Wendy Greuel
Encyclopedia
Wendy Jane Greuel is a municipal American
politician
. She is the 18th and current Los Angeles City Controller
and former President Pro Tempore of the Los Angeles City Council
representing the 2nd District, which includes portions of the San Fernando Valley
.
, where she graduated from and was student body President at Kennedy High School. She continued her education at University of California, Los Angeles, during which time she worked in the office of Councilman Joel Wachs
and Mayor Tom Bradley
. Upon graduation, Greuel worked in Mayor Bradley’s office for 10 more years. She was the Mayor's liaison to the City Council, City Departments and the community on public policy issues including child care, the homeless, the elderly, and health issues. She was also helped establish LA'S BEST, a nationally recognized after school program that as of October 2011 is still serving school children throughout the city of Los Angeles.
From 1993 to 1997, Greuel worked in the administration of President Bill Clinton
. She served with Cabinet Secretary Henry Cisneros
as the Field Operations Officer for Southern California for the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) where she became involved in projects offering opportunities for homeownership, job creation, economic development, and social services. During her tenure, she managed HUD's response to the 1994 Northridge earthquake. In 1997, Greuel joined the Corporate Affairs Department of DreamWorks SKG where she worked on the company's government and community affairs coordinating the company's legislative activities at the local, state, and national levels.
by 225 votes to fill the remainder of the term of Second District Councilman Joel Wachs
. She was re-elected in 2003 and 2007 and served until July 2009 when she assumed the office of City Controller.
At the time of her departure from the City Council, her committee assignments included Chair of the Transportation Committee, Vice Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, Member of the Audits and Governmental Efficiency and Energy and the Environment Committees, and Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Business Tax Reform.
While in office, Greuel created the Office of Public Safety, which consolidated all city-operated security forces aside from the Police Department and created the Police Fund, a program through which any elected official could root out inefficiencies and allocate the money saved to the hiring of new police officers. Greuel also developed the Stolen Vehicle Recovery Program, which enabled Department of Transportation officers to tow stolen vehicles instead of LAPD officers, saving the LAPD time and resources. She launched a district-wide anti-graffiti campaign and witnessed a significant increase in the number of neighborhood watch organizations in her district. She implemented a Safety Valet program and upgraded safety signage at all public elementary schools in her district. Greuel also implemented the 50/50 sidewalk program, which expedited sidewalk repairs if neighbors agreed to contribute 50% of the cost.
On transportation, Wendy lobbied for funds to complete a carpool lane along the 405 freeway and to implement a bus only lane along Wilshire Boulevard. She added 450 left turn signals to city streets and led the synchronization of city traffic lights.
In 2004, Wendy was involved in a controversial closure of a pedestrian bridge in Sherman Oaks. It limited access of renters on the south side across the bridge to additional parking over the L.A. River on the north side. The bridge was closed without any public forum, and when the renters demanded a meeting, the police agreed to examine the area and whether or not the bridge being open had an effect on crime rates as home owners to the north of the bridge had claimed. After 90 days, the police found the claims to be false, but Greuel closed the bridge anyway. This remains a subject of much contention in the area as of 2011.
Working with Council President Eric Garcetti
, Greuel led efforts to reform the city business tax and cut taxes for over 60% of all businesses. She also created tax incentives to keep film and entertainment production in Los Angeles and led anti-piracy efforts at the municipal level.
Greuel created the Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Investigative Unit in the City Controller's office and banned political fundraising among City commissioners.
and Kathleen Suzy Evans on March 3, 2009 to become the next City Controller of Los Angeles. She took office on July 1, 2009. [All of the following information about her tenure as Controller was taken directly from AP, LA Times, and LA Daily News articles.]
Just one week into her service as City Controller, Michael Jackson's memorial service was held in Los Angeles. Greuel found that nearly $49,000 had been spent on police officers' lunches, which were ordered from a restaurant outside of city limits. Her office called a local sandwich shop that could have provided lunches for less than $17,500, which would have amounted to a significant savings and a boon to local business. She subsequently called on the City Council to create a policy declaring who should pay for city services associated with such events.
