The city of Compton is facing a $9.8 million revenue shortfall this current fiscal year, which has led to lay-off’s of nearly four dozen staff members, and not enough funding to administer the upcoming 2021 elections. Despite the financial constraints, the City Clerk, City Treasurer and City Attorney are all requesting raises, in the 2021-2022 fiscal year, under the guise of their alleged “increased duties” and failure to have their salaries increased since 2004.
The raises would take effect July 1, 2021, to be aligned with the salary prescribed by law for judges of the Superior Court of the State of California. If this sounds familiar, this is the same salary Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. allegedly wants his salary aligned with.
The salary increases don’t require voter approval per the city’s charter.
City Clerk Alita Godwin has had her duties reduced due to her no longer being over running city elections. She has failed to properly charge candidates, for participating in city elections, and allegations are growing that she isn’t refunding deposits for sign removal. She is seeking to admonish candidates, with alleged outstanding debts to her office, to violate the rights of residents seeking office. Godwin failed to budget for the 2021 elections, with the City Manager Craig Cornwell having to dip into the street repair fund, Measure P, to cover the shortfall.
The city clerk position is full-time, and despite her irregular work schedule, she is seeking her salary to be increased to $150,215 from $123,753.
Taxpayers already pay for a full-time deputy city clerk to perform the same functions.
City Treasurer Doug Sanders allowed nearly $4 million to walk out of City Hall, by his deputy treasurer, and is asking for $150,000 up from $115,753, According to Sanders, all of the employee unions have received raises since 1993 and its basically his turn to get one. The city treasurer position is NOT full-time. When was the last time he actually participated in a city council meeting?
City Attorney Damon Brown has recommended his salary be increased after initially being appointed, presumably because of his affiliation with Cornwell. They are fraternity brothers. Brown continues to dodge allegations that he lives in the city of Pomona, and is refusing to enforce the city ordinance, pertaining to illegal marijuana dispensaries, which are currently a misdemeanor. His listed duties as city attorney is to prosecute misdemeanors. He is seeking his salary to be increased to $214,601 from $170,900.
Residents should be outraged that the city doesn’t have money to fix the streets, run elections and staff the parks but believes they will “find” money to give their colleagues a raise.
Cornwell should have immediately rejected their requests citing the anticipated revenue shortfall that will continue into the 2021-2022 fiscal year, as restrictions related to the COVID-19 global pandemic have been tightened, during the first six months of this current fiscal year.
What new revenue does Cornwell anticipate receiving to justify the increases?
When will taxpayers entertain the idea of appointing the positions of city clerk and city treasurer, with NO salary, and making the city attorney an actual city employee?
24 Comments
OMG, really you idiots voted to give raises to this shameful elected official, here why they should be prosecuted:
1) Doug Sanders does not attend regular council meetings, never gives a report of revenue coming and going, let alone detecting the city was being reaped off by a member of his staff for 3.7 million dollars; he needs a raise to do what????????♂️.
2) Damon Brown just got here and you want a raise for what????????♂️Not one case have to handle, you’re just like Dumbwell hiring outside council to handle his responsibilities.
3)
Alita you’re just part of the fixtures to say the less.
How do you all sleep at night when your former colleagues have loss their homes, medical insurance, self pride due your greed and mismanagement.
You lay off 50 or more staff due to lack of funding and now you can find money for these incompetent people a raise.
How do you all live with yourself, may you burn in HELL!!!
All of their requests for raises were ignored by the council.
I was going to comment but it’s all been said above. The sheer audacity and sheer greed is staggering. Plus remember, they retire in their highest salary so this the last pit stop for Alita and Doug before they go out the door. You got to love it. Compton, the gift that keeps on giving. Straight gangsta.
This feels like a slap in the face, punch in the gut and being beat with a bat all at the same time. How can this even be thought about when they just had a big layoff and Mayor & Council and people were told it was due to COVID 19. COVID-19 is not gone and the County might shut down again. There is no money for an election, but they want to have raises ranging from $26,462 to $43,701 per year. ROBBING THE PEOPLE!!!
Ten dollars bet on Alita Godwin not going to read public comments cause her old ass is on her period.
Stop the BS
Don’t forget these muthafckers also get auto allowances at about $1000/month or $12,000 per year.
They making a killing and then says bullshit like the union got raises so I deserve one too. Although I make $100,000 per year the cost of living has gone up, so I need a raise. Asses like these people should get the fuck out of being an elected official. You should be for public services not a fatter paycheck.
The shit that happens in this CIty always pisses me off.
If you ain’t gonna do anything about the marijuana dispensaries, then just make the thing legit in Compton. Saves my ass some time driving to neighboring city for my blunt
Lord please tell me I read this wrong! The Compton administration decided in June they had to layoff 50 employees due to less revenue! Now 5 months later the three stooges plus one is requesting a raise, how in the Sam hell you can justify this request; if you had any act right in you, you would have tried to save working folks their job.
Why now do they need a raise for not doing their jobs, what about their former colleagues that may have loss their apartment/home, unable to pay their utilities, put gas in car to look for a job, eating food from hand outs. Trying to maintain manhood/motherhood, and greedy assholes think you deserve a raise….go screw yourselves!
For once think about what the individuals that loss their jobs are going three.
All of you requesting a raise self proclaimed to be a child of God, I here to tell you his is not pleased with your selfishness.
Whatever happened to I’m my brothers keeper.
You’re just like clown Trump carrying the Bible upside down.
You guys are sickening!!!!
Craig Cornshit is gonna go bat for it. Before he was CM, he was City Attorney. You probably don’t know the shady ass wheeling and dealing in the backroom between him, doug, and alita. We just add Damon to the mix now.
