Top Employees’ Severance Pay Cut

BELL GARDENS —  An ordinance that would have awarded up to six months’ severance pay to several Bell Gardens city employees has been scaled back to allow employees who are fired without cause to collect up to three months’ salary. The ordinance covers nine of the city’s highest-paid employees.

The original ordinance was passed at the final meeting of the former City Council in March, and it promptly drew criticism from supporters of the new council majority that took office last month. Critics charged that the old council majority was attempting to protect City Hall allies of ousted City Manager Claude Booker.

Several members of the administrative staff had been fearful that they would be terminated once the new council took office but so far only Booker has been fired. His $112,000-a-year contract is not covered by either of the severance pay ordinances, and Booker has yet to settle his severance pay dispute.