Compton City Treasurer 2026

It's time someone
counted the money.

$3.7 million embezzled from the Treasurer's office. $29 million in unpaid internal loans. California's #1 most financially at-risk city. Compton deserves a Treasurer who will fight for every dollar.

Support the Campaign → See the Plan
Maxwell Burke
Compton's Financial Crisis — By the Numbers
$3.7M
Embezzled from the Treasurer's office over 6 years
$29M
Borrowed from water & sewer funds, never repaid
$41M
In unspent resources while infrastructure decays
#1
Most financially at-risk city in California
The Crisis

Compton's money isn't missing.
It's being mismanaged.

$3.7M
Embezzlement from the Treasurer's Office
A former deputy treasurer embezzled $3.7 million from 2010 to 2016. It took six years to notice. The financial controls were described as "virtually nonexistent."
$29M
Raided Water & Sewer Funds
The general fund borrowed nearly $29 million from water and sewer funds to cover operating expenses — and never paid it back. Meanwhile, residents pay some of the highest water rates in the region.
$41M
Money Sitting Idle
Compton has $41 million in unspent financial resources while half its streets are in poor condition, water wells decay, and sewer overflows threaten public health.
10%
Taxing Your Own Water Bills
The city charges a 10% utility users tax on its own water system's revenue. You pay high water rates, get taxed on top of it, and the pipes still rot because the money goes elsewhere.
The Plan

A Treasurer who actually
does the job.

The City Treasurer is the last line of defense against financial mismanagement. Here's what I'll do on Day One — and every day after.

01
Demand Full Financial Transparency
Compton hasn't produced timely audited financial statements for over a decade. That ends immediately. Every dollar in, every dollar out — published online, searchable, accountable. If they can't show where the money went, I'll find out why.
02
Force Repayment of the Water Fund
$29 million was borrowed from water and sewer funds and never returned. That money was supposed to maintain the pipes your family drinks from. I will establish a binding repayment schedule and ensure water revenue goes to water infrastructure — not to plug budget holes at City Hall.
03
Implement Real Financial Controls
The Treasurer's office allowed $3.7 million in embezzlement to go undetected for six years. I'll implement modern financial safeguards: dual authorization on all disbursements, monthly reconciliation audits, and real-time reporting dashboards that anyone can access.
04
Capture the Broadband Opportunity
A $104 million fiber optic network is being built through Compton right now at no cost to the city. The Treasurer's office must ensure Compton retains control and builds a municipal ISP on this infrastructure — a potential $3-6 million annual revenue stream that can fund real services for residents.
05
Deploy Idle Funds to Infrastructure
$41 million sits unspent while streets crumble, sewage overflows, and water wells decay. I'll work with the council to create a prioritized capital improvement plan — the city hasn't updated theirs since 2014 — and put that money where it belongs: in the ground, fixing pipes and roads.
The Vision

Building a Compton that works
for the people who live here.

🌐

Municipal Broadband

The Gateway Cities fiber network is coming. Compton should own its last-mile connection — delivering affordable high-speed internet to every household while generating millions in city revenue.

💧

Water System Justice

Residents pay premium rates while the system rots. 156 miles of pipe, 14,500 connections, $29 million in stolen funds. It's time to make the water system whole — and make water bills honest.

📊

Open Books

Real-time financial dashboards. Searchable spending data. Monthly reports to the public. When you can see where every dollar goes, it's a lot harder for someone to steal $3.7 million.

About Maxwell

No debts. No faction.
No agenda. No record.

Maxwell Burke

I've lived in Compton. I've worked in Compton. I've spent four years watching this city's government fail the people who actually live here — and I've had enough.

I'm not a career politician. I'm not backed by a faction. I don't owe anyone favors. I'm running for Treasurer because someone needs to count the money, and the people who've been doing it have been either stealing it, losing it, or ignoring it.

"I chose this city. I stay in this city. I pay taxes in this city. This is my home."

Compton has the resources to be a great city. It has $41 million in unspent funds, a $104 million fiber network being built through its streets, eight federal Opportunity Zones, and residents who care deeply about their community. What it doesn't have is financial leadership that's accountable to the people.

That changes June 2, 2026.

✓ Your Vote Matters

Are you registered to vote in Compton?

The primary election is June 2, 2026. Make sure you're registered and ready. It takes 2 minutes.

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Get Involved

Let's talk.

Whether you want to volunteer, host a neighborhood meet-up, ask a question, or just tell me what Compton needs — I'm listening.

Email: maxwell4treasurer@gmail.com
Phone: (310) 817-0565

📷 🎵 📘 ▶️