I. Government and Court Records (Primary Sources)
A. City of La Palma — News Releases
B. City of La Palma — Agenda Items, Ordinances, and Resolutions
- Agenda Item No. 6, City Manager Appointment and Employment Agreement, Conal McNamara, effective April 1, 2020 — lapalmaca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9894
- City Council agenda item, August 2022, renewing/amending the legal-services agreement with Rutan & Tucker, LLP
- Ordinance amending Chapter 44 pertaining to signs, adopted December 7, 2021 (signed by Mayor Nitesh Patel)
- Purchase Order #22959, June 12, 2024 (Tripepi Smith, "Ballot Measure Services," General Fund account 001-120-6000)
- Ordinance No. 2024-04, first reading November 5, 2024, adopted December 10, 2024
C. City of La Palma — Certified Council Meeting Minutes
- City of La Palma Agenda Item, Term Limits Study Session, referencing Measure O (1996), which "was passed by nearly 80%" of voters and established two four-year terms with a four-year waiting period before returning to the ballot
- Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the La Palma City Council, August 20, 2019 (Item 8, "CONTINUED: Study Session: Council Member Request – Term Limits"; motion to direct staff to prepare a March 2020 ballot measure carried 3-0, Kim and Patel abstaining)
- Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the La Palma City Council, September 3, 2019 (Item 7, Resolution No. 2019-40; eleven public speakers, nearly all opposed; motion to table indefinitely carried unanimously, 5-0)
- Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the La Palma City Council, June 2, 2020 (adoption of Resolution 2020-29 amending regular meeting frequency) — lapalmaca.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2862
- Agendas and minutes archive (verify meeting counts and July cancellations by year) — lapalmaca.gov/Archive.aspx?AMID=165 and lapalmaca.gov/72/Agendas-and-Minutes
D. City of La Palma — Website and Program Pages
E. Court Filings
- Complaint for Monetary Damages, Misty Torres v. City of La Palma, Orange County Superior Court Case No. 30-2026-01561451-CU-OE-NJC, filed April 8, 2026 (Gonzalez Weerasuriya, APC)
- Jury verdict, Byer v. City of La Palma, Orange County Superior Court (December 9, 2025; $8.4M — approx. $3.9M past, $4.5M future damages)
F. Sworn Campaign Finance Filings (FPPC, on file with the La Palma City Clerk)
- Yes on Measure W (FPPC ID #1474110), Form 460 Recipient Committee Campaign Statement, period 9/22/2024–10/19/2024, filed 10/24/2024
- Yes on Measure W, Form 497 24-Hour Contribution Reports, October 2024
- Debbie S. Baker for La Palma City Council District 1 2024 (FPPC ID #1466502), Form 460, filed 10/24/2024
- Mark Waldman for La Palma City Council District 5 2024 (FPPC ID #1472715), Form 460, filed 10/24/2024
- Vikesh Patel for La Palma City Council 2024 District 3 (FPPC ID #1470137), Form 470 Short Form, filed 10/21/2024
G. Regional and County Government Records
- Orange County Registrar of Voters, Measure JJ ballot materials, arguments and impartial analysis (November 2016) — ocvote.gov — Measure JJ
- Orange County Registrar of Voters, Measure W full text, impartial analysis, and arguments (November 2024)
- Orange County Fire Authority, Board of Directors and Budget and Finance Committee agendas and minutes (2026) — ocfa.org/AboutUs/BoardOfDirectors.aspx
H. Attorney Correspondence (Primary Source — in the possession of residents' counsel)
- Letter, Adam Sechooler (AEMS Trial Firm, APC) to City Manager Conal McNamara, October 1, 2024
- Letter, City Attorney Ajit S. Thind (Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC, File No. 42034.0011) to Adam Sechooler, October 15, 2024
- Letter, Adam Sechooler to Ajit S. Thind, October 22, 2024
I. Vendor / Consultant Records (obtained via Public Records Act request)
- Agreement for Consulting Services between the City of La Palma and Tripepi Smith, executed May 8, 2024
- Tripepi Smith Invoices #12490 (May 2024, $4,893.75), #12654 (June 2024, $7,116.50), #12816 (July 2024, $3,345.00), #13013 (August 2024, $1,368.75), and #13241 (September 2024, $1,367.50)
