It’s not a good day in the city of Compton.
Mayor Aja Brown is adamant that the council is holding up progress in the city as it relates to fixing potholes. On June 7, 2016, voters were asked to either approve or deny an increased sales tax, to fix city streets, pay for emergency services, a performing arts center and repair the bridge along Wilmington Ave. The caveat was if Measure P passed, in order to spend the money, it was required that an oversight committee be established and seated by January 7, 2017.
2UrbanGirls reached Mayor Aja Brown and inquired if the oversight committee was established.
The mayor recently released a video announcing her re-election and asking for the communities support to get the streets repaired. The mayor wants to implement a bond secured by Measure P funds. Residents assume that International Financial Solutions Inc., described as a Full Service Public Finance Solutions/Municipal Offerings, are based in Atlanta, Georgia, and are trying to secure the rights to implement the bond. The company donated $2500 to support the passage of Measure P.
Related: Who funded the YES on Measure P Campaign
This author caught wind of NBC’s Patrick Healy seeking to speak to city council members about the mayor’s assertion that the council were behind Measure P funds not being spent. Healy was able to speak on camera with mayoral candidate, Omar Bradley, who denounced the continued financial solution of additional taxes on the residents. Compton is already home to the 3rd highest property tax assessments in LA County.
Related: Paying too much? Comparing property tax rates for L.A. County cities
Last night ABC aired a segment featuring Elex Michaelson, who talked to council as if it were a fact that they were holding up the money being spent, without doing any research of what Measure P required, before money could be spent. Michaelson had no questions related to whether the oversight committee, mandated by the measure, was in place to start spending the money.
When reached for comment, and asked if the oversight committee, as required by the January 7, 2017 deadline, Mayor Aja Brown responded, “the item is coming back next week.”
2UrbanGirls interprets this as a no and as such, NO money will be expended until the committee is in place. Expenses also have to be monitored by the Controller’s office and between the Controller and City Treasurers office, council believes nearly $3 million is missing from the arrest of former deputy city treasurer Salvador Galvan.
During the January 3, 2017 regular city council meeting, former interim city manager Jerry Groomes asked that applications be made available to residents to be on the committee and notice be placed in the Compton Bulletin with a due date of February 16, 2017. The committee would be required to meet at least once a year. Huh? They already aren’t following the requirements?
This committee was to be in place January 7th per the Measure P language that residents voted on. What took the city manager so long to make the applications available? Sounds like alternative facts are being spewed by the mayor.
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1 Comment
Is it just me or do “they” always talk about fixing potholes right before election time? Give me a mayor who understands that I’ve been avoiding the same potholes for 30+ years and expect that they should be fixed on DAY ONE. By the way, the lifespan of the crap they use to fix the potholes is coincidentally the same span as a seat in office. Go figure….carrot on a stick.