Monday, as efforts to pass a state bail-out for the city’s Beachwood debt collapsed in a heap (see story, Page 1A), the word out of the state capitol was that the pay raise, along with the city’s failure to pursue bankruptcy conspired to scuttle all hope for money from the state. Republican legislators were said to be irritated that the city would ask for money from state taxpayers when it clearly had money of its own and a bond rating California would envy.
Malarkey. The bill was swirling down the legislative toilet before last week’s City Council meeting. No, that isn’t the real tab. That will likely come due in November, when three City Council seats are on the ballot. No candidate wants to explain last week’s pay raise.
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Last week, the campaign trail became a rough road for incumbents who voted for the pay raise.
This is not about those contractors who got the raises, by the way. Not really. By most accounts, interim City Manager Michael Dolder, Finance Manager Hector Lwin and Human Resources Manager Gary Rogers are competent actors trying to plug holes in a city government that has been leaking for a long, long time.
No, this is about fiscal responsibility, government transparency and appearances. The city can’t afford to spend money right now. It shouldn’t be hiding pay raises in gobbledygook written by the very man who gets the raise that is buried on the City Council’s consent agenda. And it just looks bad – very bad.
The council seats of Jim Grady, Bonnie McClung and Naomi Patridge are on the line in November. While none of them have publically announced whether they will seek re-election, the race got easier for Grady – the only council member to vote against the raise – and much, much tougher for McClung and Patridge. Those on the wrong side of the vote will make the argument that Dolder and his colleagues are worth every penny – and they may well be. But the same can be said for the now-dozens of employees the city has laid off in recent months.
No, it doesn’t look good. Not good at all.
-- Clay Lambert
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