Remote commenter urges Bell Gardens to hire experienced, bilingual city manager and praises Michael O'Kelly

A remote participant identified by the clerk as having a Zoom ID beginning with the name "Edwin" addressed the Bell Gardens City Council during the public comment period and urged the council to prioritize an experienced city manager who can manage resources and identify service gaps.

Edwin said bilingual ability would be useful for many residents but should not be the only hiring criterion. "It would be nice to hire a city manager who speaks Spanish," he said, adding that he had not seen a full‑time city manager who is bilingual in the communities he referenced. He stressed that the most crucial qualification is the ability "to manage resources and pinpoint deficiencies in government services."

Edwin praised the council's prior choice of Michael O'Kelly, saying, "This community did itself a huge favor when it hired Michael O'Kelly approximately 7 years ago." He also criticized what he described as poor governance in neighboring cities and objected to consideration of another candidate: "why would any rational government body even contemplate making some dirtbag politician their city manager?" He named Johnny Pineda in that context and referenced Huntington Park and Southgate as examples of troubled local governments.

The comment concluded with a general appeal that local leaders should be fiscally responsible and hire "top notch management" so cities including Cudahy, Maywood and Bell Gardens can run effectively. The clerk closed public participation after that comment; no written comments or public comment cards were received, and the clerk had announced only one remote participant had requested to speak.