In recent months, there has been a plethora of media coverage concerning the bankruptcy of the city of Vallejo.
A city of 120,000 residents in the shadow of San Francisco, Vallejo filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection last Friday
Most media outlets attribute the bulk of the problem to Vallejo’s generous public safety salary and benefit packages. Some of the City Council members suggested that the pending bankruptcy has been in the making for more than 15 years, and the public safety salary issue is just one of many issues causing the current fiscal crisis.
In the city of Culver City, we have read investigative news reports going back 10 years or more outlining police and City Hall mismanagement and corruption, and the constant harp of “we need to cut back.”
The city of Vallejo blames much of its crisis on the police and fire salaries. That may be true. At the police officer and firefighter ranks in Culver City, the salaries and benefit packages at those ranks are about what can be expected for the geographic area and the financial resources of the city:
Not great, but not bad, either.
Culver City’s Turn?
Based on what has happened and what is now happening in the city of Vallejo, the city of Culver City will most likely face a similar scenario in the not too distant future.
The outcome will depend on this new City Council and whether or not they will continue to do what past Councils have:
Bury their heads in the sand and take the attitude that if they ignore the problem, it will go away.
The city of Culver City is headed in the same direction as the city of Vallejo.
First of all, there is a major police and public corruption issue looming just over the horizon.
Undoubtedly, we will see a case scenario somewhat similar to what has recently occurred in Orange County — but worse.
Expensive Changes
The financial fallout just from that will be catastrophic, not to mention the probability of federal government intervention.
In the past few years, we have seen a variety of changes in the structure of City Hall and the Police Dept. These changes have resulted in exceptionally high salary and benefit packages for a small group of city leaders and management employees.
I would invite the City Council to make public the time frame plus salary and benefit increases, and potential retirement income, for various city leaders and management personnel.
We have seen in excess of $2 million being paid out in the last couple of years for less than a half-dozen police employees for legal fees, settlements and judgments as a result of the illegal, unethical conduct and decision-making of just a handful of city leaders.
What kind of improvements can be made to city streets or city parks with that kind of money?
How an Entrepreneur Would Respond
In any other business, an owner would bend over backward if he or she were made aware of losses of a half to a million dollars a year due to internal fraud and theft. Any business owner would take immediate steps to prevent the glut of litigations and liability that is in the millions. Any business owner would take immediate steps to remove from the organization those individuals responsible for the bad decisions.
The city of Culver City, like any city or business, has written and unwritten policies to report theft, misuse of funds or internal misconduct and corruption, or to make suggestions to provide cost savings.
In Culver City, the history has been to encourage these things, except when they involve these same kinds of acts by City Hall and by police leadership/management.
When that happens, the reporting person is labeled a disgruntled employee. A relentless campaign of retaliation is initiated. The result is the same: Financial losses at taxpayer expense. I believe that retired Orange County Sheriff’s Dept. Lt. Bill Hunt can relate to that.
Familiar Markers in Place
While the city of Culver City is headed in the same direction as Vallejo, it is for slightly different reasons.
But the pattern is the same.
It is the indifference of the obvious causes of the problems, year in the making, plus impotent elected leaders who ignore the root causes of the problems.
I would invite any residents to attend a City Council meeting and ask a few questions.
Ask: What is the time frame, the salary-and-benefits package for a city management employee, say, City Manger Jerry Fulwood?
Is his salary-and-benefits package similar to that of the bankrupt city of Vallejo City Manager, whose package has been reported in the $400,000 range?
How did it get to that point?
Problems but No Personnel Changes
I would ask the City Council why have the dozen or so command, management, supervisory members of the Police Dept. not been relieved of duty pending an outside criminal corruption investigation that has defrauded, and continues to defraud, taxpayers out of up to $1 million a year?
And I would ask the City Council how much money are taxpayers paying for outside legal help? For what reasons?
Of course, the Council cannot be fooled as others before, and rely on the same persons involved in these acts to provide the answers. They must come from the outside. There cannot be any influence from current city leaders, both appointed and elected.
It is simple. The questions must be asked in the first place. Everything is based on the facts and the truth.
Closer Inspection Urgently Needed
The city of Culver City is at a point where an independent Office of the Inspector General be established for the specific purpose of rooting out criminal corruption, misconduct, unethical behavior and wasteful spending.
Any business owner would do it in a New York second.
Why should it be any different in a municipality?
Drunken-sailor spending on someone else’s dime is not a prudent business expense.
Just as in the case of the city of Vallejo and its dilemma that has been 15 years in the making, the residents of Culver City soon will be faced with similar circumstances.
How will the current City Council react? Part of the solution or part of the ongoing problem?
Retired Culver City Police Det. Mike Conzachi may be contacted @ mconzachi@sbcglobal.net
