Maywood city attorney quits, adding to political woes

In two surprise moves at the Maywood City Council meeting Monday, City Atty. Edward Lee resigned while embattled Interim City Manager Angela Spaccia appeared poised to keep her job — at least for the time being.

Spaccia, who has been on loan to Maywood from the city of Bell since February, sent an e-mail to the City Council on Friday in which she stated her intention to end her relationship with Maywood in light of negative media attention over the high salaries paid to Bell officials — including herself.

But after a two-hour closed session at Monday’s council meeting, the panel did not announce Spaccia’s resignation.

Mayor Ana Rosa Rizo said after the meeting that Spaccia’s work with the city will end when her three-month contract expires Aug. 12, unless the council renews it.

Regarding the e-mail from Spaccia, Rizo said, “It seemed like a letter of resignation, but apparently there was some confusion as to whether it was.”

Spaccia declined to comment on the letter.

“Until this council tells me otherwise, I’m here to serve this community,” she said.

Lee, also the city attorney in Bell, informed the Maywood council that he needed to resign to focus on Bell’s difficulties. He also will be leaving the law firm Best Best & Krieger, where he has been a partner since 2006.

Last week, Downey terminated Lee’s contract as that city’s attorney there because he signed off on the huge salaries paid to Bell officials.

The question of whether Spaccia should remain as Maywood’s top administrator is just the latest upheaval in this largely Latino, working-class city whose political history has been marked by recalls, corruption investigations, fiscal emergencies and, most recently, a total restructuring and outsourcing of all city services

Maywood residents took Spaccia’s resignation as an opportunity the opportunity Monday to vent their anger against at the City Council for dismantling the city’s Police Department and laying off virtually every city employee. Maywood now pays Bell $50,833 a month to provide day-to-day city services such as finance and human resources, while the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department took over law enforcement July 1.

Several residents gathered in front of City Hall before Monday’s meeting, bearing sporting signs reading “Time to Clean House” and “Resign or Recall.” Some were veteran activists, and others, such as sisters Monica Unzueta, 29, and Adriana Unzueta, 34, were attending coming to their first council City Council meeting.

“We live here, and we want to know what are they doing with the funds? What are they going to do now?” Monica Unzueta said.

SanJuana Sanchez, 53, said she wants a change of leadership.regime change in the city. “We’re poor, but we work for our money. We’re not corrupt,” she said.

Rosalba Jimenez walked with other Bell residents from their own City Council meeting to join the crowd outside Maywood City Hall. “The people who live in Bell are here to support Maywood because we have the same case,” she said.

Maywood has been without a permanent city manager for more than a year. Paul Philips, the previous acting city manager, resigned in January. City officials said the lack of a permanent manager contributed to Maywood losing its insurance, which meant it could no longer have employees.

The council went into closed session for a few hours. prompting the growing crowd to begin chanting for the members to return. When they finally did, the spectators cheered.

That happiness, however, was short-lived. Council members emerged were tight-lipped. upon coming out of closed session, where They had been slated to discuss Spaccia’s performance, but said no action was taken.

For the audience, that inaction spoke volumes.

City Treasurer Lizeth Sandoval took the stand to point a her finger at her employer.

“It was unethical of you to hire Ms. Spaccia and Mr. Lee, who also worked for the city Bell, and negotiate Maywood’s services into Bell — that’s a conflict of interest,” she said.

Residents and city employees weren’t happy with the council’s closed-door session or the result.

City Treasurer Lizeth Sandoval took the stand to point a finger at her employer.

“It was unethical of you to hire Ms. Spaccia and Mr. Lee, who also worked for the city Bell, and negotiate Maywood’s services into Bell — that’s a conflict of interest,” she said.

“The fact that nothing was achieved in that closed session was a tactic,” said Daniel Villa, who runs a Facebook page called Rebuild Maywood. “It’s disrespecting the people.”

Salvador A. Contreras agreed.

“I believe this is a slap in our face as a community,” he said.

abby.sewell@latimes.com