Images, from top and left to right: James George Bell House, Bell Public Library, City of Bell Police sign Images, from top and left to right: James George Bell House, Bell Public Library, City of Bell Police sign Bell, California is positioned in the US Bell, California - Bell, California Bell is an incorporated town/city in Los Angeles County, California, near the center of the former San Antonio Township (abolished after 1960).
Its populace was 35,477 at the 2010 census, down from 36,664 in the 2000 census. Bell is positioned on the west bank of the Los Angeles River and is a suburb of the town/city of Los Angeles.
At 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2), Bell is the thirteenth smallest town/city in the United States with a populace of at least 25,000. Enumeration Bureau ranked Bell's territory area at 1245 out of 1257 metros/cities (defined as incorporated areas) and two unincorporated areas that had a populace of at least 25,000 in year 2000.
Ten metros/cities in the list of 1267 metros/cities had no territory area data (e.g., Goleta, California).
City inhabitants voted to turn into a charter town/city in a special municipal election on November 29, 2005.
Fewer than 400 voters turned out for that special election. More than half of those votes were dubiously obtained absentee votes. Being a charter town/city meant that town/city officials were exempt from state full time pay caps. A scandal ensued, in which a several city officials were indicted for giving themselves extraordinarily high salaries. The region comprising the town/city of Bell has a Native American history dating back thousands of years.
While stationed at Mission San Antonio de Padua near Salinas, California, Francisco Lugo's first California son, Antonio Maria Lugo was born in 1775. That son became Don Antonio Maria Lugo, Spanish aristocrat and soldier, who settled on 30,000 acres of territory that encompasses what is now the town/city of Bell.
In 1876, the pioneer inhabitants for whom the town/city is named, James George Bell and his wife Susan Abia Hollenbeck Bell, and their two children, Maude Elizabeth and Alphonzo Sr.
Moved from Los Angeles where they lived for a short reconstructionwith Susan's brother, John Hollenbeck, in their Victorian style home the Bell House, now a historic landmark positioned at 4401 East Gage Avenue. On April 6, 2000, the Bell House was dedicated as a California State Historical Resource. The Bell Family lived at the Hollenbeck's "Town House" on 4th and Breed Street until they moved into the "ranch" Bell House in 1876.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Bell region was a sparsely settled countryside with a scattering of homes, including the Bell family's home.
Old and new inhabitants assembled new businesses, established schools, and established improve organizations, such as the Bell Chamber of Commerce and the Woman's Club.
The Community News disappeared not long after, facilitating a chain of corrupt practiced that ultimately led to criminal convictions for town/city administrator Robert Rizzo, who had been hired around 1998, and six other Bell town/city officials.
It has since been demolished. In 1926, Bell High School was opened. Bell was incorporated as a town/city in 1927.
Since its incorporation, the City of Bell has acquired territory for enhance parks and the recreational program.
The town/city also has constructed an adequate sewage system, widened all primary streets, assembled a town/city hall, and provided fire department buildings, with the cooperation of the town/city of Maywood and the County of Los Angeles, the town/city of Bell constructed an indoor enhance swimming pool at Bell High School.
The city's Chamber of Commerce is positioned at the historic James George Bell House, which serves as a meeting place and in addition, a exhibition highlighting artifacts from the city's beginning family and reconstructionfurniture.
In March 2007, the town/city of Bell held its first contested election for town/city council in almost a decade. The next election for City Council was held in March 2011, and encompassed the recall of all the town/city council members save one, who was not re-elected.
In March 2000, Bell attained worldwide publicity, as the media announced that a shipment of 55 Oscar statuettes was stolen from a trucking business loading dock in Bell.
In addition to the Los Angeles and Bell police departments, FBI art theft experts investigated.
Main article: City of Bell scandal In July 2010, when two Los Angeles Times reporters, Jeff Gottlieb and Ruben Vives, were investigating possible malfeasance in the neighboring town/city of Maywood, it was revealed that Bell town/city officials were receiving unusually large salaries, perhaps the highest in the United States.
The salaries came into the enhance eye after the newspaper's investigation, based on California Public Records Act requests, showed that the town/city payroll was swollen with six- to seven-figure salaries. Robert Rizzo, the City manager, received $787,637 a year, almost double the full time pay of the President of the United States.
Including benefits, he had received $1.5 million in the last year. Rizzo's assistant, Angela Spaccia, was earning $376,288 a year, more than the top administrator for Los Angeles County. The police chief, Randy Adams, was paid $457,000, 33% more than Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck. All three resigned following news reports and enhance outcry.
All but one of the members of the town/city council were receiving $100,000 for their part-time work, salaries which were authorized by a sparsely attended special election, giving the town/city "Charter" status.
