COMPTON AT A TURNING POINT: AN END-OF-SUMMER STATE OF THE CITY STATUS REPORT
Major development decisions are approaching while Compton continues operating without permanent leadership in several critical positions
As summer 2026 draws to a close, Compton finds itself at an important turning point.
The City Council is preparing to consider a long-range plan that could shape housing, commerce, transportation, industrial activity and neighborhood development through 2045. At the same time, Compton is searching for a permanent City Manager, continues without a formally appointed permanent City Attorney and has not publicly clarified whether the vacancy and leadership transition involving the Public Safety Commission have been fully resolved.
Major infrastructure expenditures are moving forward. An economic-development strategy is being prepared. Fiber-optic construction is affecting streets and public rights-of-way. Questions remain about public safety, government accountability, contracted legal services and whether residents and locally owned businesses will receive their fair share of the economic value created inside Compton.
Two upcoming public meetings give residents an immediate opportunity to participate in decisions that could significantly influence the City’s future.
This is an appropriate moment to consider where Compton stands, what decisions are approaching and what the Chamber believes residents and businesses should be watching.
SEPTEMBER 15: COMPTON’S 2045 GENERAL PLAN APPROACHES FINAL ACTION
The Compton City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposed Compton General Plan 2045 Update:
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
5:30 PM
Compton City Council Chambers
205 S. Willowbrook Avenue, Compton, CA 90220
Following an August 12 public hearing, the Compton Planning Commission recommended approval of the General Plan and related actions. The matter is now advancing to the City Council for consideration of final adoption.
The General Plan is not merely another study to be approved and placed on a shelf. It is the City’s principal long-range policy framework governing how and where Compton may develop through 2045.
Among other matters, it will influence:
Housing and population growth
Commercial and industrial land use
Downtown redevelopment
Development surrounding the Compton Metro station
Transportation and mobility
Parks and public facilities
Environmental conditions
Infrastructure investment
The future character of residential neighborhoods
The plan may create opportunities for new housing, private investment, redevelopment of underused properties and modernization of public infrastructure. However, major land-use changes can also affect affordability, traffic, neighborhood density, industrial compatibility, property values and the survival of small businesses.
The Chamber supports responsible economic growth, but growth cannot be measured solely by the number of projects approved or the amount of outside capital invested.
The more important questions are:
Will Compton residents and locally owned businesses meaningfully participate in—and benefit from—the economic value created by future development?
Will the General Plan strengthen existing neighborhoods, or simply make Compton property more valuable to outside investors?
What protections will be provided for homeowners, renters, small businesses and long-established community institutions?
How will the City measure whether promised jobs, infrastructure improvements and economic opportunities are actually delivered?
Residents and business owners should participate before major policies are adopted—not after individual developments have already reached the approval stage.
The official documents and hearing information are available through the Compton General Plan 2045 website.
For additional Chamber analysis, read COMPTON AT A TURNING POINT: DOWNTOWN’S FUTURE IS BEING SHAPED NOW.
SEPTEMBER 16: RESIDENTS CAN HELP DEFINE COMPTON’S NEXT CITY MANAGER
Compton is also beginning the process of selecting its next permanent City Manager.
The City Council retained Bob Murray & Associates, an executive-recruitment firm, to conduct a nationwide search for qualified candidates.
The City has scheduled a hybrid community town hall:
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
6:00–8:00 PM
Compton City Council Chambers
205 S. Willowbrook Avenue, Compton, CA 90220
Residents may also participate through Zoom using the access information provided by the City.
Former City Manager Willie Hopkins was placed on administrative leave in April. His resignation was subsequently accepted, and the City has continued under interim management while the permanent recruitment process moves forward.
The selection of the next City Manager will be among the most consequential decisions made by the current City Council.
The City Manager is Compton’s chief executive officer. This person is responsible for managing municipal operations, administering the budget, supervising departments, implementing City Council policy, monitoring finances and ensuring that publicly announced projects are actually completed.
