City government The City of Hawaiian Gardens is a general law city and governs itself as a council-manager form of government. The city council is elected at-large. The city council appoints the city manager. The council establishes policies and ordinances and the city manager, assisted by the department heads, implements them. It is a contract city, meaning its main municipal services (fire, police, library) are contracted to other regional agencies. Prior to the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, this, along with the city's gambling revenue, allowed it to keep property taxes very low. Incorporation in 1964 was primarily intended to prevent annexation to Long Beach, a full-service city with higher property taxes. As a small municipal enclave centered around gambling near many transit arteries, it has been called the "Money Laundering Capital" of Southern California.
City government The City of Hawaiian Gardens is a general law city and governs itself as a council-manager form of government. The city council is elected at-large. The city council appoints the city manager. The council establishes policies and ordinances and the city manager, assisted by the department heads, implements them. It is a contract city, meaning its main municipal services (fire, police, library) are contracted to other regional agencies Prior to the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, this, along with the city's gambling revenue, allowed it to keep property taxes very low. Incorporation in 1964 was primarily intended to prevent annexation to Long Beach, a full-service city with higher property taxes. As a small municipal enclave centered around gambling near many transit arteries it has been called the "Money Laundering Capital" of Southern California.