CITY HALL VET COMRIE TAKES HIS FINAL BOW.Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer An era of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. city government came to an end Friday with the retirement of Keith Comrie after a record 19 years as city administrative officer. In his 36 years in government service for the city and Los Angeles County, Comrie came to represent the professional bureaucrat with a low-key, work-in-the-background style - until last year. It was only as the charter reform movement gained steam that Comrie stepped forward to challenge Mayor Richard Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, U.S. who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003–2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993–2001. Riordan ran for Governor of California unsuccessfully in 2002. and his goal to have complete control over hiring and firing of department heads. ``I did what a professional manager would do,'' Comrie said after a nearly hourlong salute by the Los Angeles City Council  The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. . ``I
saw what I believed was a threat to good government and spoke out about
it.''
Comrie, who will receive a pension of about $133,000 a year, delayed his retirement to ensure charter reform did not trample on the role of professional managers or allow patronage in city politics. ``That's history,'' Deputy Mayor Noelia Rodriguez said of Comrie's tiff with Riordan. ``We wish him well in retirement.'' Comrie, 59, was hired by former Mayor Tom Bradley Noun 1. Tom Bradley - United States politician who was elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles (1917-1998) Bradley, Thomas Bradley from a job as head of the then-County Department of Welfare to succeed C. Erwin Piper as city administrative officer - a post that provides financial data to the mayor and council. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky Zev Yaroslavsky (born December 21, 1948) is a Los Angeles County politician. He served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1975 until 1994, when he was elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. He was preceded in both offices by Edmund D. Edelman. , formerly a city councilman who worked closely with Comrie, described him as ``a bean counter bean counter n. Slang A person, such as an accountant or financial officer, who is concerned with quantification, especially to the exclusion of other matters: with a heart. ``Because he headed the Department of Welfare, I have to believe he learned the importance of this work for people,'' Yaroslavsky said. ``He had a great deal to do with making the city what it is today.'' Over the years, Comrie won the trust of City Council members. ``The one thing you always provided was honest advice,'' said Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg Jackie Goldberg (born June 16, 1937) is an American politician and teacher, and a member of the Democratic Party. She is a former member of the California State Assembly. . ``You would tell us no when it was a bad idea. That is not something council members are accustomed to hearing around here.'' Comrie said he plans to pursue a dream of learning to paint and will drive his red 1983 Porsche in classic-car races. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion