The Inglewood City Council will convene Tuesday, June 30, 2020, to reduce public participation, amend the Master Fee Schedule to include street parking permits, continue the silencing of the City Treasurer, and release the findings of the 2018-2019 single audit of the City and the Inglewood Housing Authority. It shows the city is in dire financial straits.
The council meeting will commence with the rejection of claims filed by two residents related to alleged loss/use of sound insulation.
City Manager Artie Fields and Assistant City Manager David Esparza prepared a staff report to amend the Citizen Participation Plan from thirty days to FIVE and approve substantial amendments to the FY 2019-2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Recovery Act (CARE Act) where they will reallocate current unexpended program funds from projects/activities and allocate supplemental funding from HUD under the CARES Act to address impacts to the city. The city expects to receive $827,507.
The city will formally add permit street parking fees to the Master Fee Schedule for the citywide permit parking program.
Mayor Butts made good on his promise to remove the City Treasurer from making oral reports which she has used the past six months to discuss fiscal malfeasance occurring in the city’s Finance Department. In her latest report, dated June 23, 2020, she states Mayor Butts has had her access to City Hall restricted where she can only enter certain areas with the assistance of city employees. Her city issued badge only works on the 2nd Floor where her office is located. This is odd because outside members of the public, most notably a former member of the Compton City Council, at one time possessed an Inglewood City Hall access badge due to his work with City Clerk Yvonne Horton.
Finally, the city’s auditors have released the 2018-2019 Financial Statements and Single Audit for the City of Inglewood and the City of Inglewood Housing Authority. 2UrbanGirls enlisted the assistance of a local and respected CPA, who requested anonymity, to decipher the auditors findings.
“They [City of Inglewood] are in the hole and their revenue won’t cover the their liabilities. They would have to sell assets or increase tax revenue significantly. I would ask for the documentation the makes up the notes and loans, the receivables, land held for resale, community development projects, …Wait, WTF are compensated absences??”
Several residents submitted inquiries to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association about a newly created “fee” associated with the creation of the Housing Protection Department (HPD). Residents likened the exorbitant fee to an undercover tax.
Property owners will have increased annual residential registrations fees from $20 per unit to $84 per unit for properties with 1 – 4 units and $168 per unit with properties having 5+ units in order to fund the new department tasked with regulating rent control.
“Why, for one, do some units pay double? How is rent control in buildings with 5 or more units twice as costly to administer?” said HJTA Staff Attorney Laura Dougherty. “If there is no basis for this doubling, that is a violation of the last paragraph of Proposition 26. And why is rent control administration that much more expensive than code enforcement?”
Is this why Mayor Butts embraced rent control?
To use the associated fees/tax to address the deficiencies on the city’s balance sheet?
22 Comments
Most Local southland cities don’t have full city permitted parking. Nor have their city councils forced permitted parking on it’s residents city-wide except discriminatorially by exempting the highest valued real-estate in a section of its “city-wide” mandate and without full disclosure to residents. in the shadow of a pandemic where public gathering to attend council meetings wasn’t allowed. It’s the backroom way this has been forced on home owners by this council. I thought this kind of bad political behavior was behind us when Dorn and that other cast of disreputable characters left. I had hoped for transparency and a value of seeking public consensus from Mayor Butts and “his council”. We had a parking permit process in Inglewood that was engaged by the will of the people which was democratic. This is autocratic in the way it was brought in and it is unacceptable. I pick my battles and I pick this one. My parents owned and I grew up here when both hundreds of thousands were at Hollywood Park and The Sports teams were flourishing at the Forum and Rev Fred Prices Church had several thousand plus and we managed and lived in liberty without creating a permanent billing and inconvenience process for us owners. This ordinance is a penalty to residents already bearing a major burden under all the construction being brought into the city. To add insult to the rest of us owners. They exempted District2/Ladera for a reason they fight for themselves and Padilla is Mayor Elect but they under estimated the will of the people on this matter. For a growing city these in leadership both at the City and the School board aren’t forward thinking for the people’s interest by their actions. They are closing schools which is never a growth move and penalizes kids and families and with all this corporate business coming in they are penalizing residents in advance of a real parking issue but they are poised to charge us by creating a parking fee on owners & residents here. The problem to be solved was people from OUTSIDE our city and neighborhoods parking on our street and instead of solving that potential problem. This Mayor and Council made us owners and residents parking on our own streets we’re already taxed for the problem. They solved it by create a revenue stream on our backs and visitors to all this business development bear no inconvenience or cost. But t appears with my car registered I can get a ticket mailed or on my car anywhere in the city at anytime claiming a violation since an electronic type all residents registration process is planned. This wasn’t aired openly to the effected public and it doesn’t solve the potential outsiders parking issue without cost to Residents that would have been the concern of us owners. This Mayor and council just created an additional revenue stream without a vote or regard for “we the people.” That elected them with high expectations. I am disappointed and angry about the way this was handled.[Passionate & Space Too Small to proof read-Excuse errors]
Thank you for having this conversation. I enjoy your reports. Keep it up. An Inglewood Bro
The author of this article is a moron. A Single Audit is an audit over the City’s federally funded activities and revolves around compliance. A Single Audit has nothing to do with liabilities and revenues of the city. The financials shown are not covered in a Single Audit opinion. Funds that do not come from the Feds are NOT part of a Single Audit. I get what the author is trying to say, but they are lacking in the very basics of reporting for a governmental entity. Let an Accounting intern write the next article
Mayor Butts and most likely Shaton Koike will explain on Tuesday. See you at the council meeting 2pm on the city’s Facebook page.
Yes
Yeah
Parking permits?
Like santa Monica did?l to raise revenues and parking fines?
