Undocumented Spending Focus Of Coachella City Council Meeting

The City of Coachella had postponed its council meeting Tuesday until after the November election. After several inquiries as to why, the meeting was back on less than two hours later.

That led to accusations by several city officials that the city had something to hide.

The meeting eventually took place on Wednesday night, where the controversy swirled over an audit report released in August.

It detailed more than $130,000 of undocumented spending in 2008.

During the meeting Thursday, the city manager admitted that the city’s financial oversight procedures have not been up to standard in the past, but that procedures are now in place to correct that.

He then presented to the council the missing receipts and documents obtained after the audit was filed, which accounted for how the money was spent.

Longtime council members Jesse Villarreal and Gilbert Ramirez were not satisfied with the city manager’s presentation. Villarreal went as far as to say that some of those documents were doctored.

He said he plans on contacting the FBI about this alleged corruption.

Tense words were exchanged all night. City officials cut each other off while speaking and even called each other names.

Ramirez is challenging Eduardo Garcia this November for his seat as mayor.

Villarreal is up for reelection to the city council.

The election is less than three weeks away.