Laura Sturza
City Council members, the city clerk and the city treasurer will
have to wait at least one year before accepting a city job.
The council, at its meeting Tuesday night, tentatively approved
plans to prevent a replay of recent appointments of elected officials
to city jobs.
Judie Sarquiz left her elected post as city clerk Oct. 31, 2001,
to take a job as the city's deputy financial services director.
Former mayor Bob Kramer resigned from the City Council on Feb. 25 to
accept a position as the city's community assistance coordinator.
Both appointments generated "a lot of public comment," Vice Mayor
Stacey Murphy said.
"I think there could be the appearance of impropriety when an
employee is interviewing you for a job," Murphy said. "That, in
essence, is what happened when Bob Kramer was [City Manager] Bud
Ovrom's boss and Bud Ovrom was interviewing Bob for a job."
But Ovrom said Kramer and Sarquiz were selected because of their
qualifications.
"I am totally confident that Judie Sarquiz and Bob Kramer were
very good appointments, but at the same time I don't have any problem
with the council changing the system," Ovrom said.
The city attorney's office surveyed Los Angeles, Glendale,
Pasadena, Santa Monica, Long Beach, Santa Ana, San Francisco,
Inglewood and Culver City to determine which, if any of the other
cities, imposed a similar rule.
Only Glendale prohibits former council members from taking a paid
city job within two years after leaving office.
"I think it's very important that the appearance of corruption be
minimized," Councilwoman Marsha Ramos said.
The council considered whether to pursue the legislation in the
form of an ordinance or a charter amendment. A change to the charter
requires a public vote and "is more binding" because to change it
again would mean putting it on a ballot, Ovrom said.
The council will vote on an ordinance before the end of the year
that will stay in effect until the charter amendment can be put
before the public.
The earliest date it could make it to the ballot is April,
officials said.
