The situation is not very different from the 2010 scandal in the City of Bell.
Compton’s Mayor and Council Members have been receiving several thousand dollars a month in addition to their authorized salaries. Mayor Aja Brown was receiving the most at $4,000.
While this financial mismanagement is not on the same level seen in Bell, the district attorney warned that prosecution could be an option if the payments continue.
The practice predates the current administration and is carried out via generous stipends for sitting on and attending meetings of various city commissions.
A 2010 report by The Times found that the highest-paying commissions in Compton generally had the shortest meetings. It also found 41 separate meetings that lasted fewer than 10 minutes that year.
More recently, Mayor Brown proposed a ballot measure to cap council compensation at city median household income. It was rejected by the council.
The full story on compensation in Compton can be found here.
Image Credit: Epolk, Wikipedia via CC BY 3.0
