By Emilie St. John
Contributing Writer
INGLEWOOD — The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has confirmed receipt of a complaint filed against a member of the City Council who holds two elective seats.
An Inglewood resident filed the complaint Dec. 7 with the public integrity unit alleging that Inglewood City Councilwoman Gloria Gray is in violation of Government Code 1099.
“I am submitting this complaint to request an investigation into whether Inglewood City Councilmember Gloria Gray is violating California Government Code 1099 by simultaneously serving in two public offices with directly overlapping jurisdictions and conflicting duties,” the resident wrote.
Government Code 1099 states, “A public officer, including, but not limited to, an appointed or elected member of a governmental board, commission, committee or other body, shall not simultaneously hold two public offices that are incompatible.”
According to the code’s language, incompatibility arises when there is a possibility of a significant clash of duties or loyalties between the offices and public policy considerations make it improper for one person to hold both offices.
Gray is also a member of the West Basin Municipal Water District board, which sets water rates for the cities that purchase water from them, including Inglewood.
Each year, West Basin votes to increase the wholesale cost of water and during a public hearing held on Dec. 16, the members of the Inglewood City Council voted to raise water rates for residential and business water customers. Gray was absent from the meeting due to a reported medical procedure.
Gray ran on the November 2022 ballot seeking seats on both the water board and the City Council. She ran unopposed for the water board seat and won, but was forced into a runoff election against former Inglewood Councilman George Dotson. Gray won the runoff election in March 2023.
Upon Gray being elected to the Inglewood City Council, general counsel for West Basin, Joe Byrne, publicly commented that she was likely holding incompatible seats based on previous opinions issued on the matter.
Three members of the West Basin board asked Gray to “do the right thing” and resign which she declined to do.
Gray said West Basin didn’t have the authority to remove her and because she was elected, she would remain in both seats.
Gray receives compensation from both water ratepayers and nearly $89,443 in total compensation, including health and retirement benefits from Inglewood taxpayers.
The Inglewood resident’s complaint cited the District Attorney’s office removing a council member from the City Council for holding two seats.
“In 2016, your office determined that Sergio Calderon violated Government Code 1099 by serving on the Maywood City Council, and the Water Replenishment District Board and because the two offices had overlapping jurisdiction, and issues of water policy and finance created conflicting public duties, Mr. Calderon was compelled to resign. Councilmember Gloria Gray’s circumstances mirror this precedent almost exactly.”
In 2018, the District Attorney’s Office issued a press release announcing its victory in removing former Carson Mayor Albert Robles from his board seat on the Water Replenishment District of Southern California.
“The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has prevailed in a civil lawsuit against Carson Mayor Albert Robles that alleged he held two incompatible public offices at the same time which violated state law.”
Robles remained on the Carson City Council until he lost his re-elction bid in 2020.
The state’s attorney general’s office has issued multiple opinions allowing for lawsuits to proceed for elected officials serving in incompatible seats including a water district director and a city council member.
The courts have defined this concept as: “One individual may not simultaneously hold two public offices where the functions of the offices concerned are inherently inconsistent, as where there are conflicting interests, or where the nature of the duties of the two offices is such as to render it improper due to considerations of public policy for one person to retain both.”
Gray didn’t attend the Dec. 16 Inglewood City Council meeting and is currently on medical leave due to a medical procedure she had during the city’s annual two-week holiday closure. She has not provided the public with an anticipated return date.
According to publicly available documents on the West Basin website, Gary has been attending all board meetings remotely from her home.
Emilie St. John is a freelance journalist covering the areas of Carson, Compton, Inglewood and Willowbrook. Send tips to her at emiliesaintjohn@gmail.com.
