Loophole Gives Council 122% Raise

Huntington Park City Council members are the latest local officials to exploit a loophole in state law that allows them to sharply increase their own salaries without a vote of the public.

Elected officials in “general law” cities like Huntington Park can increase their salaries by no more than 5% per year. Any increases beyond that must be approved by the voters.

But Huntington Park’s council members--following the lead of Bell Gardens and Lynwood--sidestepped that law by creating a city commission and appointing themselves as members--a maneuver that is expected to more than double their current pay and boost their retirement benefits.

The council voted 3-1 Monday, with Mayor Rosario Marin abstaining, to form a Community Development Commission. The new post is expected to increase the council members’ monthly part-time salary of about $900 to nearly $2,000. The council members’ retirement benefits will increase because they are based on the monthly salary.

The council is scheduled to finalize the salary increase Aug. 16.

Councilman Richard Loya, who voted against the commission, complained that the council failed to comply with the state requirement that the city declare a need for the commission.

When Loya made that demand Monday, Councilman Thomas Jackson replied: “This is for the purpose of [giving] the raise to the council in a legal way.”

“What you are saying,” Loya responded, “is the need is to give the council a raise.”

“I’m not answering that question,” Jackson said.

Loya said he would refuse the salary increase.

Before voting on the new commission, the council received a city staff report on a similar commission created by the Bell Gardens City Council last year.

The Bell Gardens City Council members boosted their pay from $12,200 to $31,375 by naming themselves to a newly created Community Development Commission--making themselves among the highest-paid elected officials in small Southern California cities.

Lynwood City Council members found another way to double their annual salary to about $41,500 last year: They voted to pay themselves $450 to attend each meeting of two city agencies and increased the number of times those agencies meet to at least twice a month each.

The Huntington Park City Council members also voted unanimously Monday to increase their daily travel allowance from $200 to $250, and raise the council’s monthly expense accounts from $225 to $325. The mayor’s expense account increased from $250 to $375.

Councilwoman Linda Luz Guevara introduced the legislation last month to create the commission, saying that the council members have been working long hours on city development projects and “should be compensated fairly.”

Guevara also sought the ordinance to increase the benefits, saying that the higher pay was needed to keep up with the increased cost of living.

The ordinance that the council adopted to create the panel simply says the commission will oversee the city’s redevelopment projects. Loya said that is redundant because council members are already paid $60 a month to meet as the city’s redevelopment commission.