Search

Jul 15, 2026

charter committee

The Compton Charter Review Committee heard testimony from Interim HR Director Taquan Jones, who explained city hiring processes, the personnel board's role, and urged the committee to modernize the outdated charter, noting it 'hamstrings' HR operations. Commissioners recommended adding the Charter Review Committee and Public Safety Commission as permanently required boards in Section 1000, debated whether to keep the Recreation and Parks Commission, and discussed establishing term limits for both commissioners and elected officials. The committee voted unanimously to table remaining Section 1000 discussion to address other agenda items, including Commissioner Lister's proposals on elected official term limits and mandatory public budget processes. Multiple residents urged the committee not to rush charter reform to meet an August ballot deadline, with one submitting a proposed 18-month timeline, while public correspondence from four community members was formally received and will be posted online.

Jul 14, 2026

city council

The Compton City Council's July 14, 2026 meeting saw an $870,440 contract for homeless supportive services (using federal HOME ARP funds) die for lack of a second, prompting Councilwoman Darden to warn that failing to use [HUD](https://www.hud.gov) funds could jeopardize future federal allocations and request the item be brought back. Multiple residents raised concerns about an undisclosed survey sent from the city manager's office that asked residents about a warehouse tax and their opinions of specific elected officials, demanding to know how the vendor was selected, how it was funded, and why council was not informed. Special counsel presented on all-mail ballot election law, clarifying that while Compton's charter authorizes mail ballots, consolidation with county and state elections requires voting centers to remain open — though residents continued to allege widespread election fraud. The council also declared key city properties surplus land to advance commercial development, scheduled a September 15 public hearing for the Compton 2045 General Plan, and approved a three-year medical director contract for the fire department.

Jul 7, 2026

city council

The July 7, 2026 Compton City Council meeting was dominated by devastating public testimony from the family of Mia Bordenave Jenkins, a 19-year-old UNLV student killed in a July 4th mass shooting at the Wilmington Arms apartments, whose body was left uncovered on the ground for approximately 12 hours while officers and bystanders stepped over it. Councilwoman Duhart formally requested an Internal Affairs investigation into deputies' conduct, and the mayor directed staff to develop a community safety and violence prevention action plan. In closed session, the council accepted City Manager Willie Hopkins' resignation and appointed Acting City Manager Grooms as interim city manager at $334,070 annually (3-1 votes). The council certified the June 2026 election results 3-1 despite public objections, approved $137,170 to complete the long-overdue General Plan 2045 update, and postponed a ballot measure to permanently ban fireworks after learning no enforcement task force had been deployed on July 4th.

Jun 29, 2026

charter committee

The Compton Charter Review Committee reviewed Sections 700–713 of the city charter, covering the city clerk, treasurer, city attorney, city manager, and public safety leadership positions. A heated debate erupted when Commissioner Marquez proposed adopting Huntington Beach's in-person voter ID model, which Commissioner Lister called voter suppression and legal counsel confirmed had been ruled unconstitutional by a California appellate court. The committee recommended adding professional qualifications and certifications for the city clerk and city treasurer, establishing timelines for filling vacant appointed positions, and clarifying Measure CA's language on whether the appointed city attorney must be an individual or a law firm. Vice Chair Butler formally rescinded her earlier recommendation to reduce city council meetings from four to two. The HR director is scheduled to attend the July 6 meeting to address job descriptions and civil service questions raised throughout the session.

Jun 24, 2026

charter committee

The Compton Charter Review Committee continued its section-by-section review of the city charter, focusing on the 600 series covering city council and mayoral powers, meeting procedures, and ordinance publication. The committee voted unanimously to reopen Sections 600 and 601 for discussion, with commissioners calling for the mayor's duties to be clearly defined beyond vague 'ceremonial purposes,' citing comparable cities that include policy leadership and legislative responsibilities. Vice Chair Butler recommended reducing city council meetings from four per month to two, though Commissioner Marquez cautioned that voters recently rejected this same proposal. Commissioners also recommended reorganizing Section 606, which combines quorum rules with council powers into one dense paragraph, and called for charter language requiring ordinances and legal notices to be published on the city website and social media in addition to a clearly identified official newspaper. Section 500 on council compensation was held over to the July 6th meeting when the HR director will attend to answer pending questions.

