Torrance Panel Advises Switch to Appointing Treasurer, Clerk

In an effort to make Torrance’s city clerk and treasurer more accountable, a committee appointed by the City Council recommended this week that those offices be changed from elected to appointed positions.

Committee Chairman Ron Littlefair said the group may have been influenced by disclosures late last year that the city lost $6 million entrusted to investment adviser Steven D. Wymer, who has pleaded not guilty to more than 30 counts of securities fraud and other charges.

The decision to invest that money was made by City Treasurer Thomas C. Rupert, who took disability leave after the money was reported missing. Rupert is not accused of any wrongdoing in the case.

“None of us had made up our minds before we went into this, but we may have felt--because of the loss of the $6 million--that we wanted to do something with the treasurer’s position,” Littlefair said.

Councilman Don Lee said the issue had come up during last year’s elections. “Mainly the treasurer’s office was the one that came up in conversation because of the six million bucks,” he said.

Since the offices of city treasurer and city clerk were established in 1922, both positions have held four-year terms that run parallel with that of the mayor. A change in the City Charter, which must be approved by voters, is required to alter the positions from elected to appointed offices.

This week, the committee submitted for the council’s consideration two draft ballot measures, one for each office.

In the drafts, the committee emphasized that appointing people to the offices would allow the city to judge applicants on such qualifications as education, experience and professional competence, rather than relying on who won a political contest.

“Other cities get fantastic people with good education and experience,” Littlefair said. Currently the only qualification for the posts is that the candidate must be registered to vote in Torrance for 30 days before election, and that the treasurer be bondable.

“Anybody can qualify to be the city clerk with no skills at all,” Littlefair said.

Lee agreed that qualifications are important but isn’t sure whether he will support making the positions appointed. “I can make a real good case for both,” he said, “but the general trend is not to take choice away for the voters.”

Before submitting their final report, the committee will also review whether the two positions should be classified as Civil Service or exempt, who the city clerk and treasurer should report to, and, if the positions are appointed, who should make that selection. In addition, the committee will recommend whether term limits should be imposed on City Council members.

The committee meets and has a public hearing every Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Cultural Arts Center. Its final report and recommendations must be submitted by July 28.