested and charged with misappropriation of public funds.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-09-21 |title=Rizzo faces 53 counts; Bell was 'corruption on steroids,' D.A. Cooley says [Updated] |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/bell-charges-rizzo.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923154420/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/bell-charges-rizzo.html |archive-date=2010-09-23 |access-date= |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/bell-charges-rizzo.html|title=8 current, former Bell, California officials arrested|publisher=CNN|date=September 21, 2010|access-date=September 21, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923154420/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/bell-charges-rizzo.html| archive-date=September 23, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> The mayor and council members all either resigned or were recalled. Of the eight, only Luis Artiga was found not guilty. The revelations about the salary amounts paid to city officials in Bell led media inquires into salaries paid in other cities.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Allen|first=Sam|url=https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bell-impact-20100729,0,6243085.story|title=California's city officials scramble to limit damage from Bell scandal|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 29, 2010|access-date=July 29, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729190157/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bell-impact-20100729%2C0%2C6243085.story|archive-date=July 29, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> After a review, the ''L.A. Times'' found frequent failures in audits of public agencies in other municipalities in California.<ref>[http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/11/11/1649516/bell-mayor-in-corruption-case.html "Bell mayor in corruption case"]{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, mercedsunstar.com; November 11, 2010; accessed October 1, 2014.</ref>
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