"There can be no meaningful government accountability if the public is deprived of basic financial data detailing how taxpayer dollars are being managed," said Chiang. "Out of California’s more than 5,200 local public agencies, these 20 have ignored their legal reporting duties, thereby compelling my office’s intervention to extract the missing data and audit the worst offenders."
Under
Government Code section 53891, local governments are required to
annually file with the State Controller's Office a report of financial
transactions, which include figures on revenues, expenditures, and
long-term debt, within 90-110 days of the end of the fiscal year. The
Controller publishes financial reporting instructions on his website
annually. Following the 2010 scandal in the City of
Bell, he amended the filing instructions to include detailed reports of
employee wages and benefit costs. That data is now used to support the
Controller's website dedicated to employee compensation –
publicpay.ca.gov.
Last October, Chiang warned more than 120 local governments that their financial reports were overdue by more than a year. In his letter , Chiang noted that repeated failures to file may indicate serious internal control problems that are often associated with unchecked spending or fiscal mismanagement, and could trigger a state audit. All nine cities and 97 of the 117 special districts contacted by the Controller's Office have since filed their reports. All of the State's 58 counties had previously filed their required reports.
Last October, Chiang warned more than 120 local governments that their financial reports were overdue by more than a year. In his letter , Chiang noted that repeated failures to file may indicate serious internal control problems that are often associated with unchecked spending or fiscal mismanagement, and could trigger a state audit. All nine cities and 97 of the 117 special districts contacted by the Controller's Office have since filed their reports. All of the State's 58 counties had previously filed their required reports.
The
20 non-reporting governments that will be visited by the Controller's
staff are listed below. In italics are the three agencies whose
internal controls will be audited after failing to comply with
reporting requirements during the past two or more years.
District
|
County
|
|
Biggs-West Gridley Water District
|
Butte
|
|
Klamath Community Services District
|
Del Norte
|
|
Smith River Cemetery District
|
Del Norte
|
|
Reclamation District No. 2070
|
Lake
|
|
Sierra Foothills Public Utility District
|
Madera
|
|
Westport County Water District
|
Mendocino
|
|
South Dos Palos County Water District
|
Merced
|
|
Spreckels Memorial District
|
Monterey
|
|
Spreckels Community Services District
|
Monterey
|
|
Feather River Canyon Community Services District
|
Plumas
|
|
Indian Valley Ambulance Service Authority
|
Plumas
|
|
Indian Valley Community Services District
|
Plumas
|
|
San Martin County Water District
|
Santa Clara
|
|
Downieville Fire Protection District
|
Sierra
|
|
Happy Camp Fire Protection District
|
Siskiyou
|
|
Hornbrook Community Services District
|
Siskiyou
|
|
Burbank Paradise Fire Protection District
|
Stanislaus
|
|
Western Hills Water District
|
Stanislaus
|
|
Atwell Island Water District
|
Tulare
|
|
County Service Area No. 20
|
Tuolumne
|
Audit reports stemming from this enforcement effort along with missing financial data – once collected – will be posted on the Controller’s website.