”
Red Phone, I was appalled to read the recent stories about the
city administrator and council members in Bell. was wondering what
we pay our city manager and police chief? I’ll bet it’s not nearly
as much.
”
“Red Phone, I was appalled to read the recent stories about the city administrator and council members in Bell, a southern California town of about 38,000. There, the Los Angeles Times reported that Chief Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo earns $787,637 — with annual 12 percent raises — and that Bell pays its police chief $457,000, more than Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck makes in a city of 3.8 million people. Bell council members earn almost $100,000 for part-time work. All that being said, I was wondering what we pay our city manager and police chief? I’ll bet it’s not nearly as much.”
Red Phone: Dear Keeping ’em Honest, you are correct. Morgan Hill’s top two administrators don’t make nearly as much as those in Bell.
Red Phone contacted City Manager Ed Tewes, who said he earns $184,800 a year, while Police Chief Bruce Cumming makes $165,180. The mayor earns $834 a month, city council members make $313.
According to Bloomberg News, an overflow crowd packed a recent City Council meeting in Bell, a mostly Hispanic city about 10 miles southeast of Los Angeles, to call for the resignation of Mayor Oscar Hernandez and other city officials. Residents left standing outside the chamber banged on the doors and shouted “fuera,” or “get out” in Spanish.
Good caller, hope that answers your question.
It was time for the old mural to go
“Dear Red Phone, I drove through downtown the other day and noticed that cool mural on the north side of Trail Dust has been painted over. What’s going on?”
Red Phone: Dear What’s Going On, Red Phone too noticed the missing mural and contacted owner Eric Ingram.
“We’re just freshening up the place and a new paint job was in order,” Ingram said. The old mural was never intended to be a longterm solution, he said. You see, back in 2002, they had a Trail Dust sign there that was too large, and after someone complained, Ingram and his brother painted the bullet holes, because art is OK on a building, but a too-large sign is not.
Now, Ingram said some sort of sign – of the appropriate size – will be painted by local artist Tom Graeser.
