TRANSCRIPT:
Laurel Erickson: No one says the folks in Compton live on Easy Street. It’s one of the poorest places in L.A. County. They’ve even talked about bankruptcy. But it may also be a place for easy money.

Lucrative contracts, unpaid loans, money for meetings that last just minutes. It’s all part of our three-month investigation into Compton City Hall.

Erickson [to Council Member Willie O. Jones]: You’re getting $7,800 a year and the city is just 10 square miles.

Erickson [to Council Member Lillie Dodson]: How much time do you spend on those commissions?

Erickson [to City Manager Harold Duffey]: What happened? Did he get his loan forgiven?

After reviewing hundreds of Compton City Council meetings and minutes going back to 2009, we had a lot of questions, and it was difficult to get answers, as you’ll soon see.

Erickson [on the phone]: I’m trying to find out how much money the city council members make. How much do they get for a meeting, do you know that? The budget says seventy-seven nine nine six. I think it’s for the council members. Are you saying that’s for the mayor?

We eventually determined that each council member makes about $55,000 for that part-time position. We also learned most of that money – 73 percent – comes from sitting on commissions that may meet as little as three minutes.

Take January 8th, 2013: just before the regular city council meeting, the four commissions convened: the Housing Commission, Public Finance, Gaming Commission, and Urban Community Development Commission, or UCDC. At 5:25, the Housing Commission starts. 5:34, it’s the Public Finance. 5:46, Gaming Commission. And at 5:51, the Urban Community Development Commission starts.

Our research shows in 2012 the city council members earned $39,000 for serving on the four commissions, which met for a total of 26 hours. That shakes out to $1,500 per hour. They even got paid in August, even though there aren’t any meetings held that month. None of this surprises Compton resident Joyce Kelly.

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