Jun 22, 2026

charter committee

The Compton Charter Review Committee held a special meeting to continue reviewing Section 500 of the city charter, focusing on three major issues: whether to recommend restoring the elected city attorney position removed by Measure CA, whether to return to citywide at-large voting instead of district-based elections, and total compensation for the mayor and city council. Committee members learned that council members receive a $600 monthly stipend, $650 auto allowance, $100 phone allowance, $20,000 annual discretionary event funds, and lifetime medical/dental/vision benefits after five years of service — with Commissioner Baker raising concerns about insufficient safeguards against cronyism in discretionary spending. No formal votes were taken; staff was directed to research total compensation details, the 2012 redistricting settlement agreement, and residency requirements for an elected city attorney, with responses expected at the June 29 meeting.

Jun 9, 2026

city council

The June 9, 2026 Compton City Council meeting was dominated by explosive public comments from multiple residents alleging the city violated its own Resolution 26363, which mandated an all-mail ballot election for June 2, but polling places were opened anyway. Speakers demanded the election be invalidated and reported contacting the FBI. The council also directed staff to place a permanent fireworks ban on the November 2026 ballot while maintaining the current suspension, approved a $1.8 million street sweeping package to transition services in-house, accepted a $350,000 state tobacco enforcement grant partnering with the Sheriff's Department, and held a public hearing on the 2026-2027 [CDBG](https://www.[hud](https://www.hud.gov).gov/program_offices/comm_planning/cdbg) and HOME annual action plan totaling approximately $1.76 million. Mayor Sharif was absent due to the death of her sister.

May 12, 2026

city council

At the May 12, 2026 meeting, the Compton City Council approved several key items including a $200,000 CalTrans grant to continue the city's Clean Team cleanup program, a $309,495 contract for asphalt pavement rehabilitation at various locations, a $67,500 contract for dirt removal and dumping cleanup on city-owned parcels near the 710 freeway, and an $874,908 cost-sharing agreement with the City of Carson for street improvements on Central Avenue. The council also adopted a schedule for upcoming community budget workshops across all four districts, with an additional Saturday session being explored, and scheduled a public hearing for the HUD 2026-27 Annual Action Plan on June 9. During public comment, residents raised concerns about street conditions, Republic Services trash pickup delays, transparency and financial accountability, the Compton Unified School District bond measure, and a credit card misuse investigation — with the city manager announcing that a full report and the investigator will be presented at next week's meeting.

Apr 16, 2026

personnel board

The Compton Personnel Board unanimously approved eligible lists for seven city positions, including 13 firefighter vacancies focused on paramedic-certified candidates narrowed from nearly 200 applicants. The board also approved three temporary appointments, abolished six outdated eligible lists, and granted temporary exemptions from classified service for three positions in the Water and General Services departments. HR Director Jones acknowledged an oversight in failing to bring an exempt appointment before the board previously and apologized for the lapse. Battalion Chief Jason Henderson was recognized for commanding the response to a major fire at a metal processing facility that drew national news coverage, and board members urged city leadership to prioritize inspections of high-risk industrial buildings.

Apr 14, 2026

city council

The council voted 2-3 to reject a travel authorization (Item 5) totaling $1,623 structured across three separate General Fund line items — $1,000, $548, and $75 — for elected officials to attend the 67th Annual Municipal Seminar in Indian Wells in May 2026, with Mayor Sharif, Spicer, and Bowers voting no and Duhart and Darden voting yes; the three-way split of expenditures for a single event is a pattern flagged in the structured agenda. A right-of-entry and access agreement with nonprofit Connecting Compton for a former landfill site at 2815–2901 West Alondra Boulevard (Item 6) was tabled 4-1 (Bowers dissenting) after council members raised concerns about soil contamination, the city's disclosure of two unresolved competing access challenges filed against the city, and the revelation that vendor NV5 holds an active city stormwater-sampling contract at the site yet has produced no reports to the council. Staff was directed to bring NV5 before the council for a full presentation, explore a request for proposals for soil site analysis, and contact the EPA directly, with all three components targeted to return by mid-May 2026. The closed session on public employee discipline — concerning the city manager currently on administrative leave — was referred to outside retained counsel Enzo Law with no additional reportable action; two members of the public addressed the closed-session item before it convened, both speaking in support of the city manager.