In late July, Greuel announced that her delinquent taxpayer program had successfully collected nearly $3 million from 16 delinquent taxpayers in just four months. She stated that over $107 million in delinquent taxes from 126 tax scofflaws were still to be collected.
Also in late July, Greuel had to deal with the fact that about $6 million in city checks dated July 24 that were sent to vendors were returned for insufficient funds. Greuel's office said the problem was related to the transition of Wells Fargo taking over Wachovia Bank operations. They informed people to redeposit the checks and sent letters of apology.
Greuel's first departmental audit was released in September and examined the operations of the Los Angeles Convention Center. It found that the Center wasted more than $1 million in taxpayer money by failing to properly control employee overtime and lacked a system for keeping track of its fixed assets, some of which could not be found. It also found that the convention center has no clear policy for oversight of fee waivers and recommended that a flexible demand-based pricing program be implemented, allowing management to fill the Convention Center during slower times by reducing rental prices.
Her next audit came in November and served as a follow-up on previous Controller Laura N. Chick
's audit of the Los Angeles Police Department's DNA rape kit backlog. Greuel found that the LAPD cleared almost two-thirds of its blacklog but called for continued improvements and changes in how the LAPD catalogs the cases. She recommended the LAPD change its database on how it tracks crimes, saying it now has three separate databases where one would help improve efficiency. Then LAPD Chief nominee Charlie Beck, now Chief of Police, agreed with her and announced that he was in the process of putting her recommendations into effect.
In December, City Controller Wendy Greuel released an audit that found the city pays its bills too early, leading to a loss of up to $8.1 million a year in interest and earnings on investments. Auditors said under a policy to pay bills within 30 days of receiving the invoice, the city was at times paying 10 to 20 days before they were due. In a separate audit, Greuel also found the city continues to fail to take advantage of volume discounts and computerized payment systems that could lead to more efficiency and cost savings.
In 2011, Los Angeles' Audits and Governmental Efficiency
Her tenure has also been marked by her legal battle with current City Attorney Carmen Trutanich. The issue began when former City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo
refused to let former City Controller Laura N. Chick audit the workers' compensation program in his office. Chick responded by issuing subpoenas to six Delgadillo employees. Delgadillo then sued her. In mid December, LA County Superior Court Judge Mark V. Mooney found that the City Charter, the city's primary governing blueprint, did not grant the Controller the power to evaluate the city attorney's handling of workers' compensation issues or for that matter, audits on the city attorney or any other elected official, including the mayor and members of the City Council. Greuel announced that she would appeal the decision. Former Controller Chick issued a statement upset with the ruling and supporting Greuel's upcoming legal appeal.
in 2013
. As of June 30th, 2011, Wendy was leading the Mayor's race in fundraising with $518,000 collected.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. She is the 18th and current Los Angeles City Controller
Los Angeles City Controller
The Los Angeles City Controller is an official in the government of the city of Los Angeles, California. The City Controller is the auditor and chief accounting officer of the city. Along with the Mayor and the City Attorney, the City Controller is chosen by popular vote every four years.The...
and former President Pro Tempore of the Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
representing the 2nd District, which includes portions of the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
.
Early Life, Education, and Early Career
Wendy Greuel was born and raised in the San Fernando ValleySan Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
, where she graduated from and was student body President at Kennedy High School. She continued her education at University of California, Los Angeles, during which time she worked in the office of Councilman Joel Wachs
Joel Wachs
Joel Wachs , was a Los Angeles, California, City Council member for thirty years and a three-time candidate for mayor of that city, who is now the president of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York City...
and Mayor Tom Bradley
Tom Bradley
Thomas or Tom Bradley is the name of:*Tom Bradley , mayor of Los Angeles, California*Tom Bradley , American novelist and essayist...
. Upon graduation, Greuel worked in Mayor Bradley’s office for 10 more years. She was the Mayor's liaison to the City Council, City Departments and the community on public policy issues including child care, the homeless, the elderly, and health issues. She was also helped establish LA'S BEST, a nationally recognized after school program that as of October 2011 is still serving school children throughout the city of Los Angeles.
