Fact Check

Claim:

The non-profit organization Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has, through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, installed air monitors in the City of Paramount to track hexavalent chromium emissions. At a Paramount Unified School District Board of Education meeting on January 17, a statement was made that one of the monitors has measured levels at 40 times the average amounts.

Fact:

The monitor in question has, in fact, NOT been finding unusually high levels of hexavalent chromium, and certainly not at levels anywhere near 40 times the norm. This has been confirmed by both the resident who delivers the raw data to the lab for processing and a spokesperson for the Center for Environmental Health. This can be seen in the results posted on the CEH website.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1T17psaWZYbCdPdK8tZZ5TDJoOUY0DYffKv5O154YVGU/edit#gid=465866832

CLAIM: Paramount has threatened to sue people who question its water quality … but at this meeting Paramount staff admitted that the water is contaminated and they couldn’t explain the testing numbers.

FACT: The City has, on very rare occasions, threatened to sue those who have spread baseless misinformation about the water supply system that could produce panic and fear in water customers.

CLAIM: A City staff member said that the aquifer where Paramount gets some of its water doesn’t respect city boundaries, that the cities of southeast LA. County get water from the same aquifer.  In light of this, Paramount’s claim to have low PFAS in the water doesn’t make sense since surrounding cities like Downey have warned its residents about high PFAS contamination levels.  If water in Downey is not safe, how can Paramount’s water be safe?

FACT: It is true that aquifers don’t respect city boundaries. How could they?  But claiming that our testing numbers are inaccurate due to that fact is erroneous.  Paramount’s PFAS numbers were detected at small concentration levels, and all of this testing is done by independent labs, who submit their findings to the State. Only after gaining approval from the State does the City receive and publish the results.

The City’s Consumer Confidence Report notes that the level of PFAS found in our water was two parts per trillion. This number represents a combined average from all three of Paramount’s active wells. That is how the State’s Drinking Water Division calculates overall numbers for a water system, using averages.

In reality, only one well in town contained PFAS – the other two had zero detection. The one well tested at 7.9 parts per trillion for PFAS, which is slightly above the 6.5 parts per trillion level that requires public notification. This is still a very low amount that does not necessitate any action. Regardless, out of an abundance of caution, the City shut down that well in 2020; it is still not operating.

CLAIM: Staff says they are not scientists, so they can’t answer why the testing numbers in Paramount’s water are much lower than the contaminated water in Downey. But if they are not scientists, how can they be so confident that the water is safe?

FACT: The City relies on scientists at the State Water Quality Control Board, Drinking Water Division for compliance of permit requirements, including water quality monitoring and lab analysis from independent labs approved by the State. Those labs, and the State of California, have consistently found that Paramount’s water meets all water quality standards and is safe for all uses.

FACT: While salaries and pension costs are certainly part of the City’s overall budget, they are not the sole reason for Measure Y as incorrectly asserted.  The City Council placed Measure Y on the March 3 ballot to provide Paramount voters with a choice to create a stable, local funding stream to maintain essential services like public safety, infrastructure, and other municipal programs.

Far more money is spent on public safety in Paramount than on pensions. In fiscal year 2020, for instance, $12 million is being spent on public safety vs. $2.89 million on pensions. Consequently, a long-term, locally controlled revenue source like the one offered in Measure Y would naturally be used to avoid making cuts to Sheriff’s services to protect public safety rather than being used solely to pay for pensions.

Since 2007, City sales tax revenue has gone up by 5.5% while the Consumer Price Index (CPI) – the cost of living in the region – has increased by 30.66%. This is a very telling imbalance. Most contracts for services have gone up following the CPI; City revenues have fallen way behind that gauge.

The total cost to Paramount of one deputy from the Sheriff’s Department (more than just their salary) has jumped even more than the CPI – 80% over the last 15 years to nearly half a million dollars annually. The largest part of the City’s budget is devoted to public safety, with the major portion of that for the Sheriff’s contract.

And while pension costs have gone up over the years due to extended life expectancies, CalPERS’ investment losses, and CalPERS’ assumption changes, the City has made employee pension reforms and has voluntarily paid down the unfunded liability in addition to continually meeting annual required pension obligations.  In fact, the City’s net pension liability dropped by $1,535,307 from fiscal year 2018 to 2019.

Paramount has done much to keep the costs it controls down across the board. Layoffs in 2012 reduced the workforce by 25%, and none of those jobs have been restored. The City continually pursues economic development and grants to close the gap in funding. It has formed partnerships with other agencies such as Long Beach Transit and the YMCA to reduce expenditures.

Still, the City is entering a structural deficit, with yearly deficits projected at $3-4 million by 2025. These predictions are not the result of ever-soaring employee salaries or pensions. They are rooted in much larger economic realities. None of these realities are hidden. You can find the City’s budget and annual financial statements at paramountcity.com under the “Government” and “Finance Department” tabs.

FACT: City employees, management or other, cannot give themselves a pay raise.  Any and all pay increase proposals are reviewed and voted on by the City Council.

At last year’s budget, the City Council approved a 3% pay increase for all full-time employees, except for the City Manager (whose compensation is determined through a separate process and is codified through a contract on an occasional basis).  For those employees who were hired before 2013, 2% of that pay increase came back to the City to pay for the employees’ share of the pension costs.  Thus, these employees received a net 1% increase in their pay last year, while the Consumer Price Index (the cost of living in the region) was at 2.5%. All employees hired after 2013, by State law, already contribute to their pension costs, and thus kept the full 3% increase.