Compton does not simply need someone who has previously held a municipal title. It needs an experienced administrator with demonstrated results in:
Fiscal management and financial controls
Infrastructure planning and project delivery
Economic and business development
Departmental accountability
Public-safety coordination
Emergency and storm preparedness
Housing and neighborhood development
State and federal grant administration
Transparent communication
Correcting audit findings and institutional weaknesses
THE CHAMBER HAS EXAMINED WHAT THE CITY CHARTER REQUIRES OF COMPTON’S CITY MANAGER—NOW THE CITY MUST FIND THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE CITY MANAGER POSITION
The Chamber recently published two articles to help residents understand the City Manager’s responsibilities and evaluate the qualifications needed to perform them effectively.
LET’S UNPACK IT. presents the position’s charter-defined responsibilities in plain language. These include administering the municipal budget, supervising City departments and employees, implementing City Council decisions, monitoring finances, improving services, reporting on City conditions and recommending administrative changes.
CHOOSING COMPTON’S NEXT CITY MANAGER considers the experience, leadership abilities and demonstrated results residents may reasonably expect from a candidate entrusted with those duties.
The Chamber did not create or define the position. Our purpose was to examine the relevant City Charter provisions and share that information with the public before Compton selects its next permanent City Manager.
COMPTON STILL DOES NOT HAVE A PERMANENT CITY ATTORNEY
Compton also continues without a formally appointed permanent City Attorney.
In November 2024, voters approved Measure CA, amending the City Charter to transform the City Attorney from an elected position into an appointed one. The measure also requires the appointed attorney to possess at least 10 years of municipal-law experience.
Eric Perrodin, who was elected City Attorney in 2024, subsequently resigned. Despite the charter amendment and resulting vacancy, the City has not publicly completed the appointment of a permanent City Attorney under the new system.
The absence of a permanent City Attorney does not mean Compton is operating without legal assistance. The City uses outside attorneys and law firms for various legal matters.
These arrangements reportedly include:
Aleshire & Wynder, LLP, retained as special counsel for designated City matters
Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, retained under a legal-services agreement covering July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028
Additional firms or attorneys retained for litigation, labor, employment, investigations and other specialized matters
Outside counsel can provide valuable expertise. It is nevertheless not the same as having one clearly identified and formally appointed City Attorney who is publicly responsible for Compton’s overall legal direction. Outside counsel is surely NOT publicly responsible for Compton’s overall legal direction.
The City Attorney reviews contracts, ordinances and resolutions; advises the City Council and administration; evaluates legal exposure; oversees litigation; helps ensure compliance with the law; and protects the City from avoidable legal and financial risk.
Residents deserve clear answers:
When will a permanent City Attorney be appointed?
What recruitment or selection process is being followed?
Which firm or individual currently performs each City Attorney function?
How much is Compton spending collectively on outside legal counsel?
Who coordinates the work of multiple firms and prevents duplicated billing?
How is the quality and cost-effectiveness of contracted legal services evaluated?
Will the permanent appointment be discussed and approved publicly?
In 2024, the Chamber expressed serious concerns about removing the City Attorney’s direct accountability to voters. Measure CA nevertheless passed, and the City must now make the appointed system work transparently and responsibly.
An appointed City Attorney system should not become an indefinite collection of special-counsel contracts without one clearly accountable legal authority.
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION LEADERSHIP REMAINS UNCLEAR
Questions remain regarding the leadership and current operation of the Compton Public Safety Commission.
Former Commission Chair Bishop L.J. Guillory announced his resignation in December 2025. The City should clearly inform residents whether the resulting vacancy has been filled, who presently serves as chair and whether the full commission is meeting regularly.
Under the Compton Municipal Code, the seven-member advisory commission is responsible for receiving public-safety concerns, making recommendations to the City Council and reviewing proposed expenditures related to public-safety activities.
Although the commission is not a law-enforcement agency, it should provide an organized public forum for evaluating persistent community concerns, including:
Street takeovers and the businesses looted or damaged during related disturbances
Intelligence sharing and coordination among neighboring law-enforcement agencies
Traffic monitoring and coordinated weekend enforcement
Code and parking enforcement
Illegal dumping
Emergency preparedness
Hazards affecting residents and business operations
Coordination with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
The need for an active commission is further demonstrated by the fatal shootings during the July Fourth weekend.
