LOS ANGELES : Ethics Panel Approves Plan to Pay Mayoral Aide Ouchi

The City Ethics Commission has no objections to an unusual arrangement in which private funds will be used to pay most of the salary of Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan’s chief of staff.

Noting that the state Fair Political Practices Commission has already approved the payment plan, Ethics Commission Director Benjamin Bycel recommended in a letter made public Monday that “to forestall any perceived conflict of interest problems,” neither Riordan nor his chief of staff, William G. Ouchi, should be involved in raising the funds or be made aware of donors’ identities.

Under the arrangement, taxpayers will put up only 15% of Ouchi’s approximately $120,000 annual salary, compensating him for the 15% of his time he is to spend on city administrative matters.

Individual donors, estates and corporations will pay 80% of Ouchi’s salary indirectly by contributing to the private California Community Foundation, which will then pass the money to UCLA in the form of a grant. UCLA, where Ouchi is a professor of management, will then pay the money to Ouchi for the 80% of his time he will spend on an “action research” project to streamline Los Angeles city government. The final 5% will be paid directly by UCLA to compensate Ouchi for administrative activities there.

In addition, Bycel said he saw no problem with Ouchi continuing to provide management consulting services to two clients that do no business with the city.