Pico Rivera Interim City Manager James Enriquez resigned Friday
Sunday Sept. 16, 2018, 9:05 a.m.
BY BRIAN HEWS
Hews Media Group-Community News has exclusively learned that interim Pico Rivera City Manager James Enriquez has resigned and will leave his position in two weeks.
The resignation marks the fourth high-level manager to exit the beleaguered city in recent months, resignations that have Mayor pro tem Brent Tercero, and City Councilmen Greg Salcido and David Armenta’s fingerprints all over them.
Councilman David Armenta, Mayor pro tem Brent Tercero and Councilman Greg Salcido.
The Armenta, Salcido, and Tercero management purge began in early March when HMG-LCCN exclusively reported on a lunch meeting at Pico Rivera’s Dal Rae restaurant.
The meeting was attended by Armenta, Mayor Gustavo Camacho, two “potential city vendors,” former City Manager Rene Bobadilla, and former Assistant City Manager Ben Cardenas.
During the meeting, Armenta ordered Bobadilla to illegally terminate the City’s contract with LEBA Inc., the long-time operator of the Pico Rivera Sports Arena.
Bobadilla objected to the termination arguing that LEBA was not in violation of their contract.
An angry Armenta stood up from the meeting and reportedly yelled, “if that is the way you want it, then we will do something else.”
Days later, Armenta ordered Bobadilla to attend a meeting that Greg Salcido “unexpectedly” attended.
Bobadilla was told that Armenta, Salcido, and Tercero would vote to terminate him from his City Manager position and gave him until the close of business March 7 to resign.
HMG-LCCN reported on the scheme, forcing the three Councilman to postpone the bogus resignation until the next Council meeting.
Before the meeting, Armenta, Salcido, and Tercero, without public input, voted 3-2 in closed session to approve a “separation agreement” with the City, with sources telling HMG-LCCN that Bobadilla received nearly $500,000 in severance pay.
Michael Garcia, Linkedin
Following Bodabilla’s departure, the three then set their sights on Community Development Director Michael Garcia.
Garcia saw the writing on the wall and resigned to accept a similar position in Norwalk.
Following the Garcia resignation, Assistant City Manager Ben Cardenas resigned to accept a finance position in the private sector.
Resident John Albitre, who protested the forced resignations, told HMG-LCCN, “What Armenta pulled along with Tercero and that military hating Councilman Salcido was absolutely criminal. Those three colluded together in advance to fire a good man. Furthermore, Salcido and Tercero aided and abetted Armenta in the criminal act of extorting a government employee [to terminate the LEBA contract], forcing him to choose between committing a crime or saving his job.”
After Cardenas’ resignation, Armenta and company then set their sights on Enriquez who finally succumbed to the pressure and resigned yesterday.
The resignations of Enriquez, Garcia, and Cardenas leave the City Manager, Director of Public Works, and the Director of Finance management positions vacant, with no one to take charge.
Finding a replacement will be challenging; according to sources, the City has been blackballed by recruitment firms due to the toxic culture inside City Hall.
Councilman Bob Archuleta did not mince words telling HMG-LCCN, “The loss of [James] Enriquez is a huge blow to the City. He was pulling double-duty serving as our Interim City Manager and Director of Public Works. This resignation stings especially when considering that we also recently accepted the resignation of Cardenas. Both had stepped up to serve the city well.”
“Enriquez’ resignation will present major challenges on a scale the City has never seen before.”
With the recruitment blackball, Archuleta has taken the lead and asked City Attorney Arnold Glasman to locate and hire a qualified City Manager to fill the position.
But even that could be problematic.
Sources have told HMG-LCCN that Armenta is attempting to fire Glasman, after the Council voted 4-0 to deny paying Armenta’s legal fees in the upcoming lawsuit filed by LEBA.
The LEBA lawsuit was first reported by HMG-LCCN.
In his comments, Archuleta made his sentiments clear that the three-member voting bloc of Armenta, Salcido and Tercero had caused the current City problems when they “forced Bobadilla out.”
Archuleta, who is the front-runner to be elected to the State Senate representing the 32nd District in November, told HMG-LCCN that he was adamantly against the removal of Bobadilla and firmly believes that the firing of Bobadilla “could have been a political vendetta.”
How could Pico Rivera be so unlucky to have two of the worse individuals ever to be elected serve on the same City Council? David Armenta is a slime ball, plain and simple. Never in my life have I seen an individual as morally corrupt as him. He treats women like dirt because he really a homosexual. I think every woman that’s ever dated him know that. His son Kevin absolutely has nothing to do with his father. He treated his parents like crap while knowing that they are afraid to stand up to him in their old age. I’m sure his mother Mary was happy to finally pass a few years ago.