Authorities arrested and charged a suspect in connection with the killing of 19-year-old Meah Bordenave-Jenkins and the shootings of two surviving victims. However, the separate killing of 37-year-old Eric Washington during the same July 4 gathering remained unsolved in the most recent publicly available update. Authorities were also still seeking information about the July 5 killing of 30-year-old Thaddeus Clark and the shooting of another victim.
Investigating these cases and arresting those responsible are duties of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department—not the Public Safety Commission. The commission can nevertheless examine broader conditions, facilitate public communication, receive community concerns and recommend improvements in prevention, coordination and allocation of City public-safety resources.
At a time when residents and businesses are demanding a more organized response to street takeovers, commercial looting and unresolved violence, an incomplete, inactive or poorly communicated commission structure serves no one.
The City should publish a definitive update identifying:
The current commissioners
The official who appointed each member
Each commissioner’s term expiration
Any existing vacancy
The current chair and vice chair
The date and agenda of the next public meeting
Compton residents should not have to guess whether their principal municipal public-safety advisory body is fully constituted, actively meeting and addressing the issues affecting their neighborhoods and businesses.
PUBLIC WORKS SPENDING REQUIRES PUBLIC FOLLOW-THROUGH
The City Council has continued approving substantial expenditures involving streets, infrastructure and municipal operations.
Recent actions reportedly include:
A $4.766 million construction contract with All American Asphalt for Phase X of the Citywide Street Rehabilitation Project
A $322,105 citywide parking-rate study
A $1.24 million FY 2026–27 budget amendment establishing purchase orders with existing vendors for Public Works materials
A purchase order of up to $45,000 connected to Gateway Cities Council of Governments planning for the I-710 and 91/605/405 freeway corridors
Compton needs sustained investment in streets, sidewalks, sewers, stormwater systems, lighting, public facilities and other essential infrastructure. The Chamber supports legitimate public investment that produces visible, durable improvements.
Approval of a contract, however, is only the beginning.
For every major project, the City should publicly identify:
The streets, facilities or neighborhoods included
The contractor and subcontractors
The total authorized expenditure
The funding source
The anticipated starting and completion dates
Local-hiring and local-business participation
Project milestones and change orders
The department responsible for delivery
The final measurable result
Residents should not have to search through hundreds of pages of agenda documents to determine whether a multimillion-dollar project has started, stalled, changed scope or exceeded its original cost.
A public project dashboard displaying budgets, contractors, timelines, change orders and completion percentages would substantially improve accountability.
FIBER-OPTIC CONSTRUCTION: PASSING THROUGH COMPTON OR CONNECTING COMPTON?
Fiber-optic construction is occurring in portions of Compton, with residents receiving notices about work affecting streets and public rights-of-way.
Expanded fiber infrastructure can support faster internet service, business operations, telehealth, municipal technology and economic development. But the presence of fiber beneath a Compton street does not automatically mean nearby households and businesses will receive affordable, high-quality service.
The City should explain:
Who owns the infrastructure?
Which neighborhoods and commercial corridors are included?
Which service providers will use it?
Will Compton households and businesses be able to connect?
What construction-restoration standards apply?
Will damaged pavement and sidewalks be fully restored?
Is the City receiving lease, franchise or permitting revenue?
What protections exist against leaving underserved neighborhoods behind?
Compton should not merely host infrastructure that primarily benefits private companies or surrounding communities. The city should capture a direct public and economic benefit from infrastructure installed within its boundaries.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MUST MOVE FROM PLANNING TO IMPLEMENTATION
The City is preparing a comprehensive Economic Development Strategic Plan with The Natelson Dale Group, Inc., under a professional-services agreement not to exceed $143,270.
The plan is intended to evaluate Compton’s business environment, commercial corridors, major industries, workforce, investment opportunities and long-term economic priorities.
The Chamber supports the creation of a serious economic-development strategy.
Compton’s proximity to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, major freeways, rail infrastructure and one of the country’s largest consumer markets gives the city enormous economic value.
