Compton’s new city manager is promising to fix the city’s longstanding financial crisis, provide stable leadership, and help overcome the city’s standing in the public eye. The economic challenges primarily stem from a lack of strategic leadership and over 15 years of fiscal mismanagement, overspending, and questionable budgeting practices.
A photo of Willie Hopkins, City Manager, Compton (Photo by Charles Jackson Jr)
The City Council appointed Willie Hopkins Jr., a U.S. Army veteran with nearly 25 years of government administration, to be the new city manager. He officially began his tenure in January 2024.
When Compton resumed its city council meetings on Sept. 2, 2025, it announced the approval of $20 million in city road repairs and infrastructure improvements. This is one of the many proactive steps by the city’s leadership to deliver on a promise made during the November 2024 election…