Bradley’s Power Play : Plan Would Give Mayor More Authority, Make Council Jobs Full-Time

In his first seven months as mayor of Compton, Omar Bradley has embraced the spotlight time and again.

He aggressively pressed for a card club, risking the wrath of ministers in a town where churches have traditionally been the base of political power.

He’s taken on rap artists for derogatory lyrics and, in the same breath, triggered heated protests by accusing Jews of promoting a negative stereotype of blacks.

Last week, Bradley touched off a new debate when he proposed a major overhaul of city government that would give the mayor more power and make the mayor and council positions full-time, with hefty pay increases.

The plan, which eventually would have to be approved by voters, would give the mayor authority to set agendas for council meetings and to veto council decisions. The mayor’s position would become separate from the council, and his salary would increase from $32,000 to $70,000 a year. Council salaries would jump to $40,000 from $22,000, and a fifth council seat would be created.

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The sweeping proposal, both opponents and supporters say, is illustrative of Bradley and his leadership style.

“He’s bodacious, he’s brilliant, he’s young,” said Amen Rahh, a college professor and member of the Compton Unified school board. “That’s what we need.”

“He’s a dictator,” said Patricia A. Moore, a former councilwoman who lost her mayoral bid to Bradley last June. “It’s almost criminal against the citizens. The city doesn’t hardly generate enough money to support current salaries, much less a pay raise like that.”

Bradley still has to get council approval before his proposal can go to the June 7 ballot, but a majority of council members have indicated they favor a public vote.

Bradley, 35, who was born and raised in Compton, teaches English at Lynwood High School. He first was elected to the council in 1991, and has long complained of the demands of holding elected office and another job. He is married and has two children.

“Whether you know it or not, this is already a full-time job,” the mayor said when he introduced his reorganization plan at a council meeting. “We all do a lot of work for this city, and a lot more needs to be done.”

This is not the first time Bradley has angled for a salary raise. In December, he proposed that a Gaming Commission, composed of the mayor and four other council members, be created to oversee nightly bingo games at the city-owned Ramada Hotel and the planned card casino.

Bradley suggested that the council be paid another $11,000 a year for serving as gaming commissioners. After public protests, the commission was created, but as an unpaid body.

The mayor admits that he tends to charge ahead on proposals that he feels strongly about, even if they generate heat.

He was the most vocal of three council members who approved a hotly debated card club for the city in December, 1992. Bradley said at the time that his vote for the casino might cost him votes in last year’s mayoral race, but that he believed a casino would provide much-needed revenues for the struggling city.

The club is scheduled to open in the spring of 1995, and officials estimate that it will generate $10 million in revenue for Compton. Bradley said he wants to use the money to hire more police and clean up decrepit business districts.

Then there was the flap over rap music. While lecturing rap star Eazy-E about his depictions of black life, Bradley also insinuated that Jews were behind a conspiracy to promote negative rap. He apologized in the wake of heated criticism, but continued to repeat the allegation on radio talk shows in the following days.

Now, Bradley claims that he triggered the public debate over rap lyrics that resulted in major radio stations across the country banning songs with negative depictions of blacks and women.

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Even some of Bradley’s political opponents will admit he’s instituted some popular programs. He draws praise for establishing 100 Strong Men of Compton, a volunteer organization that has embarked on a citywide cleanup project.

“He’s not unsophisticated,” said Rep. Walter R. Tucker III (D-Compton), a former mayor of Compton. “I’ve seen some good come out of projects like 100 Strong Men. But I’m also hearing a lot of distrust out there right now.”

Some critics, for example, question Bradley’s recent trip to China, in which he flew first-class at city expense. An ardent supporter of the business community, he also plans a trip to Africa to promote international business relations for the city.

Some veteran politicians say the young mayor is simply pushing too far, too fast.

“I think he’s a nice young man,” said attorney Maxcy D. Filer, who spent 14 years on the council. “But I can’t agree with some of the issues he’s pushing. We have enough potholes and trees to trim to keep him busy.”