Community members are encouraged to view the budget. Additional questions can be answered by contacting the City’s Finance Director, Ms. Karina Lam, at (562) 220-2207 or by email. Please click here to view the City Manager’s contract.

FACT: In order to attract quality employees that best serve residents and businesses in the City, Paramount’s wages and benefits need to keep pace with similar employers in this highly competitive labor market. Paramount’s compensation is, on average, slightly lower than what other cities in the region provide their employees. All employers in every industry must adjust their compensation according to the market or risk low morale and high turnover.

FACT: As of the latest contract agreement, dated January 8, 2019, City Manager John Moreno is paid $216,300.00 in salary a year. This is currently, and has consistently, been in the bottom tier of pay for city managers in our region.  To see how this compares to other area city managers, please click here. Benefits are not listed in the survey, as benefits that are provided to city managers vary widely from city to city and position to position, and are based on a number of variables.  To view Mr. Moreno’s salary and benefits package, click this link to see his contract and all amendments as approved by the City Council.

FACT: Public safety makes up the largest portion of Paramount’s budget. In 2020, the City spent $11,876,634 on Public Safety services, which was $199,562 more than was spent in 2019. For 2021, the City is projecting to spend $13,240,650, which is higher than 2020 by $1,364,016. Please refer to the City’s Fiscal Year Budget here.

FACT: The total number of violent and property crimes in Paramount dropped 1% in 2020 compared to 2019. In 2020, violent crimes specifically decreased by 24%. Homicides were down by 50%, assaults fell by 20%, and robberies dropped by 32%. (There were 103 robberies in Paramount during 2020.) The number of crimes in Paramount today is similar to the numbers in the early 1970s, when the population was roughly 35,000 residents, compared to nearly 56,000 now.

FACT: Regarding employee compensation, across the board there have been no cost of living adjustments or other salary increases since the passage of Measure Y. Salary surveys have consistently shown that Paramount’s employee compensation is, on average, slightly lower than what other cities in the region pay their employees.  Please refer to the latest Employee Compensation Study here.

FACT: SCAQMD removed monitors in Paramount due to safety issues for their employees related to the pandemic. There is, though, one multi-metal monitor still operating in town that takes hourly readings of many different metals; its data is regularly read remotely by SCAQMD staff. SCAQMD has told the City that recent levels of metals from this monitor have been unremarkable and consistent with average levels observed in 2019/2020.  SCAQMD is hoping to get its employees vaccinated soon but has offered no timeline. The City of Paramount does not feel it has the right to demand how another agency deals with its employees, especially in areas of personal health.

FACT: In regards to Irvine, SCAQMD has explained that the monitoring done there is VERY different than the filter-based monitoring in Paramount. In Irvine, the testing is for volatile organics, a process that does not involve a lot of human contact so their employees do not need to interact very much with one another. In Irvine it is a long-time asphalt plant that is emitting the odors, and in October 2020 the City Council directed their Police Department to explore revoking the company’s business license. An Irvine official recently confirmed to Paramount City staff that, after reviewing the matter with SCAQMD, the City has found it does not have the ability to revoke the business license, and Irvine is now working collaboratively with AQMD to monitor the situation and provide the community with information. This is exactly what happened in Paramount in 2016, and Paramount continues its efforts to contain any ill effects related to these issues.

FACT: The City does not own any open space in this neighborhood.  The only open area (north of Salud Park) is owned and operated by Southern California Edison.  Edison does not allow overnight parking on their rights of way, which is the reason why overnight parking is not allowed in the parking spaces adjacent to Salud Park. 

FACT: COVID-19 has hit Paramount very hard in the number of confirmed cases and deaths. It has been in the best interests of City residents to limit public meetings, holding only those that were deemed absolutely necessary to continue essential services, and then conducting them virtually. These virtual meetings have consistently produced very low levels of public participation. The Parking Committee is intended to physically move from neighborhood to neighborhood to solicit residents’ views on parking issues and potential solutions specific to their area. This kind of input is difficult to achieve through a virtual platform. Once pandemic-related restrictions are loosened regarding public meetings, the Parking Committee will continue in hopes of reaching its important goals.

FACT: City personnel do not tow from private property. It is the responsibility of property owners, residential or commercial, to hire a towing company to take unauthorized vehicles from their property. Under certain very specific circumstances, vehicles will be “recovered” from private property by the Sheriff’s Department if the vehicle was reported stolen or involved in a crime. These vehicles are typically recovered from commercial or retail centers, though, and not residential properties. The described towing activity is usually taken by property management companies, which are responsible for maintaining their property clear of obstructions, or by repossession agents who usually work at night or early morning. Before towing a vehicle from private property, the complex must have proper signage as required by the California Vehicle Code.

FACT: Vehicle License Fees are not related to any citations, this is revenue that comes from the State of California and is collected when individuals register their vehicles. The State then distributes a certain percentage of funding to all cities in California based on a formula. In 2020, the City received $6,915,240 in VLF. In 2020, Paramount received $820,853 from fines and penalties, a portion of which includes parking citations. This represents only 3% of the City’s total general fund.

FACT: Please see the Fact Check above entitled “The City Manager of Paramount is paid a salary of nearly $500,000 a year.