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Compton council to recruit city controller after closed session; resident alleges Brown Act violations
Summary
After a closed session that produced no reportable action on two legal appointments, the Compton City Council voted to recruit for a city controller. A public commenter accused city leaders of repeated Brown Act violations and raised questions about personnel processes and reimbursements.
The Compton City Council reconvened Jan. 13 after a closed session that the council said addressed recruitment for the city controller, municipal law division clerk and city attorney. The council reported "no reportable action" was taken on the municipal law division chief or city attorney but voted to authorize recruitment for a city controller.
The decision followed public comments alleging improper handling of personnel matters. "You have violated the Brown Act on a number of occasions," Bishop Leroy Gillery told the council during public comment, saying he had been asked publicly to resign "in an open meeting that was not on your agenda" and that he had submitted a signed resignation to the clerk. "I'm going to hold you culpable for it," he said.
Why it matters: The Brown Act (California Government Code section 54950 et seq.) governs public meetings for city councils and other local bodies. Allegations that decisions about personnel were discussed or acted on improperly raise legal and procedural concerns the council and staff said they would monitor.
What the council did: After returning from closed session, staff told the council there had been no reportable action on two of the three appointment items and that the council had decided to recruit for the city controller position. The clerk then conducted a roll-call vote in favor of the recruitment; each council member present voted yes.
Public reaction and context: Multiple public speakers in the meeting raised broader concerns about city transparency, reimbursements and recent staff departures. Several speakers urged the council to put some appointment decisions on the open agenda rather than handling them behind closed doors. Council members responded by discussing charter requirements and the legal basis for closed-session discussions.
What's next: Staff said recruitment for the city controller will proceed; the council will receive applications and take further steps publicly as required by law. Separately, several residents asked the council to pursue outside investigations or policy changes related to credit-card reimbursements and personnel processes.
The meeting adjourned at 8:47 p.m.