But Compton’s longstanding challenge is not simply attracting economic activity.
Compton does not lack economic activity. It lacks sufficient economic capture.
Goods, workers, trucks, rail traffic and commercial activity move through Compton every day. The central question is how much lasting value remains in the city through local employment, business ownership, tax revenue, property improvement, entrepreneurship and reinvestment.
The final economic strategy should include:
Measurable business-retention goals
Support for locally owned and home-based businesses
Commercial-corridor revitalization
Faster and more predictable permitting
Strategies for filling vacant storefronts
Local procurement and contracting opportunities
Industrial-development standards
Workforce connections between employers and residents
Responsible departments and implementation deadlines
Annual public progress reports
Read the Chamber’s earlier examination: COMPTON’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN MOVES FORWARD.
FLOCK CAMERAS REQUIRE LOCAL OVERSIGHT
The City website now provides information concerning Compton’s use of Flock Safety cameras. The Chamber has also published a broader examination of the expanding nationwide vehicle-surveillance network.
Flock cameras do more than photograph license plates. They may record vehicle make, model, color, distinguishing features, location and time, producing searchable records of vehicle movements.
Such technology can assist with stolen vehicles, missing-person cases and criminal investigations. However, useful technology still requires public oversight.
Compton residents should know:
How many cameras operate in the city?
Where are they located?
Who can search the collected information?
How long is the information retained?
Which outside agencies can access it?
Are searches audited?
How are incorrect matches handled?
What procedures exist for complaints and misuse?
What is the total public cost?
Read the Chamber’s full report: AI-POWERED FLOCK CAMERAS RAISE NATIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT MASS SURVEILLANCE.
Public safety and civil liberties should not be treated as mutually exclusive. Compton can use legitimate investigative tools while still requiring transparency, accuracy and enforceable limits.
LA28 COULD CREATE PRESSURE FAR BEYOND OLYMPIC VENUES
Although Compton is not at the center of the official Olympic venue map, the city may still experience indirect consequences from the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Regional preparations may affect transportation corridors, emergency resources, temporary housing, public-space enforcement and the movement of homeless populations away from tourist districts and high-visibility venues.
The Chamber recently warned that Olympic-related displacement pressure could extend far beyond the population living immediately around selected venues.
Compton and the Gateway Cities should have a seat at the regional planning table before displacement, transportation and public-safety decisions are made—not after surrounding communities are expected to absorb the consequences.
Read the Chamber’s analysis: LA28’S HOMELESS DISPLACEMENT COULD REACH FAR BEYOND 6,000 PEOPLE.
THE END-OF-SUMMER ASSESSMENT
Compton enters the final months of 2026 with genuine opportunities—but also important unresolved questions.
The City is preparing to adopt a long-range General Plan. It is conducting a nationwide search for a permanent City Manager. Major road and infrastructure expenditures have been authorized. An economic-development strategy is being prepared. Fiber infrastructure is being installed.
At the same time, Compton still lacks a permanent City Manager, a formally appointed permanent City Attorney and clearly confirmed leadership for its Public Safety Commission.
Plans, studies, consultants and professional-service contracts may be useful, but none should be mistaken for completed results.
The City’s performance must ultimately be measured by what residents and businesses experience:
Are streets improving?
Are permits processed more efficiently?
Are public records current and accessible?
Are contracts producing measurable results?
Are local businesses receiving opportunities?
Are neighborhoods cleaner and better maintained?
Are departments responding consistently?
Is the City explaining how public money is spent?
Is Compton capturing more of the economic value generated within its borders?
The September 15 and September 16 public meetings give residents an immediate opportunity to participate in decisions affecting both Compton’s physical development and the leadership of its municipal government.
Public participation matters—but participation must lead to transparent decisions, accountable appointments and measurable outcomes.
Compton has plans. It has valuable public assets, established businesses, strategic geography and extraordinary entrepreneurial potential.
What it needs now is stable leadership, disciplined execution and consistent accountability.
This status report reflects information publicly available as of September 13, 2026. Commentary, questions and recommendations represent the civic and economic-development perspective of the Compton Chamber of Commerce.