By comparison, council members in metros/cities similar to Bell in size make an average of $4,800 a year, prosecutors have noted. In September 2010, the California Attorney General's office filed a lawsuit against eight former and current City of Bell employees, requesting the return of what the suit calls "excessive salaries" as well a reduction in pension benefits accrued as a result of those higher salaries. Allegations about irregularities in the 2009 election also were examined by the FBI and California Secretary of State office. The city's high property taxes are also being investigated. On September 21, 2010, former town/city manager Robert Rizzo, Mayor Oscar Hernandez, former assistant town/city manager Angela Spaccia and council members George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo, Luis Artiga, George Cole and Victor Bello were arrested and charged with misappropriation of enhance funds. The mayor and council members all either resigned or were recalled.
The revelations about the full time pay amounts paid to town/city officials in Bell led media inquires into salaries paid in other cities. After a review, the L.A.
The 2010 United States Enumeration reported that Bell had a populace of 35,477.
11,363 citizens (32.0% of the population) were under the age of 18, 4,124 citizens (11.6%) aged 18 to 24, 10,783 citizens (30.4%) aged 25 to 44, 6,811 citizens (19.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,396 citizens (6.8%) 65 years of age or older.
An audit by the Los Angeles County auditor-controller concluded that the town/city must decidedly downsize its budget, including the possibility of disbanding its police department and contracting with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The Bell Police Department provides law enforcement for the tiny town/city of Bell.
There are 47 members in Bell Police Department. The town/city of Bell said they were negotiating with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department to take over the policing contract, however, Sheriff Lee Baca's spokesman says that L.A.
Watanabe, who had suggested that the Sheriff's Department providing policing by contract with the City of Bell, had made no contact with him regarding that possibility. Fire protection in Bell is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Whittier Health Center in Whittier, serving Bell and encircling areas. The United States Postal Service operates the Bell Post Office at 6327 Otis Avenue and the Bandini Station Post Office at 5555 Bandini Boulevard. In the California State Legislature, Bell is in the 33rd Senate District, represented by Democrat Ricardo Lara, and in the 63rd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Anthony Rendon. In the United States House of Representatives, Bell is in California's 40th congressional district, represented by Democrat Lucille Roybal-Allard. Danny Harber, a retired baker and 40-year resident of Bell, was propel vice mayor. Saleh vowed to remake the town/city whose name had turn into synonymous with municipal corruption into a model of good government.
Bell is served by Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
A portion of Bell lies inside the limits of the Montebello Unified School District, but it has no residents. All inhabitants are zoned to Bell High School in Bell. The high school populace is 98% Hispanic, .02% Black, and a small populace of Lebanese, and Asian and Pacific Islanders. The Mission of Bell High School is to: educate all students to the highest degree of their abilities socially, academically, and technologically so that they turn into contributing members of society.
Any student who lives in the Bell or Huntington Park zones may apply to Maywood Academy High School, which opened in 2005 and moved into its permanent ground in 2006.
Bell California Public Library County of Los Angeles Public Library operates the Bell Library at 4411 East Gage Avenue. The town/city of Bell has a several recreational facilities.
Flag of Los Angeles County, California.svg - Greater Los Angeles portal "California Cities by Incorporation Date".
City of Bell.
"Bell (city) Quick - Facts".
"Cities with 25,000 populace or more: C-1.
"Smallest Cities in the United States".
"Bell council seeks resignations of 3 town/city officials".
"AG Jerry Brown subpoenas Bell officials, sets up voter fraud hotline | Los Angeles Wave - Community News, Sports & Entertainment | News".
https://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/foot_prin On April 6, 2000, the Bell House was dedicated as a California State Historical Resource.ts/Files/lugo_era_history.htm Bell CA election, 2007: Web Search Results from Answers.com "Former Bell town/city manager's compensation totaled $1.5 million a year, records show".
Expands probe into Bell government", Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2010.
"Rizzo faces 53 counts; Bell was 'corruption on steroids,' D.A.
"8 current, former Bell, California officials arrested".
"California's town/city officials scramble to limit damage from Bell scandal".
"Bell mayor in corruption case", mercedsunstar.com; November 11, 2010; accessed October 1, 2014.
"2010 Enumeration Interactive Population Search: CA - Bell city".
"Bell town/city scandal: L.A.
Expands probe into Bell town/city government".
Bell must downsize budget, laweekly.com, December 2012; accessed October 1, 2014.
County: Bell, Compton Should Not Have Own Police Departments", Los Angeles News - The Informer] Corona Avenue Elementary School in Bell, CA | Education.com Nueva Vista Elementary School in Bell, CA | Education.com "Bell city, California Archived June 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.".
"Official Bell High School Page".
"Bell Library".
"Bell Community Center".
City of Bell.
City of Bell.
City of Bell.
City of Bell.
City of Bell.
Bell High School Bell Library, County of Los Angeles Public Library City of Bell Ringers Municipalities and communities of Los Angeles County, California, United States
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Bell, California - 1913 establishments in California - Cities in Los Angeles County, California - Incorporated metros/cities and suburbs in California - Populated places established in 1913 - Gateway Cities
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