Outside the Beltway: Taxpayers Footing The Bill for Wasteful Spending

Todd Thurman / August 05, 2010

The city of Bell, CA paid their former city manager nearly $800,000 a year. There was so much community backlash to the exorbitant salary, that he resigned. They had good reason to be outraged. The city manager was making nearly 20 times what the average family household income is in Bell. There is a gross disconnect between the City Manager and the city he manages. However, the problem is not over yet. It’s only just beginning. Robert Rizzo is due a pension of nearly $600,000 a year for the rest of his life.

How is Bell going to pay for this? By raising taxes on its residents. Bell has one of the highest property tax rates in Los Angeles County and is one of the poorest cities in the county with a comparatively low median income and a high cost of living. One resident of Bell made his complaints known to the Los Angeles Times saying: “They’re robbing us of our money”. The article went on to state that he is frustrated because he has seen his property taxes go up and the value of his home go down within the last several years. It is an alarming trend. (more…)