From 1993 to 1997, Greuel worked in the administration of President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. She served with Cabinet Secretary Henry Cisneros
Henry Cisneros
Henry Gabriel Cisneros is a politician and businessman. A Democrat, Cisneros served as the 10th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the administration of President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997...
as the Field Operations Officer for Southern California for the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) where she became involved in projects offering opportunities for homeownership, job creation, economic development, and social services. During her tenure, she managed HUD's response to the 1994 Northridge earthquake. In 1997, Greuel joined the Corporate Affairs Department of DreamWorks SKG where she worked on the company's government and community affairs coordinating the company's legislative activities at the local, state, and national levels.
City Council
In 2002, Greuel won a run-off election against former Assemblyman, now Councilman Tony CardenasTony Cardenas
Tony Cardenas is an American politician. He is currently a member of the Los Angeles City Council, representing the Sixth Council District which covers portions of the southeast San Fernando Valley, including the communities of Arleta, Pacoima, Sun Valley, North Hollywood, Panorama City, Van Nuys...
by 225 votes to fill the remainder of the term of Second District Councilman Joel Wachs
Joel Wachs
Joel Wachs , was a Los Angeles, California, City Council member for thirty years and a three-time candidate for mayor of that city, who is now the president of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York City...
. She was re-elected in 2003 and 2007 and served until July 2009 when she assumed the office of City Controller.
At the time of her departure from the City Council, her committee assignments included Chair of the Transportation Committee, Vice Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, Member of the Audits and Governmental Efficiency and Energy and the Environment Committees, and Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Business Tax Reform.
While in office, Greuel created the Office of Public Safety, which consolidated all city-operated security forces aside from the Police Department and created the Police Fund, a program through which any elected official could root out inefficiencies and allocate the money saved to the hiring of new police officers. Greuel also developed the Stolen Vehicle Recovery Program, which enabled Department of Transportation officers to tow stolen vehicles instead of LAPD officers, saving the LAPD time and resources. She launched a district-wide anti-graffiti campaign and witnessed a significant increase in the number of neighborhood watch organizations in her district. She implemented a Safety Valet program and upgraded safety signage at all public elementary schools in her district. Greuel also implemented the 50/50 sidewalk program, which expedited sidewalk repairs if neighbors agreed to contribute 50% of the cost.
On transportation, Wendy lobbied for funds to complete a carpool lane along the 405 freeway and to implement a bus only lane along Wilshire Boulevard. She added 450 left turn signals to city streets and led the synchronization of city traffic lights.
In 2004, Wendy was involved in a controversial closure of a pedestrian bridge in Sherman Oaks. It limited access of renters on the south side across the bridge to additional parking over the L.A. River on the north side. The bridge was closed without any public forum, and when the renters demanded a meeting, the police agreed to examine the area and whether or not the bridge being open had an effect on crime rates as home owners to the north of the bridge had claimed. After 90 days, the police found the claims to be false, but Greuel closed the bridge anyway. This remains a subject of much contention in the area as of 2011.
Working with Council President Eric Garcetti
Eric Garcetti
Eric Michael Garcetti is an American municipal politician. He is a member of the Los Angeles City Council. He serves as its President and represents the 13th District. He is the son of the former Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early...
, Greuel led efforts to reform the city business tax and cut taxes for over 60% of all businesses. She also created tax incentives to keep film and entertainment production in Los Angeles and led anti-piracy efforts at the municipal level.
Greuel created the Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Investigative Unit in the City Controller's office and banned political fundraising among City commissioners.
City Controller
Greuel defeated Nick PatsaourasNick Patsaouras
Nikolas "Nick" Patsaouras is a Greek-born American who is best known as an engineer, urban planner, and public official in Los Angeles, California. He served on the board of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where he was a proponent of access by bus. Patsaouras...
and Kathleen Suzy Evans on March 3, 2009 to become the next City Controller of Los Angeles. She took office on July 1, 2009. [All of the following information about her tenure as Controller was taken directly from AP, LA Times, and LA Daily News articles.]
