Home

: Why are Huntington Park Elected Officials not transparent with the City's
    proposed Budget for 2004-2005?

: Why is citizen input left out?

: What does the proposed budget contain to prompt the Budget Committee
   and Council Members to prevent public scrutiny and public comment?

: These actions, deeds and patterns of behavior by City Council members
   raise serious questions about their intentions for use of Public Funds due to
   the seeming lack of transparency, accountability and complete absence of
   goodwill efforts at public outreach.

Residents of the City of Huntington Park have a right to be informed and demand transparency and
accountability with City Budget .

Elected Officials in the City of Huntington Park do not have a municipal code section that dictates
procedures for public input of proposed City Budget. The Budget Committee, with staff input, makes
its recommendation to City Council and presents the Budget to Council Members for review and
comment within a week's time . There is no public hearing scheduled or pubic input sought.

Other local cities such as Compton and Downey hold public hearings to solicit resident input on
proposed city budgets.

Charter of the City of Downey
Calls for Public Hearing Process on
City Budget Proposal

For link, click here

Following is an abstract of the Charter of the
City of Downey

Section 1202. BUDGET. SUBMISSION TO
CITY COUNCIL.

At least 35 days prior to the beginning
of each fiscal year, the City Manager shall
submit to the City Council the proposed
budget and shall make
copies of the proposed budget available for
inspection.

After reviewing the same and making such
revisions as it may deem advisable, the City
Council shall determine the time for the
holding of a public hearing thereon and shall
cause to be published a notice thereof not less
than ten days prior to said hearing, by at
least one insertion in the official newspaper.
Copies of the proposed budget as amended by
the City Council
shall be available for inspection.

Section 1203. BUDGET. PUBLIC HEARING.

At the time so advertised or at any time to
which such
public hearing shall from time to time be
adjourned, the City Council shall hold a public
hearing on the
proposed budget, at which interested persons
desiring to be heard shall be given such
opportunity.

Section 1204. BUDGET. FURTHER
CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION.

At the conclusion of the public hearing the
City Council shall further consider the
proposed budget and make any revisions
thereof that it may deem advisable and on or
before June 30 it shall adopt the budget with
revisions, if any, by the affirmative votes of at
least a majority of the total members of the
Council. Upon final adoption, the budget
shall be in effect for the ensuing fiscal year.
Copies thereof, certified by the City Clerk,
shall be filed with the City Manager, Designee
responsible for the functions of finance, City
Treasurer, and the person employed by the
City Council to perform the independent audit
as provided in Section 1216, and a further
copy shall
be placed, and shall remain on file, in the
office of the City Clerk where it shall be
available for public inspection. The budget so
certified shall be reproduced and copies made
available for the use of the public
and of departments, offices and agencies of
the City.

"Compton Begins Hearing On
2004-05 Budget"

Wave Community Newspapers

June 9, 2004

By Cynthia Griffin,
Wave Staff Writer

"COMPTON — The city manager’s office Tuesday
unveiled a proposed 2004-05 budget that is
$11 million higher than the proposed budget for
last year.

During a presentation that chronicled the
accomplishments for fiscal year 2003-04 as well
as what is planned for the coming year, Michael
Heriot and his staff produced a budget that
calls for $142 million in expenditures, up from
last year’s proposal of $131 million.

The increase in spending comes in the wake of
an increase in expected revenues, most notably
from the water fund department.
According to projections, residential connection
revenues will jump from $156,000 to $1.21
million; commercial connections will increase
from $10,405 to $145,902; and industrial
connections will jump from $1,560 to $19,000.
Another big bump is expected to come in the
guise of additional contributions from
Proposition A and other funds. That amount is
expected to jump from $200,000 to more than
$2.3 million.

Despite the increase in revenue, Compton
resident and CPA Reginald King expressed
some concerns about the city’s lack of a reserve
fund.

“They have zero amount set aside as a reserve,
and according to the city charter, a reserve
should be set aside,” said King. “There’s no
specific amount, but you must have a reserve,”
King, who worked three years in the Daytona
Beach, Fla., controller’s office and now
maintains a private practice specializing in
taxation, pointed to neighboring cities such as
South Gate and Carson, which he said have
healthy reserves, despite the fact that South
Gate has experienced financial troubles as well.
The other issues in the budget that concerned
the CPA were the apparent lack of contingency
funds and no variances to take into account the
possibility that a department may spend more
or less than its allocated budget.

City Manager Heriot acknowledged the lack of a
reserve and said it is something the council and
city manager’s staff are working to turn around.

Another budget review hearing will be held
Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. in the community meeting
room behind the City Council chambers."

Copyright © 2004 Los Angeles Wave Newspaper
Group. All rights reserved.

WatchOurCity.com

Home * Ethics Principles * Travel & Cell Phone Expense Watch

Council Salary Watch * Contracts Watch * City Watch Archives

Campaign Promise Watch * Campaign Contribution Watch

Contact Us * Terms of Use

Home * Ethics Principles * Travel & Cell Phone Expense Watch * Council Salary Watch * Contracts Watch * City Watch Archives

Campaign Promise Watch * Campaign Contribution Watch

Contact Us * Terms of Use

Comton Budget Public Hearing

Downey Budget Public Hearing

""When a public
official breaches
that sacred trust
by illegally
exploiting their
position for
personal gain,
confidence in
responsible
government
suffers and
promoted is the
belief that those
in government
are in it for
themselves only
and not because
they wish to
serve and make
a difference.".
- Donald Thomson,
Jr., FBI Agent in
Charge, Richmond
Virginia