Arent both Butts and Padilla santa Monica former smpd police?
Rich get richer and don’t care about nothing else
Parking permits $100, that’s ridiculous. I can see paying that amount after the 5th of 6th permit. I’m paying almost $6k in property taxes. Parking permits should be assign depending how many bedrooms you have registered on your property.
If you want to make money, go after businesses breaking the law/city codes. We have businesses parking their cars on residential streets, leaving the neighbors no where to park during street sweeping and getting tickets.
How could one fiscal year of revenues cover the total 30 year projected unfunded liability to PERS of $250 million dollars. Or cover the total compensated leave accrual of every employee on the books? You would have to assume the City was going out of business tomorrow. That is foolish. This like being told that if you don’t pay off the balance of your mortgage in a single year that you are in financial difficulty. Total revenues exceed our expenditures on an annual basis which includes the retirement unfunded liability payment.
But the trump economy is tanking and quick?
No it’s not…. jobs up… and stock market still up….
No, no maam.
Sir you’re very smart but not that smart.
I’m just waiting here seizing the moment you’re able to explain dodging Hailey’s comet twice, since this is the second major economic downturn the City has faced since your tenure as Mayor.
Come on Butts you’re playing with the books,
If Inglewood true financial obligations were called in the City would be screwed.
All these one time fees from developers and Billboards are drying up.
Unless this City taxes the hell out of their residents and clearly this is what you’re doing now, we like many other Cities walk that fine line of bankruptcy.
The only reason why the City is Credit worthy is because you’ve leveraged so many shady deals with City land and property
Well someone has to pay for those big annual salaries and bonuses his giving out. Why not have the Inglewood Residents pay for them let’s increase parking permits to $100 Like if we already don’t have enough to pay for. What about the 100 million Ballmer donated to the Inglewood community. 5% to Inglewood and the other 95% to their pockets.
Mayor Buttie Cash Flow Short. Inglewood City Hall is Messy. Will the Stadium be Completed ?
Inglewood has been involved in REDEVELOPMENT LAND BANKING/ DEVELOPERS CONTROL BUTTS AND THE 4 TURKEYS SO WATCH THEM DANCE AND ENJOY THE SHOW/BEAVERBUTTHEADBUTTS WAT U DO WITH DE MONEY? YO BUDDY GIL
This is ridicules Inglewood already has the highest tax rate in los angels county and $100 for a permit to park your car
Beyond ridiculous!
Inglewood DOE NOT have the highest tax rate in LA county. It’s tax rate is 10%
Santa Fe Springs 10.500%
Arcadia 10.250%
Burbank 10.250%
Compton 10.250%
Covina 10.250%
Cudahy 10.250%
Culver City 10.250%
Glendale 10.250%
Glendora 10.250%
Hawthorne 10.250%
Huntington Park 10.250%
Irwindale 10.250%
Lawndale 10.250%
Long Beach 10.250%
Lynwood 10.250%
Monrovia 10.250%
Pasadena 10.250%
Pico Rivera 10.250%
Pomona 10.250%
Santa Monica 10.250%
Sierra Madre 10.250%
South Gate 10.250%
South Pasadena 10.250%
ALL HAVE HIGHER TAX RATES.
Also, the first 2 parking permits for any household are free.
It’s the 3rd parking permit for a household that’s a $100.
Most cities charge for all perking permits and don’t give any for free.
Thank you for sharing the new increases in other cities! Inglewood residents until this year have been the highest as all can research on their own by indexing California City Tax. Rates .
Most Local southland cities don’t have full city permitted parking. Nor have their city councils forced permitted parking on it’s residents city-wide except discriminatorially by exempting the highest valued real-estate in a section of its “city-wide” mandate and without full disclosure to residents. in the shadow of a pandemic where public gathering to attend council meetings wasn’t allowed. It’s the backroom way this has been forced on home owners by this council. I thought this kind of bad political behavior was behind us when Dorn and that other cast of disreputable characters left. I had hoped for transparency and a value of seeking public consensus from Mayor Butts and “his council”. We had a parking permit process in Inglewood that was engaged by the will of the people which was democratic. This is autocratic in the way it was brought in and it is unacceptable. I pick my battles and I pick this one. My parents owned and I grew up here when both hundreds of thousands were at Hollywood Park and The Sports teams were flourishing at the Forum and Rev Fred Prices Church had several thousand plus and we managed and lived in liberty without creating a permanent billing and inconvenience process for us owners. This ordinance is a penalty to residents already bearing a major burden under all the construction being brought into the city. To add insult to the rest of us owners. They exempted District2/Ladera for a reason they fight for themselves and Padilla is Mayor Elect but they under estimated the will of the people on this matter. For a growing city these in leadership both at the City and the School board aren’t forward thinking for the people’s interest by their actions. They are closing schools which is never a growth move and penalizes kids and families and with all this corporate business coming in they are penalizing residents in advance of a real parking issue but they are poised to charge us by creating a parking fee on owners & residents here. The problem to be solved was people from OUTSIDE our city and neighborhoods parking on our street and instead of solving that potential problem. This Mayor and Council made us owners and residents parking on our own streets we’re already taxed for the problem. They solved it by create a revenue stream on our backs and visitors to all this business development bear no inconvenience or cost. But t appears with my car registered I can get a ticket mailed or on my car anywhere in the city at anytime claiming a violation since an electronic type all residents registration process is planned. This wasn’t aired openly to the effected public and it doesn’t solve the potential outsiders parking issue without cost to Residents that would have been the concern of us owners. This Mayor and council just created an additional revenue stream without a vote or regard for “we the people.” That elected them with high expectations. I am disappointed and angry about the way this was handled.[Passionate & Space Too Small to proof read-Excuse errors]