Apr 7, 2026

city council

The council's two largest expenditure approvals were a combined $1,129,333 to Savi Construction, Inc. — structured as an $847,000 three-year citywide red curb painting contract plus a separate $282,333 first-year purchase order to the same vendor — approved 5-0 with Councilmember Bowers voting yes while stating 'reluctantly'; and a $801,642 two-year sole-source lease with Flock Safety, Inc. for 74 automatic license plate readers and 37 PTZ cameras, approved 5-0 despite opposition from at least four public speakers who cited privacy concerns, potential conflicts with California's SB 34 and SB 54, and the sole-source designation of the contract. The consent agenda — which included a $62,100 contract to Mariposa Eco Consulting for SB 1383 implementation, acceptance of a $32,208 LA Dodgers Foundation grant paired with a $24,000 contract to Harold Johnson (an amount that sits just below the $25,000 council approval threshold), and two sets of meeting minutes — passed 5-0 after item 7, a $5,662 Grainger purchase order for portable evaporative coolers at Wilson Park Gymnasium, was pulled for separate discussion and then approved 5-0. At the close of the meeting, following a reconvened closed session, council reported that the city manager was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. Item 12, a discussion on facilities honoring Cesar Chavez, received no council direction and died; item 11, scheduling public hearings for the FY 2026-27 budget, was tabled to be returned with printed dates.

Mar 3, 2026

city council

The council's largest spending approvals came through the consent agenda — passed without individual vote tallies verbally recorded — totaling $141,115: $57,000 to UCLA Center for Prehospital Care for paramedic training, $70,560 across two line items to New West Landscaping for weed abatement (a vendor with recurring contract appearances in Compton records dating to at least 2018), and $13,355 to TAJ Trading Corporation for office furniture and counter purchases; a travel authorization totaling $1,253.24 from the General Fund for elected officials to attend the 2026 City Leaders Summit in Sacramento passed separately, 5-0 (Duhart, Spicer, Bowers, Darden, Sharif all yes). A $350,000 California DOJ Tobacco Grant budget amendment — which would have directed $332,668 of those funds to overtime pay for code enforcement inspections, $16,664 to salaries, and $668 to equipment — was tabled after council members questioned why inspection work was structured as overtime rather than regular-duty assignments; the item is scheduled to return the following week. The council discussed but did not vote on special legal counsel, directing the city manager to bring back a formal action item for three finalist firms: Alvarez-Madruga, Sanders and Roberts, and Norseman. Approximately sixteen residents addressed the Richland Farms parking permit ordinance during public comment — the night's dominant topic — with the majority demanding termination of the program and a smaller number expressing support.

Feb 19, 2026

personnel board

The Compton Personnel Board approved several key actions at its February 19, 2026 meeting, including certifying eligible lists for six city positions ranging from Payroll Specialist to Accountant 2, and approving multiple temporary and temporary exempt appointments across departments. The board reviewed the city's hiring and examination process, which requires candidates to score at least 70% on written and oral exams. A notable restructuring was approved renaming the Community Improvement department to Public Safety, with the new Public Safety Director serving as a liaison between the city and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. An employee raised concerns about why external candidates were being considered for positions when qualified internal candidates were available. The board also modernized the Business License Inspector job specification, which had not been updated since the 1980s, and created a new Permit Service Supervisor position.