Oh yeah, 2urbangirls, you are wrong in saying that street repair fund, Measure P, is being used. Measure P was sold to the public as a street repair fund, but it is a 1% sales tax that can be spent for anything. Because the public WAS so concerned about how the money was going to be spend, the City decided to put the money into its own separate fund and not the general fund.. This is like you putting money in your savings account to buy a car but nothing is gonna stop you from spending it on a big screen TV. Check out the sorry ass budget presentation from last year and you see how the “street repair fund” is allocated. Last week council meeting talked about dipping into it for election cost coverage.
They could’ve used that money to save City jobs but they didnt. There is no plan but to spend willy nilly.
Mr Cornshit, this is a primary reason why people fucking hate you because of your unfairness. We gave you a chance to show your leadership when you became City Manager, but you became a sorry ass one instead. It is so easy to lay people off and then say “oh these three positions have been over worked with additional duties” and they need a raise. Open your fucking eyes!!! You think laying off 50 people won’t give other employees additional duties or be over worked. Employees just step up and do the job.
Why dont you give every position a 3% raise? There is one to stop you.
Also, I see all these job position changes for the council meeting and you need to ask what’s going on? There are no directors so you created a bunch of “new” supervisors with the responsibilities of directors and give them and extra $2-3 dollars. Too bad The City has no HR director to tell you to fuck off with your crazy idea.
What bullsit! Cornwell and the City Council should all apply for jobs with the Circus. They are all a bunch of despensary owning, self-seving clowns. Get the hell out of Compton!
I agree!!!
Someone can count! You lay-off half the employees and now you can afford to give raises. What about the men and women who loss their jobs, maybe homes, self respect due to the mismanagement of this administration.
Craig you were not a good attorney and worst as a city manager.
Damon your past work history is sad, you will never be a Johnny Cochran.
The other two are not worth mentioning.
I’m praying you all go to jail….stop this nonsense!
Are you kidding me, seriously you all want a raise!!! Damon you just got here and have proven to be worthless; you have outside council doing your job.
Arlita, you one last rip off before you retire, you would think that with your recent life challenges you would have humble yourself (Greedy)
Doug you need the raise to payoff your USC debt.
You all are embarrassing, Craig laid off hard working family people so you niggas can get not so deserving raise.
The saying is correct;”If you want to get rich just go to Compton.
In such a challenging time, you idiots want a raise; you’re not doing more work because there is none.
Go to Hell!!!
In the name of Jesus, Stop and think about what you’re doing….several months ago Mr. dumbbell, you have taken livelihood from employees and now you idiots want a raise for not during your.
You all should go pleasure yourselves.
None of you are worthy, ! Enough is a Enough you fake wanna bee, greed is the greatest of compromise of oneself!
J
Compton politicans are so incompetent that they should be paying US to represent us. As I recall, voters denied them pay raises on Measure I a couple of years ago because voters felt that their performance was SO poor that they did not deserve a raise. Has there been any improvement in their performance since then? I say NO.! What tangible results have been acheived in the city of Compton? I say NONE! Has our quality of life improved since measure I? No! We knew it wouldn’t be long before they would be back with a new trick to get what voters wouldn’t give them. VOTE them ALL out come election time before they start asking us to work for THEM!
Really City attorney Brown, you want a raise for doing what????????♂️For decades the city attorney has to hire outside council to represent cases that a monkey can defend.
Damon Brown you have not represented the city of Compton on any legal issue; you act and look like Grady on Sanford and son.
Arlita please crook go somewhere and sit down.
Doug Sanders are you kidding me …a raise you couldn’t watch the 3.7mil that walk out, is the raise to help to carry out the next bunch of money.
All you disgraceful clowns need to go sit your disgusting asses down…no one respects any of you, you all are BIG Joke!
Compton please STOP! Dumbbell said they had to layoff hard working staff, not caring about their wealth because you didn’t have the money.
Now you selfish jackasses come here wanting a got dam raise, when none of you are worth the salt your names are printed.
My prayer is the God take all you idiots to shore and build an island called “Disgraceful “ not fit to hole a space on this earth.
Compton is one BiG joke!
They are all crooks. They did get a raise back in 2011 or 2012, when the district attorney took the councils commission pay they made their base pay the total amount combined with the commission and technically their responsibilities decrease because it was no more commissions. The clerk has 2 deputies and two other staffers and a friend that is a consultant doing minutes. The second deputy was to do minutes so they didn’t need consultants
Parking Enforcement hasn’t had a raise in years but are trying to get a little 5% raise which is like $1 more and hour if anything 90 cents and received a big fat NOOOOOOOOOOO because of Covid-19 amongst other excuses ! If they approve this I swear the David Goldstein needs to investigate this ????????!!
I’m not surprised. The council doesn’t need raises they are dispensary owners
I agree Cornwell should deny any and all requests for a raise until the city clears the $9.8 Current deficit in addition to last year’s $40 Million and our parks are fully staffed and functioning. He should also, look at all non-operational spending and freeze it. Compton simply does not have the funding. Citizens should be outraged. Timing is everything and lack of appropriate timing says a lot. That’s just the Executive Management in me speaking from experience.
Our guess is they thought residents would be too occupied with turkey giveaways and universal basic income to notice.
He’s not going to deny his sorority brother a raise !! Come on people lol ????
What a shame!!!
They should take the money from what they are paying the outside Attorney to represent the young lady that killed the bicycle rider a few months ago when she was on her cellphone. And then expect the residence to pay when the judgment comes in for the family