- Consultant work product: final ballot question text; June 2024 City news release; FAQ sheet (English, Spanish, Korean); utility bill insert; citywide mailer; and drafts of the ballot "Argument in Favor" (redacted) and "Rebuttal to Argument Against"
- City/consultant calendar log showing recurring weekly check-in calls beginning May 2024
J. Applicable Legal Standards
- Cal. Gov. Code § 54964 (public funds and ballot advocacy)
- Vargas v. City of Salinas (2009) 46 Cal.4th 1
K. CalPERS Actuarial Valuations and Campaign Financial Materials (Primary Sources)
- California Public Employees' Retirement System, Actuarial Valuation for the Rate Plans of the City of La Palma in the Safety Risk Pool as of June 30, 2024 (required contributions for FY 2026-27)
- California Public Employees' Retirement System, Actuarial Valuation for the Rate Plans of the City of La Palma in the Miscellaneous Risk Pool as of June 30, 2024 (required contributions for FY 2026-27)
- Yes on Measure JJ — La Palma, "What Fiscally Sound Looks Like" (campaign webpage, archived; page states "Last edited May 5, 2021")
II. Independent News Reporting
A. Event-News Enterprise
- "La Palma Council votes 4-1 to fund ballot initiative to expand term limits" — reporting that "almost 80 percent of La Palma voters approved" the original 1996 term-limits measure
- "Retiring City Manager Laurie Murray Recognized for 23 Years of Service" (January 2020)
- "Ron Wilkerson sworn in as La Palma Chief of Police" (October 2023)
- "La Palma authorities refuse to enforce ordinance to remove supportive signs" (October 2024)
- "Documents reveal La Palma Council members funding 'Yes' on 'W' term limit expansion push" (November 2024)
- "La Palma Mayor prompts pause after Council member questions reasons for lack of transparency" (January 2025)
- "Exodus continues from La Palma City Government" (March 2025)
- "La Palma looks to one of its own, appointing former Mayor Peter L. Kim as City Manager" (September 2025)
- "La Palma Police Chief set to retire" (October 2025)
- "Activist takes La Palma official to task for pension comments" (August 2025) — UAL figures: $18,212,933 FY 2016-17 → $23,645,977 FY 2023-24, +29.8%, per the City's audited ACFRs
- "Former Tiny Tots program director sues La Palma for unpaid wages and damages"
- "La Palma ordered to pay officer $8.4 million after losing reverse discrimination lawsuit" (April 2026)
B. Voice of OC
- "Why Won't Officials in Two OC Cities Video Livestream Their Public Meetings?" (October 2024)
- "Will La Palma See 20-Year Politicians?" (November 2024)
- "No Plans in Sight for Video Streaming in La Palma" (December 2024)
- "La Palma City Hall Resists Residents Watching Official Deliberations From Home" (January 2025)
- "La Palma Residents Push for City Council Meeting Video Livestreams" (May 2025)
- "La Palma Leaders Look to Livestream City Council Meeting Video" (April 2026, SB 707 compliance)
- "OC Cities Continue Grappling With Call-in Public Comment" (June 2026, SB 707 / Western Audio Visual)
C. Los Cerritos Community News
- "La Palma City Manager Announces Retirement" (September 2019)
- "Questions Mount Over La Palma Police Oversight After $8.4 Million Verdict" (April 16, 2026)
D. PublicCEO
- "La Palma Chief of Police Joe Guerrero to retire" (October 2025)
E. Law Firm / Professional Profiles
A note on sourcing — The Measure W campaign finance facts are drawn directly from the FPPC Form 460, 497, and 470 filings on file with the La Palma City Clerk; the Tripepi Smith facts are drawn directly from the executed consultant agreement, purchase order, invoices, calendar records, and work product produced by the City under the Public Records Act; the Torres allegations are drawn directly from the filed complaint; and the 2019 term-limit account is drawn directly from the City Council's own certified minutes of August 20 and September 3, 2019 — all cited above. Allegations in the Torres complaint are allegations in a pending case the City has not yet answered, and are labeled as such throughout this record. This page states what the consultant records show and identifies the applicable legal standard on public funds and ballot advocacy; whether the City's spending crossed that line is a determination for the FPPC or a court, and this record does not assert that it did.