South Gate Ousts Ex-Police Chief, His 2 Deputies

The South Gate City Council, taking its first major actions against people hired by the city’s former political leaders, has rescinded the contracts of the former police chief and his two deputies, calling their salaries and perks “unconscionable.”

At a marathon meeting that ended early Wednesday morning, the five-member council voted unanimously to terminate the contracts of Acting Police Chief Rick Lopez, Assistant Chief Mark A. Van Holt and Deputy Chief Carl Heintz. The workers had been on administrative leave with pay since February. Acting Chief Robert Todd is running the department.

Their contracts were approved by members of the former council majority before they were recalled in January. The majority consisted of Mayor Xochilt Ruvalcaba, Vice Mayor Raul Moriel and Councilwoman Maria Benavides. Treasurer Albert Robles, the city’s former political boss, also was ousted.

Their critics considered the agreements, which included generous severance packages, carefully crafted political paybacks for their handpicked administrators.

Several other administrators, including Robles, who was appointed deputy city manager by his council allies, remain under contract. But their agreements are under legal review and residents have been pressuring the council to also remove them from the payroll.

Robles and former City Manager Jesus Marez continue earning, respectively, $10,800 and $11,400 per month, even though they have been on administrative leave since February. They also drive city cars and receive $100-per-month cellular phone allowances.

Others under contract include Economic Development Director Oliver Mujica, who earns $118,000 annually, and Victor Bracamontes, the $111,000-a-year head of community services.

The administrators were protected by the former leaders, say council members, through severance packages worth 18 months of salary if they are fired. The severance packages could cost the financially strapped city more than $2.8 million. The city’s finance director this week declared a fiscal emergency because of a potential $6-million budget shortfall next year. The city’s budget is $28 million.

In nullifying the contracts of the police brass, the city could face lawsuits. But council members said they were confident that a judge would side with the city’s argument that the agreements constituted a gift of public funds.

In the resolution, the terms are described as so “unconscionable, inconsistent with public policy” that they “shock the conscience.” Among the terms is a clause that allows the workers to receive a lump-sum payment worth 12 months of salary if they quit.

“They were basically self-serving contracts,” said Councilman Greg Martinez. “They only served the people that signed on the dotted line.”

But Glen Jonas, an attorney for Lopez and Van Holt, called his clients “men of honor” who refused to bow to political pressure. “The new power brokers of South Gate are engaging in bully tactics designed to execute their own personal political vendettas,” he said.

Lopez, who was hired as acting chief last year at an annual salary of $120,000, drew criticism from many residents for campaigning against the recall while in uniform, which is against the law. Lopez said his image was used in a campaign flier without his permission.

Lopez and Van Holt have been subpoenaed by the Los Angeles County Grand Jury as part of an investigation into alleged political corruption during the two-year reign of Robles and his council allies.The current council also ended the employment of Officer Taron Valentin. Valentin was hired by the former leaders after a court found that he had tipped off suspects in a federal narcotics investigation.