INGLEWOOD (2UrbanGirls) – Inglewood treasurer Wanda Brown continues to pull back the veil on the city’s finances and alleged misappropriation of city funds to enrich former city council members with lifetime medical benefits. During this week’s (May 26th) council meeting she continued her crusade to alert the residents about the city’s finances.
Former Inglewood council member Jose Fernandez was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into the Centinela Valley Union High School District (CVUHSD) by Daily Breeze reporters Rob Kuznia and Rebecca Kimitch.
Related: Daily Breeze wins Pulitzer Prize for Centinela Valley school investigation
Their investigation revealed Fernandez, former Superintendent of CVUHSD, duped the school board into rewarding him with excessive benefits and a home loan. Current Inglewood Councilman Eloy Morales Jr. was also included in the investigation as he was Fernandez’s protege and succeeded him in representing residents in Inglewood’s District 3.
Related: Inglewood Councilman Eloy Morales Jr. benefited from Centinela Valley’s crony culture
Brown declared that in 2003 Fernandez agendized an item inflating the compensation of council members to include lifetime medical benefits that every former council member receives. Brown clarified that she does not benefit from lifetime medical as the ordinance states it is reserved only for former executives.
Brown identified the misappropriation totaling $195,983.94.
She stated that the misappropriation continues to occur under City Manager Artie Fields, Mayor James Butts, and City Attorney Ken Campos. Campos was an employee of the city attorney’s office when the ordinance passed.
Brown cited the following figures related to lifetime medical expenses paid out under Fernandez’s ordinance:
- $92,270.56 for Jose Fernandez who hasn’t been a councilman in over 15 years;
- $4,649.16 for Judy Dunlap who was voted out in 2013;
- $65,680.40 for Roosevelt Dorn who hasn’t been on the council since 2010;
- $33,383.82 for former city clerk Hermanita Harris;
Brown has called on the FBI, LA County District Attorney’s office, and the state controller to investigate the city’s finances.
Jose Fernandez is currently on trial for his misdeeds in CVUHSD, while Inglewood taxpayers should be asking if the current city council and city administrators are obligated to reverse the ordinance in question if in fact it is not allowed under the city charter unless they planned on obtaining the lifetime medical themselves.
Unfortunately, the city clerk’s website doesn’t include council agendas prior to 2010 nor is Yvonne Horton’s office forthright in document requests under the CA Public Records Act.
“See attachment of Treasurer report for 5/26/20 council meeting. Mayor Butts had the city attorney speak that the city paying medical expenses of former council members who were on the council more than 15 years ago is illegal,” said Wanda Brown. “He knows it is not. The city charter forbids it which is why former mayor Roosevelt Dorn was prosecuted and convicted by the DA’s office.”
“The big question is why aren’t the medical bills fo former council members Daniel Tabor and Garland Hardeman, who also served multiple council terms not receiving lifetime medical,” explained Brown. “Mayor Butts was not expecting this exposure although I warned him, Artie Fields, and Ken Campos previously.”
**6/13/2022 update**
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office served a search warrant on Inglewood City Hall in July 2022 related to an investigation into lifetime medical benefits paid on behalf of former Inglewood, now Los Angeles Councilman Curren Price Jr., and his wife Delbra Richardson-Price.
Misapropriation-of-Public-Funds-05-2020
8 Comments
Wanda you are my hero
Sounds like Teena’s on the take, too.
“Who in their right mind finishes chemotherapy and takes time to write a letter like this?”….well, clearly someone who cares enough to do so. Why would anyone who hasn’t done anything wrong fear an investigation?
Sunlight is a great disinfectant. You keep shining your light, Wanda. We are 100% behind you.
Wanda has cancer and she is definitely a cancer at City Hall.
This woman should be recalled!
She makes her colleagues uncomfortable by talking about and worrying about other people’s salaries and their benefits.
The mayor has done a lot of good for the city. Property values have gone up, crime has gone down and the Rams, Chargers, Clippers, Girl Scouts and LA Philharmonic’s Youth Orchestra are moving in.
Since Wanda is calling for an investigation, maybe she should be investigated for illegally recording people, which is a felony in California.
And who in their right mind finishes chemotherapy and takes time to write a letter like this?
Wanda is cray-cray and she should spend her time worrying about her own health and not the benefits other people are receiving.
so you’re saying the mayor and council should be able to give themselves raises and spend money how they see fit because of what’s going on in the city? isn’t that what they were elected to do? if they want extra perks and bonuses they should take their talents to the private sector however they wouldn’t get away with any of the shit they pull in Inglewood.
Definitely not on the take. Definitely not mentally challenged and definitely not being paid by the mayor.
I do NOT know the mayor, city manager, any city council members or anyone who works at Inglewood City Hall.
But after reading several 2urbangirls articles about Wanda, in my opinion, she seems like a very vindictive woman and a woman who is making who coworkers uncomfortable by asking them personal questions about what benefits they receive and they never answer her questions.
It’s not a personal question when public money is being used to pay said benefits.
When you post the mayors speech “NFL, Clippers, Girls Scouts, blah, blah, blah” sounds like him. #GroundhogsDay
My only issue is I wish she had spoke up sooner.
TENNA U GOT TO BE CRAZY OR MENTALLY CHALLENGED OR PAID BY BEAVERBUTTHEAD BUTTS/
Have a SEAT!