Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced intense criticism after proposing substantial payouts to wildfire recovery leaders, forcing her to quickly reverse course.
At a Glance
- Mayor Bass initially proposed $500,000 and $250,000 payouts to wildfire recovery leaders
- Public backlash led to the reversal of the decision
- Recovery leaders Steve Soboroff and Randy Johnson agreed to work voluntarily
- The controversy threatened to undermine confidence in the city’s recovery plans
- Critics called the proposed payments “obscene” and “gross”
Mayor’s Proposal Sparks Outrage
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass found herself at the center of a firestorm after proposing substantial payouts to wildfire recovery leaders Steve Soboroff and Randy Johnson. The plan, which would have compensated Soboroff $500,000 and Johnson $250,000 using charitable funds for 90 days of work, ignited immediate public uproar.
The backlash was swift and fierce, with prominent figures and residents alike expressing their dismay at the proposed compensation. Los Angeles City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez criticized the payments as “obscene,” while Trump envoy Ric Grenell didn’t mince words in his condemnation.
“He’s getting paid $500,000 for 3 months of work? And they call this a charity. Gross. Offensive,” Grenell said.
Mayor Bass Backtracks
Facing mounting pressure, Mayor Bass was forced to reverse her decision. In a statement, she announced that both Soboroff and Johnson had agreed to fulfill their roles voluntarily, effectively nullifying the controversial compensation plan.
“Steve is always there for LA. I spoke to him today and asked him to modify his agreement and work for free. He said yes. We agree that we don’t need anything distracting from the recovery work we’re doing,” Bass said.
The Mayor’s office had initially failed to disclose the charity organizations involved or how the funding was raised, further fueling public skepticism. This lack of transparency, coupled with the exorbitant figures proposed, led many to question the ethics of profiting from recovery efforts.
Soboroff Defends Initial Compensation Plan
Despite the controversy, Steve Soboroff, a real estate developer and civic official, defended the original compensation plan. He highlighted his specialized skills and the breadth of his responsibilities in speeding up recovery processes.
“I’ve been doing this for 35 years for free on some of the biggest civic projects for the city of Los Angeles. But nobody ever asked me to drop everything. This time they did. And I said OK, under the condition that my pay not be taken out of city money, or from any wildfire survivors who would otherwise benefit from that money,” he said.
However, this explanation did little to quell the public’s anger over the proposed payment.