And then there’s Greg Salcido who needs no explanation at this point. His poor wife wanted to leave him for years but lived in fear of his verbal abuse. What a sad life she has lead. Their son will undoubtedly grow to be a warped individual himself. How could anyone lead a normal life with such a narcissistic, overbearing father?
These two men have destroyed all that was good about Pico Rivera. They drove away good employees and even better Councilmembers. Think hard and ask yourself what these two have ever contributed to the city? Nothing. The new parks and library were not their idea. What else has Pico Rivera accomplished in the last 15 years?
I’ve lived in the city for over 30 years and I want out. Why must we hear the same pathetic stories about city council misdeeds over and over again. Salcido getting fired, Salcido getting recalled, Armenta slapped with another restraining order, Armenta abusing his father, Armenta squeezing another business to line his pockets…..
Too bad Bob Archuleta is leaving us. In my opinion all the others need to go and yes that includes Gustavo Camacho and his drug-lord persona and even Brent Tercero and his wishy-washy views on everything. Can Pico Rivera just do a re-start?
VOTE NO TO THE INCUMBANTS ON NOVEMBER 6TH 👎AND VOTE YES TO ANYONE ELSE RUNNING👍
Thomas keep the Armenta name out of your sick mouth get your facts right! Its one thing to talk about how bad my uncle is for the city (city looks good to me) but you know nothing about our family so please keep the negative comments about my family to your damn self.
I see signs all over Pico Rivera for David Armenta. They claim Honesty & Integrity. How stupid can people be. My neighbor was used by David (or Senor David as she calls him) a few years ago. Armenta took her to that stinky fertilizer company up by Streamland Park. He told the owner that my neighbor was being harassed by the city because her yard was all dirt. He asked the owner for a donation of a truckload of rolled grass to help her out. Sure enough, Armenta took the grass to his house and used it for backyard. The only way this lady found out was when one of the workers loading David’s truck asked in Spanish if she needed help planting it at her house. She responded that the grass wasn’t for her, it was for Senor David.
A true two-bit con man. I wouldn’t invite Armenta to a funeral out of fear he’d steal the gold filling from the mouth of a corpse.
David Armenta is a cockroach. He’d survive a nuclear war. He’s the face of Pico Rivera and those voters are getting what they deserve. We sprayed Raid along the border of our city to keep Pico Rivera insects out!
I ran into David Armenta a few weeks ago at the Dal Rae. My wife and I were celebrating our anniversary when an obviously drunken Armenta started talking loudly how good a lover he was. The fools at his table were laughing their stupid heads off. Even the waitress was laughing which I thought was unprofessional.
This man is an embarrassment to the city. How idiotic the voters of Pico Rivera must be to keep electing this creep. I will do all I can to get him voted out.
The best thing to do is the spread all the negative news about him to the residents, particularly the seniors at the senior center who adore him and vote in record numbers.
Totally agree Thomas. Armenta and his hypocritical “God Bless” that he spews to seniors, especially the gullible elderly women who think he’ll hook upo with him (I’m serious..I’ve seen him work those old white hairs farts). I think I’m supporting Andre Martinez. I’ve known his mom Maria Elena for years and he’s a a fearless guy.
Pico Rivera is on the verge of being the next Bell or Maywood. The city is run by nothing but self serving incompetent Mexicans who’s only goal is to make money for themselves. The mayor Camacho is the guy who corrupted the Montebello schools with his friend Ben Cardenas,m who was the former assistant city manager of Pico Rivera. Camacho works for DelTerra who were making millions off of Montebello School district and Cardenas was board presesident and made all that happen. Where’s the FEDS?
We all know about Salcido and Armenta. And that young guy Torino does nothing for the city but collect a paycheck and cost the city money by firing good employees. Yet look at that employee they hired who was an LA City Planning Commissioner and he was caught on tape taking bribes. Now Steve Carmona runs the department in Pico that brings in new businesses including that new Don Chente by the movie theater that was given almost a million dollars to open another mexican restaurant in a city full of mexican restaurants. What a dumb idea and I bet Carmona, Camacho and Armenta made bucks for that deal!
The FEDS need to come into Pico Rivera and clean house. I think Bob Archuleta was the only honest man in the place and now he’ll be leaving. Mark my word, the FEDS will find out Camacho, Armenta, Salcido and Torino!
Tell me what Pico Rivera has accomplished since Archuleta served with Ron Beilke and Gracie Gallegos on the city council? Street concerts on Mines and a Norms? Am I missing something? Those three saved the city with Measure P and all the money it’s brought the community. Armenta voted no, Salcido still wanted to increase property taxes for a library and Camacho and Tercero were still in their diapers.
If you notice, only after the Salcido Drama was born….that’s when this turmoil at City Hall begun.
Mr. Gregory always finds a way to F*ck things up, Complete Disgrace!