Crisis in Bell: High salaries stir outrage

Judge rejects former Bell police chief's bid to double pension

Randy Adams was seeking a pension of $510,000 a year. The judge says the Bell City Council never approved his $457,000 annual salary.

Former Bell police chief takes the Fifth 20 times

Randy Adams, who is asking the state retirement system to double his pension to reflect his huge salary in Bell, was on the witness stand at a hearing on the request.

Judge questions why Bell's former police chief isn't facing corruption charges

Deputy district attorney says his office could not build a case against Randy Adams, whose pay is an issue in the case against Rizzo and others.

Calpers Cutting Top-end Pension Benefits

The Bell scandal has prompted the state retirement system to look again at some officials' payouts.

Robert Rizzo, aide accused of conspiracy in Bell corruption scandal

Former city administrator and his assistant conducted an elaborate plan to conceal benefits and bypass state law by hiding their true pensions, an indictment says.

Money missing after deal in Bell

The city paid top dollar for property but got back $425,000 from escrow that is now unaccounted for.

Bell voters cast out the old and opt for the new

Residents of the scandal-racked city recall four council members and elect five.

Bell City Council candidate dies

Miguel Sanchez, 34, a special-ed teacher's aide, had flu-like symptoms last week and was admitted to the hospital early Friday morning. Fellow activists said the campaign had been causing him great stress.

Bell's voters have a real choice this time, thanks to the scandal

On March 8 the city's voters will have something they haven't had in years: candidates not hand-picked by former City Administrator Robert Rizzo ¿ 18 of them.

How Bell hit bottom

Robert Rizzo seemed right for the town -- until he became an 'unaccountable czar.'

Audits of Bell were 'rubber-stamp,' state controller says

Chiang's office finds that an accounting firm that gave Bell clean audits failed to comply with auditing standards.

Bell collected hefty fines in numerous code-enforcement cases

Legal experts point to a lack of due process and judicial oversight in hundreds of 'civil compromises,' in which plumbers, carpet cleaners and bottle-gatherers paid up to $1,000 for alleged code violations.

Bell demanded extra fees from some businesses

The city collected tens of thousands of dollars annually. Some of the revenue helped pay unusually high municipal salaries. Experts say the practice may be illegal.

Bell councilman an accidental hero by staying clear of corruption scandal

Lorenzo Velez knows he owes the acclaim mostly to serendipity. He never got his colleagues' $100,000 salary because it wasn't offered.

Former Bell police chief had a lucrative tax angle for retirement

Randy Adams had himself declared disabled even as he was hired for the job, a move that could make him millions in tax-free pension income when he retires, according to records and interviews.

Bell doubled public service taxes and funneled $1 million to Rizzo, audit finds

The doubling of sewer, trash and other service taxes occurred without voter approval. State auditors have spent weeks reviewing the city's financial records.

Bell leaders hauled off in cuffs

Eight are held in scandal the D.A. calls 'corruption on steroids'

Audit finds Rizzo got Bell funds

Draft report alleges that $95,000 in city money was put in Robert Rizzo's retirement accounts to repay loans he had made to himself. An expert says the allegations could amount to federal wire fraud.

Bell's Rizzo hid true salary

Ex-Bell official said his pay was lower than it was. Some experts say his actions could invalidate his contracts and require that he repay money he earned.

Federal probe targets possible civil rights violations in Bell

The Justice Department is looking into whether the city violated the civil rights of Latino residents by aggressively towing cars and charging people exorbitant fees to get them back.

Auditors find 3rd instance of illegal Bell taxes

Business license taxes were illegally raised over the last decade, bringing to $5.6 million the amount owed back to taxpayers -- more than a third of the city's general fund.

Impounded cars boost Bell's coffers

Police say they were pushed to find cars to tow. Authorities say the practice discourages gangs but will be changed.

Bell assessed illegal sewer fees

Property owners overpaid $621,737 in levies that were raised in 2007, California controller says. The finding comes several weeks after auditors found taxpayers were overcharged $2.9 million for a 'retirement tax.'

Rizzo loaned Bell's money to firms

Bell council was paid for boards that seldom met

Records show one panel hasn't convened since early 2005, yet members were each paid $1,575 per month

Rizzo's horse had come in

Some who worked with him in Bell and elsewhere over the years came to know him as a calculating risk-taker.

City of Bell lent employees, elected officials nearly $900,000

Former assistant city manager received at least $200,000. Experts say such a city loan program for employees is unusual.

Benefits push Bell ex-manager's compensation to more than $1.5 million

Robert Rizzo's vacation and sick time totaled more than 28 weeks a year, the city discloses.

Bell salaries raise more concerns about CalPERS

The state's embattled pension system did not act four years ago when it learned about the city's runaway salaries. The state attorney general and auditors express shock that nothing was done.

Voters in Bell tell of possible fraud

Several residents report incidents involving absentee ballots to D.A., who is probing city elections.

Other cities stuck with the tab for Bell officials' massive pensions

Under the state's arcane, convoluted public pension system, Bell will pay a fraction of the city manager and police chief's pensions. Former employers and other cities will bear the brunt of the cost.

Bell's business ties to officials probed

L.A. County D.A. examines the city's $4.6-million purchase tied to a former politician.

Bell property tax rate second-highest in L.A. County

Homes of the same value in richer cities are taxed at a much lower rate, county tax records show. Residents are already angry about excessive salaries paid to officials.

As top Bell officials earned massive salaries, city workers were laid off

The city cut more than $800,000 from public safety and community services the same year that it gave City Manager Robert Rizzo an $82,000 raise.

Bell council used little-noticed ballot measure to skirt state salary limits

The city asked voters to back conversion to charter status in 2005, the year the California Legislature limited the pay of council members statewide. Only 400 people in a city of 40,000 voted on the measure.

Bell scandal may spur a civic shift

In nearby cities, residents rose up to oust corrupt officials with mixed results.

Is a city manager worth $800,000?

Bell isn't a big town, or a wealthy one. But some of its top officials are paid double or triple the salaries of their counterparts elsewhere.

D.A. investigating why Bell council members get nearly $100,000 a year for a part-time job

The district attorney's review of city records finds that each member in the working-class community of slightly less than 40,000 people gets $8,083 per month. A $400 monthly stipend was expected.

In e-mails, Bell official discussed fat salaries

The messages, made public by prosecutors, offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how some Bell officials talked about their exorbitant pay.