Ontario councilman seeks full wage disclosure

In light of the situation with the city of Bell, Councilman Jim Bowman has asked that the Ontario council members' wages be posted on the city's website.

Bowman, who made the request at Tuesday night's council meeting, said he felt the situation in Bell has cast a bad spell on service agencies in California.

"I would propose, in light of what is going on in Bell -- it's appalling, it's something none of us would condone -- to post our salaries online for public viewing," Bowman said.

His fellow council members agreed.

The City Council is on a fixed salary.

The mayor's current pay is $4,291.50 a month, and each council member is paid $1,406.25 per month.

But as members of the Housing Board and Redevelopment Agency, the council members are paid a stipend per meeting, which can not exceed four times a month. They get $30 per Redevelopment Agency meeting and $50 per Housing Board meeting.

The council members receive full coverage on vision and dental. They also have up to $820 a month for medical.

The scandal-plagued city of Bell mismanaged more than $50 million in bond money, levied illegal taxes and paid exorbitant salaries to its leaders, according to a state audit released Wednesday.