INGLEWOOD – The Inglewood city council called up its former city manager to explain the City’s projected $22 million deficit that was presented during the FY 2021-2022 mid-year budget review May 24. The city attributes the deficit to capital improvement project carryovers.
“I can’t wrap my head around a City our size having the general fund reserve balance it has now vs ten years ago,” said Mark Weinberg, who served as the city manager over a decade ago. Residents can’t wrap their head around why we are paying Artie Fields in excess of $300,000 for him to sit back and let everyone else do HIS JOB.
Since his departure, the City has refinanced pension obligation bonds, and received $31 million in money under the president’s recovery plan related to the pandemic. They also authorized obtaining a $10 million line of credit. All of which was put into the city’s reserves to appear more fiscally solvent than it is.
Keep in mind the City declared a fiscal emergency last August which resulted in a rushed campaign to raise taxes on real estate sales that residents rejected.
The mayor continues to express the City is passing structurally sound budgets, however, city employees will challenge that.
Departments are STILL negotiating contracts and are being told raises aren’t on the table. The talk of “hero pay” is empty rhetoric. Apparently there’s an issue of whether employees who were forced to work during the pandemic, but have left, shouldn’t be entitled to the pay.
The police department has lost nearly two dozen officers through retirement and transfers because the City has no money to increase starting salaries for positions or raises for existing personnel.
To add insult to injury, employees were emailed a video of a one armed child who dreams of becoming a basketball player by defying the odds with a message akin to “doing more with less”.
Departments are short staffed, residents are still not allowed in the building past the first floor without an appointment, and entering council chambers is a thing of the past. But the council’s [campaign] event calendar is chock full of City sponsored events.
Related: Is Inglewood Intuit Dome in jeopardy
In the video below you will hear Weinberg go along with the mayor’s assertions that everything is rosy. Pay close attention to their quick discussion about a forthcoming $5 million contract related to the Intuit Dome that the mayor says “ain’t gonna happen”. Weinberg and Butts appear to be engaged in their own conversation.
Related: Inglewood mid-year budget shows $22 million deficit
Two days after we reported on the city’s deficit, the mayor called a meeting with a local newspaper to discuss their “coverage” of the City. He couldn’t produce a single factually incorrect article printed in it.
As a result, 2UrbanGirls articles will no longer be published in the Los Angeles Wave newspaper.
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who is running for Mayor for 2023?
And with that let the social linking begin, link this post far and wide
NO PERSON OUGHT TO BE SILENCED.
Not in Germany
Not in China
Not in Russia
AND DEFINITELY NOT IN INGLEWOOD
Did you all catch those last 2 lines!!!!!!?
James Butts does not like anyone who does not tell the world of his fabulousness and attempts to silence them.
After all he did proclaim to a reporter that he was “second only to God”.
In case you forgot here are a but a few:
*Barbara Ohno a Certified accountant said declared that she was asked to misrepresent accounting items because she refused to compromise accounting standards she was terminated.
*Dr Wanda Brown the multi-term City Treasurer has been called names publicly insulted, locked out of her office, denied the opportunity to address the public because she raised questions re spending and accounting
*Joseph Tixiera was the victim of a frivolous lawsuit brought on by the city for “copyright infringement” when he used excerpts of council meeting clips to say this isn’t right —the Judge found the City was acting like a third world country rather than the Land of the Free with first amendment rights
*Diane Sambrano was told on tape at a council meeting to “Go Choke Yourself” when she express concern about agenda items.
*Gil Matthieu was insulted in council meetings by not only Butts himself but that then-new to the City employee wanna be Deputy Manager Attwell who carried on about the former council woman he never met with Butts gleefully not interrupting.
*Those concerned re the two killed parents on Manchester (when police saw there was a gun on the lap of the unconscious passenger) were confronted in the council chamber with an line of Police Officers full riot gear when they gracious and calmly had the audacity to ask for the Police Oversight Commission to review the incident.
Yep this is the man, yes man, NOT GOD who thinks Miranda Warnings do not apply if he doesn’t like them. Santa Monica paid the big bucks when he was sued and took the issue to the SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES. —- Guess what yes MIRANDA APPLIES no matter how James Butts feels about it.
The decision in NOVEMBER is clear will we vote for someone who chooses to silence and punish those who ask questions, tramples our rights to assemble and participate in government, limits our access to public information, begins the process to to eliminate homes and small businesses for the benefit of billionaire campaign contributors and treats residents as if the only value we have is for his data mining or have we finally had enough to understand the men and women who wore uniforms and fought for our freedoms were injured and lost lives in defense of these freedoms and rights he is so happy to disregard.
There is a reason the First Amendment to the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION yes the very first in our founding fathers BILL OF RIGHTS Is THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!