A startling report from a whistleblower has claimed that a city official in Los Angeles was given substantial raises—reportedly around $150,000—behind closed doors. Meanwhile, former employees have made allegations of harassment and manipulation of budget figures against her.
Alma Martinez, the city manager of El Monte, has allegedly orchestrated a swift backroom deal that saw her taxpayer-funded salary soar to an astonishing $430,000 in a city where the average household income is around $120,000. This figure includes a base pay of about $50,000 along with perks such as a car allowance and a significant severance package worth $65,000.
Details surrounding Martinez’s actions were shared by whistleblower Ed Rardin, a local law enforcement officer who has lodged various complaints against her with different agencies and ethics groups.
According to Rardin, she is noted as “the main sponsor of many of El Monte’s pranks.”
Rardin, who resides in El Monte and is a local bishop, stated that Martinez held a questionable closed-door meeting in May, which quickly caught the attention of local watchdog organizations, including Mayor Jessica Ancona.
During that meeting, Martinez finalized a salary increase that, as Rardin noted, was nearly unprecedented in the public sector, raising her total compensation to almost $430,000, as reported by Mayor Ancona, who criticized the deal as a “blank check.” The mayor took to social media to express her concerns.
Ancona highlighted that this deal entailed a 25% increase in Martinez’s base salary, roughly translating to an extra $70,000 annually, in addition to benefits like a car allowance, education assistance, lifetime medical coverage, back pay for temporary cuts during the pandemic, 18 months of severance, and an assurance that her earnings would always exceed those of other city leaders by at least 20%.
“All this is unfolding while most city employees are seeing only a 5% raise,” Ancona pointed out, adding that the city is also dealing with two lawsuits related to the city manager.
The city of El Monte is reportedly facing a budget shortfall of about $5 million, according to Ancona.
Martinez’s situation raises further questions, especially since she has held similar positions in Linwood and Compton before this. Rardin mentioned suspicious arrangements involving various city contracts related to services like waste disposal, with some contracts being renewed without clear justification, despite having time left on them.
This includes a garbage collection contract with Valley Vista Services, which Rardin claims is linked to Martinez’s girlfriend. The $30 million contract was reportedly extended mid-term without a competitive bidding process, stirring concerns over possible conflicts of interest.
Furthermore, during a November employee appreciation event, Martinez oddly boasted about having a city contractor buy approximately $14,500 worth of gift cards for distribution to 290 city employees as a “thank you.” Rardin wrote to the Los Angeles District Attorney detailing how Martinez listed the vendors who had contributed and mentioned that the finance director obtained gift cards from Target.
Rardin felt degraded by this gesture, suggesting it bore similarities to extortion, arguing that companies might have feared losing contracts if they didn’t participate.
Martinez is mentioned in at least two lawsuits alleging a toxic work environment.
One lawsuit from former deputy city manager Amber Servin, which is set for trial next year, portrays Martinez as a domineering boss who bullied Servin, including giving her a book titled “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” during a holiday lunch and insisting she read it aloud to others.
Another lawsuit filed by former Finance Director Bruce Foltz accuses Martinez of coercing police to manipulate overtime reports, with Foltz facing reprimand for refusing to comply.
Requests for comment from Martinez have gone unanswered.