Just one week into her service as City Controller, Michael Jackson's memorial service was held in Los Angeles. Greuel found that nearly $49,000 had been spent on police officers' lunches, which were ordered from a restaurant outside of city limits. Her office called a local sandwich shop that could have provided lunches for less than $17,500, which would have amounted to a significant savings and a boon to local business. She subsequently called on the City Council to create a policy declaring who should pay for city services associated with such events.
In late July, Greuel announced that her delinquent taxpayer program had successfully collected nearly $3 million from 16 delinquent taxpayers in just four months. She stated that over $107 million in delinquent taxes from 126 tax scofflaws were still to be collected.
Also in late July, Greuel had to deal with the fact that about $6 million in city checks dated July 24 that were sent to vendors were returned for insufficient funds. Greuel's office said the problem was related to the transition of Wells Fargo taking over Wachovia Bank operations. They informed people to redeposit the checks and sent letters of apology.
Greuel's first departmental audit was released in September and examined the operations of the Los Angeles Convention Center. It found that the Center wasted more than $1 million in taxpayer money by failing to properly control employee overtime and lacked a system for keeping track of its fixed assets, some of which could not be found. It also found that the convention center has no clear policy for oversight of fee waivers and recommended that a flexible demand-based pricing program be implemented, allowing management to fill the Convention Center during slower times by reducing rental prices.
Her next audit came in November and served as a follow-up on previous Controller Laura N. Chick
Laura N. Chick
Laura N. Chick is an American politician. She is a longtime California political figure who focused her public service career on fighting for greater transparency and accountability in government. Most recently she served as California's Inspector General overseeing the state's spending of $85...
's audit of the Los Angeles Police Department's DNA rape kit backlog. Greuel found that the LAPD cleared almost two-thirds of its blacklog but called for continued improvements and changes in how the LAPD catalogs the cases. She recommended the LAPD change its database on how it tracks crimes, saying it now has three separate databases where one would help improve efficiency. Then LAPD Chief nominee Charlie Beck, now Chief of Police, agreed with her and announced that he was in the process of putting her recommendations into effect.
In December, City Controller Wendy Greuel released an audit that found the city pays its bills too early, leading to a loss of up to $8.1 million a year in interest and earnings on investments. Auditors said under a policy to pay bills within 30 days of receiving the invoice, the city was at times paying 10 to 20 days before they were due. In a separate audit, Greuel also found the city continues to fail to take advantage of volume discounts and computerized payment systems that could lead to more efficiency and cost savings.
In 2011, Los Angeles' Audits and Governmental Efficiency
Her tenure has also been marked by her legal battle with current City Attorney Carmen Trutanich. The issue began when former City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo
Rocky Delgadillo
Rockard John "Rocky" Delgadillo is an American politician. He is the 6th and former City Attorney of Los Angeles, California.-Career:*Teacher / Coach, Los Angeles Unified School District, Franklin*Attorney, O’Melveny & Myers...
refused to let former City Controller Laura N. Chick audit the workers' compensation program in his office. Chick responded by issuing subpoenas to six Delgadillo employees. Delgadillo then sued her. In mid December, LA County Superior Court Judge Mark V. Mooney found that the City Charter, the city's primary governing blueprint, did not grant the Controller the power to evaluate the city attorney's handling of workers' compensation issues or for that matter, audits on the city attorney or any other elected official, including the mayor and members of the City Council. Greuel announced that she would appeal the decision. Former Controller Chick issued a statement upset with the ruling and supporting Greuel's upcoming legal appeal.
Los Angeles Mayoral Election, 2013
City Controller Wendy Greuel has announced that she plans to run for Mayor of the City of Los AngelesMayor of Los Angeles, California
The mayor of Los Angeles is the chief executive officer of the city. He is elected for a four-year term and limited to serving no more than two terms. Under the California Constitution, all judicial, school, county, and city offices, including those of chartered cities, are nonpartisan...
in 2013
Los Angeles mayoral election, 2013
The 2013 Los Angeles mayoral election is an upcoming election scheduled for March 5, 2013. Antonio Villaraigosa, the current mayor, will be unable to run due to term limits.-Candidates:...
. As of June 30th, 2011, Wendy was leading the Mayor's race in fundraising with $518,000 collected.