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NEWS: September 23, 2010
Audit: City Hiked Taxes, Funnelled Funds to Administrator The city of Bell nearly doubled taxes for sewer, trash and other public services without voter approval, then illegally funneled more than $1 million of the proceeds to then-City Administrator Robert Rizzo and his assistant, a state audit shows. Rizzo was among eight Bell officials arrested Tuesday on charges of public corruption. MORE: Los Angeles Times Compensation Generous in Other California Cities Although eclipsed by the pay received by officials in Bell, other California cities are heaping big money on their top managers, including six-figure loans to buy houses and benefits that more than double base pay, according to a study released by state lawmakers. MORE: Los Angeles Times California Commission Might Regulate City Pay In the wake of the Bell pay scandal, California Attorney General Jerry Brown's office suggested that the state consider forming a commission that could regulate--perhaps even cap--salaries for city managers and other municipal employees. MORE: Sacramento Bee
GAO Veteran to Head Agency President Obama announced that he would nominate Gene L. Dodaro to serve as comptroller general of the United States and head of the Government Accountability Office. Dodary, who has worked at GAO for more than 30 years, has been acting head of the agency since 2008, when David M. Walker left to head a foundation. MORE: Government Executive Angry Voters' Recall Campaigns Target Mayors The throw-the-rascals-out mood is so strong these days that voters across the country are mounting recall campaigns to oust mayors in the middle of their terms, often as punishment for taking unpopular steps like raising taxes or laying off city workers. MORE: New York Times Candidates Wonder: Does Illinois Need a Lt. Governor? Three candidates vying to become Illinois' next lieutenant governor all acknowledged that there's a serious question about whether the office, which has few defined responsibilities, should even exist. MORE: Chicago Tribune Technology | The Nation CDC Grants Back Health Performance Systems The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is helping state, local and tribal public health departments create performance-management systems by awarding $42.5 million in grants funded by the health care reform law. The money is being distributed to 94 projects in 49 states. MORE: Federal Computer Week Despite Glitch, Feds Still Tweeting Many federal agencies were continuing to use Twitter to update the public about government initiatives despite a bug that infected entries, including tweets sent by the White House press secretary. MORE: Nextgov
Audit Finds Hundreds of Millions in Unspent Road Funds A new audit of the Virginia Department of Transportation has uncovered unspent funds spread across several accounts that could total $500 million, according to sources. The state has struggled for years to fund road and transit work. MORE: Washington Post Public Pensions | California CalPERS Investing in Brazilian Real Estate Despite having suffered huge losses in other real estate investments, the California Public Employees' Retirement System is pouring $190 million into the Brazilian market. The pension fund is investing $190 million in a Brazilian commercial real estate fund managed by a Houston firm and frequent CalPERS partner. MORE: Sacramento Bee Ethics | Detroit Former Water-Sewer Chief Target of Probe Victor Mercado, former director of Detroit's Water and Sewerage Department, is under scrutiny as part of a federal corruption investigation. Mercado's agency awarded $109 million in work to a contractor who was a close friend of then-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. MORE: Detroit News Indicted Colorado Assessor Placed on Leave Elbert County, Colo., commissioners placed Assessor Phyllis Jean "P.J." Trostel, who was indicted by a grand jury on 28 counts of embezzlement, forgery, theft and perjury, on paid leave of absence. MORE: Denver Post
Foam Food Containers Banned from County Buildings Taking what could be the first step toward a far wider ban, county supervisors voted to restrict foam food containers from most county offices and concessions. The county jail system, where officials rely on the lightweight containers because they cannot be made into weapons, probably will be exempted. MORE: Los Angeles Times >> More news, analysis, resources and events: GovManagement.com >> Follow GovManagement on Twitter |
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Public Services Help for a Looted City Whether or not former City Manager Robert Rizzo and the other Bell, Calif., officials who were arrested for misappropriating public funds are found guilty, residents deserve to have trusted management in place. An idea put forth by state Attorney General Jerry Brown, for a judge to put the city into the hands of an independent receiver, is intriguing. MORE: Los Angeles Times DATAPOINT
“This is not a threat. It's very real, and I'm not playing.” Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, standing outside a northeast Philadelphia podiatry practice and demanding that the owner cough up an estimated $114,000 in back taxes and penalties, part of the mayor's continuing efforts to rein in the city's deadbeat taxpayers Philadelphia Inquirer | More quotes UPCOMING |