Dec 9, 2025

city council

The only new spending approved at the December 9, 2025 meeting was $4,643 for the Maxcy D. Filer Square street designation, passed 5-0; the structured agenda shows $4,560 of that total paid to a single vendor, El Gran Torino Corporation, with the remaining $83.01 listed as a separate line item — no additional vendor description or sole-source justification appears in the available materials, and the payment is split across two line items with no explanation provided. The council voted 5-0 to receive and file $89,369 in city credit card charges covering January through June 2025, but this is a financial records item, not a new spending authorization; the assistant city manager stated the purchasing card program has been suspended pending a formal investigation and asked that council not discuss the charges publicly to avoid compromising that investigation. The council voted 5-0 to amend the Olympics/Tourism Committee ordinance, increasing membership from 9 to 11 — the change was made on the floor after both original motions were withdrawn and re-entered — and the Key to the City Policy resolution was tabled when both movers withdrew their motions, with council directing staff to return the item with language distinguishing the honor from routine proclamations; neither item carries a disclosed expenditure. The charter committee reconvening (Item 4) was discussed but not voted on, with council directing staff to return the item the following week with stipend and skill-set recommendations; at least eighteen members of the public spoke during audience comments, with the largest concentrations addressing the mayor's announced intent to formally request removal of a Public Safety Commission member, Richland Farms parking permits, and the suspended credit card investigation.

Nov 18, 2025

city council

The council voted 5-0 to approve the consent agenda, which included a $50,000 contract with TV Pro Gear, Inc. for council meeting video services; before the vote, Councilmember Darden questioned costs and the city manager confirmed approximately $49,875 had already been expended at roughly $5,800 per meeting, meaning the contract amount was nearly exhausted at the moment of approval — three additional recurring personnel items passed on the same 5-0 consent vote without further discussion: a Grants Director position (up to $132,457 annually), an amended Maintenance Worker Trainee classification ($41,912), and a new Receptionist Clerk position ($38,003). On action items, the council voted 5-0 to authorize $214,730 in CDBG funds for the Clean Team employment training program, covering approximately ten temporary positions at $20.15 per hour, and voted 5-0 to accept $192,729 in state tobacco enforcement grant funds with $173,621 in authorized expenditures. No new spending was approved during the public hearing on potential reallocation of approximately $7.5 million in unspent federal CDBG and HOME funds dating back to 2018 — six residents spoke, raising questions about delayed fund deployment, park conditions, and toxic site remediation, and staff was directed to return with revised proposals. During general public comment, multiple speakers raised concerns about a city credit card charge linked to Councilmember Spicer; Spicer stated the charge was for a June event featuring a performer named Jason Martin, not a medical provider.

Oct 21, 2025

city council workshop

The Compton City Council held a workshop on the status of its 10 city boards and commissions, revealing widespread vacancies including all five seats on the Parks and Recreation Commission and three on the Planning Commission, while the Measure P oversight committee has not been meeting at all. Council members discussed reforming the application and interview process, changing inconvenient meeting times (such as Parks & Rec's 11 a.m. Wednesday meetings), ensuring district-based geographic representation, and developing commissioner handbooks that do not currently exist. The council directed staff to begin advertising vacancies one board at a time, starting with the Planning Commission, and expressed strong interest in reestablishing the dormant Youth Commission. Public commenters raised concerns about term limits, commissioner qualifications, the cost of adding commissions, and the need for a charter review committee, which staff confirmed will be formed ahead of the next election cycle. No formal votes were taken, as this was a workshop for providing staff direction.

Oct 14, 2025

city council

The council's two largest direct expenditures, both approved 5-0, were $233,589 drawn from the Equipment Rental Fund balance to pay outstanding invoices owed to Toyota Material Handling Solutions, Quinn Co., and Carson Trailer Inc. — the use of fund balance to cover past-due bills signals invoices that accumulated unpaid — and $100,000 to Roadline Products, Inc. for pavement marking equipment, a round-number figure at a common purchase-order approval threshold. All consent items passed 5-0 without discussion, including a $25,000 purchase from HASA Inc. for pool chemicals and a recurring $8,459 contract renewal with ESI Employee Assistance Group. The council approved 5-0 a budget amendment accepting $1,988,847 in federal HUD HOME-ARP grant funds and scheduled a public hearing for November 18, 2025 on reallocation of CDBG and HOME funds; both are federal grant actions, not city general fund spending. The evening's largest dollar figure was an informational presentation by Matrix Consulting Group on fire department overtime costs — no spending was approved on that item, and council direction on next steps was not taken.