Concerns are rising in Buena Park regarding the cost of city construction projects, with millions of taxpayer dollars reportedly being impacted by a specific policy. The policy, a Community Workforce Agreement (CWA), was advocated by Mayor Connor Traut. Critics claim these agreements, initially known as Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), lead to increased public spending.
These agreements are characterized as “no-bid, sole-source labor contracts” which are reported to increase project prices by discriminating against a significant portion of local construction workers. In 2022, Mayor Traut reportedly proposed and advanced a PLA that, while said to benefit his political donors, also led to over half a million dollars in overruns on a single project for Buena Park taxpayers.
The Mayor reportedly changed the name of the “controversial ‘Project Labor Agreement’” to a “Community Workforce Agreement” in an effort to conceal the nature of the deal, which was reported to favor his political donors. On March 8, 2022, the Buena Park City Council officially approved a Community Workforce Agreement between the City and the Los Angeles and Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council. This agreement has a five-year term, effective from July 1, 2022. Eric Christen, representing the Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction, communicated to Mayor Traut and other councilmembers that the City would face significant financial burdens until 2027, potentially costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. Local labor bosses have also acknowledged Mayor Traut's leadership in establishing the city's first CWA for infrastructure projects, noting this on their website as recently as February 12, 2025.
In November 2023, the Buena Park City Council scheduled an “Update on the City’s Implementation of the Community Workforce Agreement” to assess the policy’s effectiveness. Before this update, City staff held discussions with local union representatives to review “challenges” faced during the administration of the CWA. The review conducted by City staff identified significant difficulties. The staff report noted the City had experienced “challenges in receiving an adequate number of bids” for projects, primarily due to contractors' unwillingness to comply with the CWA. These challenges were particularly noted in projects requiring specialized work, such as improvements to pools or parks, and in securing professional services for geotechnical engineering and surveying on CWA-mandated projects.
Prior to the CWA's implementation, Industry Associations like the Western Electrical Contractors Association and the Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction had reportedly warned Buena Park officials about the potential taxpayer impact of a Project Labor Agreement. According to the source, there was no clear rationale or supporting data presented for the PLA. The 2023 review, utilizing input from Mayor Traut’s own city staff, reportedly concluded that the CWA was the reason Buena Park projects were significantly exceeding initial estimates. The source states that by deciding to implement this agreement for five years without an out clause or a prior assessment of its effectiveness for the city, taxpayers are now obligated to this policy until 2027.
Challenges persisted into 2024. In April, the Buena Park City Council was compelled to reject all bids for the Smith Murphy Park and Carl Brenner Park Accessibility Improvement Project (now renamed Friendship Park and Carl Brenner Park), opting to re-advertise for new bids. Six bids were received and opened on March 28, 2024, with amounts ranging from $1,012,847 to $1,779,240. Given the project’s budget of $800,000, these bids were between 30% and over 120% above the estimate, equating to $212,847 to $979,240 over budget. City staff's recommendation to reject all bids stemmed from the lowest qualified bid significantly surpassing the allocated budget.
Further issues emerged in July 2024 with another project. The City received only one bid, which was 59% over the engineer’s estimate and from an unqualified bidder. The bid amounted to $1,099,628, while the engineer’s estimate was $690,000, placing the bid more than $400,000 over budget. These incidents illustrate a pattern of the City struggling to attract an adequate number of bids, primarily attributed to contractors’ reluctance to comply with the CWA requirements.
The implementation of the Project Labor Agreement, which the source states was decided upon by Mayor Traut and City Council members, is reported to have resulted in increased costs and reduced bidders for city construction work. By integrating such an agreement, the source claims, the city made it nearly impossible for Merit Shop construction workers, apprentices, and contractors—who reportedly represent 90% of the local construction workforce—to participate in these projects. The cumulative effect includes higher bids, fewer bids, and difficulties in securing qualified contractors, leading to substantial over-budget figures on public works projects.
