Small Southern California City Pays Attorney $500,000 Annually. Huntington Park, a small Los Angeles County city with a population of 61,000, paid its city attorney more than $500,000 a year, according to an investigation by La Opinión.
The newspaper found that the city uses a private attorney at the law firm Leal & Trejo, and according to city records, the attorney, Francisco Leal, is the city's highest paid employee.
Huntington Park currently faces a $2.5 million deficit and has eliminated the city's youth commission and the art commission. Between July 1, 2009 and August 12, 2010, Mr. Leal received $560,000. By comparison, the city attorney for Los Angeles receives an annual salary of $214,546.
Mr. Leal complained that it would be unfair to describe the amount in question as his compensation. He said: "I have no salary, I have a contract and I hire other people." He explained that the amount he receives covers his compensation and that of his two assistants.
Mr. Leal also works as a lobbyist for the city of Lynwood. He previously lobbied for the cities of Maywood, Commerce, South Pasadena and San Fernando, but was either fired or resigned from those positions. (Source: La Opinión, August 12.)
CalTax recommendation: Contracting out is a good idea, but the result should be a budget savings, not additional expenses. More oversight is needed.
Cal-TaxReports, August 23, 2010
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