Is Inglewood City Hall under federal investigation? Inglewood City Council resumed city council meetings this week with City Treasurer Wanda Brown once again shedding light on behind the scenes going on’s with the council.
Council started with items being pulled from the agenda related to approving a beer and wine license for a convenience store located at the former Big G Liquor store, and approval of additional Recognized Obligation Payment Schedules (ROPS) funds of $2,021,876.50 to the originally approved amount of $16,706,775 (total approved amount of $18,728,651.50) for Century Boulevard Mobility Improvement Project (Project P212), Phase 1, Projects 1, 2 and 4.
As usual, the city had technical difficulties with the sound and had to halt the meeting for several minutes, after residents came forward to speak against a residential care facilities modified approval at 814 N. Market Street.
The residents fear it will become a “half way house” and are concerned with parking. One neighbor noted that the building is up for sale despite it not being open yet.
We heard a budget presentation that indicates sales tax and other revenue is down due to the near completion of construction of the NFL stadium. Those numbers should pick up when the next phase of construction commences at the site.
It is unclear why the the last two years the city has only earned a combined budget surplus of approximately $150,000. FY 2018-2019 saw a surplus of nearly $60k and FY 2019-2020 is expected to be $90k. How the city has amassed a multimillion dollar surplus is a miracle in itself.
Finally, City Treasurer Wanda Brown started her remarks, by thanking Mayor James Butts for giving her five minutes to speak. The last three weeks of council meetings saw her microphone cut when she continued to highlight the city’s financial troubles. This week she went further than any of us expected.
She spoke of how she attended a Volunteer Breakfast and sat alongside Councilman Ralph Franklin. She proceeded to discuss how Franklin talked about Mayor Butts “like he had five tails”. She also described Franklin’s comments about City Manager Artie Fields lacking financial experience while holding up what appeared to be a phone where she recorded the conversation.
To that end she called Franklin a “snake” and is “weaker than water”.
Of course Mayor Butts then cut her off and went into public comment where District 2 resident Ray Davis came forward, as he does every meeting.
Davis stated he has been coming to council meeting for twenty years and can always count on the City Treasurer to “keep cool”. And now that she is speaking out, which is out of her character. He is concerned and feels something is “amiss”.
A lot of residents feel something is “amiss” with this council and unfortunately, Councilman Franklin didn’t use his time to deny any of the comments Ms. Brown made about him. Instead he chose to “leave well enough alone”.
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark and the stench is hovering over Inglewood.
