Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/eddie-manfro/)
Orange County District Attorney’s Office is making inquiries into allegations of what is essentially an attempted bribe by Westminster Mayor Tri Ta to keep Councilwoman Margie Rice, his opponent in the November election, from running against him, according to a lawyer who is suing the city.
With a massive budget deficit that could bankrupt the city by 2018 looming, a divided city council traded shots this week over whether service cuts or taxes increases are the solution.
Following a lengthy review, the California Public Retirement System (CalPERS) has determined that Westminster City Attorney Richard D. Jones was never entitled to a state pension through his work with the city.
Westminster Police Chief Kevin Baker has been out on medical leave for several months and is being paid a full salary. One council member has described Baker’s absence as a “stress leave.”
Last year, Jones & Mayer, of which Richard Jones is the sole owner, collected at least $2 million in billings for city attorney services in several cities. On top of that, Jones received a $210,000 salary from Westminster last year and might be in line for a fat pension.
City Manager Eddie Manfro can authorize up to $175,000 in spending without City Council approval, which is more than top administrators are allowed in cities four times as large as Westminster.
Robin Roberts said she became a target of Councilwoman Margie Rice and other officials after she complained about potential Brown Act violations, unreported campaign contributions and conflicts of interest.
The city’s budget deficit is $2 million more than city leaders anticipated, after a costly accounting mistake by the city’s now fired finance director came to light. Officials won’t explain the mistake and how it occurred.
The budget relies on reserves and internal funds but does little to address a structural deficit that could deplete reserves within six years.
Even with the economy improving, the city manager is more cautious than optimistic after a near bankruptcy and 67 layoffs.