Things Could Be Worse

Bell is a small working class city in California where all but one of the part-time members of the city council somehow managed to pay themselves about $96,000 each for serving on council and various council-related boards. Furthermore, the city manager was being paid $787,000 a year, his assistant was making $376,000 a year, and the police chief was making $457,000. This occurred in a city with a total budget of $15.9 million at a time when low level employees were being laid off. The three high-paid officials have now resigned, and the council members have cut their own salaries by 90%. I'm not sure how it was possible for this to happen without the knowledge of the taxpayers, but it certainly takes the concept of arrogance to a whole new level.