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The Friday Documentary: The City That Sacked Its Staff

The Documentary: The City That Sacked Its Staff

The City That Sacked Its Staff

08/10/2010

BBC World Service - The Documentary, The City That Sacked Its Staff

The story of a small Californian city that made a radical move to avoid bankruptcy.

In the midst of financial crisis, the city of Maywood in California decided to make a radical move in order to avoid bankruptcy.

Maywood is a small working class city down the highway from Los Angeles in California.

Low paid residents makes it one of the poorest in the region. Not much money was coming into community coffers.

According to Mayor Ana Rizo, the authorities either had to lay off all city workers or declare bankruptcy.

Policing in Maywood is now handled by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and many of the other city services in operation in Maywood are being handled by the nearby city of Bell.

Without a local newspaper to hold those in power accountable and a large number of illegal immigrants who are locked out of political engagement, what are the implications of this decision on democracy and accountability?

Not all residents have noticed a negative change in the level of local services.

Could Maywood be a model for other city governments facing financial hardship? 

The BBC's Simon Pitts reports.

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