INGLEWOOD – Two members of the Inglewood City Council are asking for over $300,000 to pay for parties in the park while asking residents to pay increased water bills to avoid a deficit.
In November, Inglewood residents were mailed a public hearing notice that notified them of proposed water rate increases. The City attributed the increases to increased costs to purchase water from West Basin Municipal Water District.
Inglewood Councilwoman Gloria Gray is a voting member of West Basin that voted in favor of raising rates on the cities that purchase water from them, including the City Gray represents.
According to the public hearing notice, the City’s water and sewer fund are nearly insolvent.
“Without the proposed rate increases, the City’s water fund is expected to be in deficit by Fall of 2026.”1
Despite the City’s dire financial position, this didn’t stop Councilwoman Gray and her colleage Dionne Faulk from requested over $100,000 each to hold events at Darby Park.
Gray is no stranger to spending lavishly on the taxpayer, as the West Basin board was under scrutiny for reckless spending of community outreach funds for “community events”.
On the Dec. 9 city council agenda, under Council Initiatives, Gray and Faulk are requesting the City Council approve sponsorship of multiple events that won’t be held until next summer, which coincides with the City Clerk’s office opening the nomination period for the November 3, 2026, election.
CI-1. COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 (Gloria Gray)
Initiative by Council Member Gloria D. Gray recommending the Mayor and Council Members approve City Sponsorship of the Annual Family Unity Day to be held in August 2026, at Darby Park, not to exceed $130,000. (General Fund)
Documents: CI-1.PDF
CI-2. COUNCIL DISTRICT 4 (Dionne Faulk)
Initiative by Council Member Dionne Faulk recommending the Mayor and Council Members approve a $40,000 City Sponsorship for the 5th Annual Women Rock Empowerment Summit presented by the City of Inglewood, tentatively scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., in Downtown Inglewood on Market Street, and Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Inglewood Senior Center, located at 111 North Locust Street, Inglewood, CA 90301.
Documents: CI-2.PDF
CI-3. COUNCIL DISTRICT 4
Initiative by Council Member Dionne Faulk recommending the Mayor and Council Members approve City Sponsorship of the Independence Day Music Festival (Music Festival), tentatively scheduled for Saturday, July 4, 2026, at Darby Park, not to exceed $150,000. (General Fund)
Documents: CI-3.PDF
In April 2024, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. objected to Faulk spending $150,000 on the Inglewood Music Festival, stating he didn’t want promoters being paid from the General Fund. The amount was then reduced to $100,000 under a friendly amendment.
If the City is facing dire straits and is seeking to raise Inglewood residents’ water bills, how do they have money to continue the excess spending?
Mayor Butts, Gloria Gray and Alex Padilla will ask Inglewood voters to re-elect them to their seats on Nov. 3, 2026.
- Notice of Public Hearing on Water, Sewer, & Recycled Water Service Rate Increases https://www.cityofinglewood.org/DocumentCenter/View/21545/Notice-of-PH-on-Water-Sewer-RW-Service-Rate-Increase-ENG–SPANISH ↩︎
