[Mendocino County] In Our Opinion: Consider the grand jury

If you are someone who thinks it’s important to watchdog local government and you are an open minded person with no particular axe to grind, and you have some time you can give to a worthy effort, then being on the local grand jury is for you.

Right now the Mendocino County Grand Jury is seeking new jury members for the 2015-16 term which beings July 1.

The 19 members of the grand jury serve for one year and are empowered to investigate the operations of county, city and district governments and to provide civil oversight of local government departments and agencies and respond to citizen complaints.

They are a crucial component of our democratic society. We need someone to be able to look at records normally unavailable to the public, to talk to people who may know about fishy operations and to investigate even the most sacred of cows among us. To that end the grand jury is extremely important.

This past year the grand jury issued reports that forced the county to look more closely at its relationship with the library and how library funds are used. And they generated a valuable conversation about how our animal shelter is run.

The grand jury also plays an important role in assuring us that our local government agencies are running smoothly. Very often, grand jury reports are glowing reports of agencies that are serving the public with distinction.

While we often criticize local government responses to the grand jury - it’s often a version of “They don’t know what they’re talking about” - we still believe the grand jury’s work is valuable and must continue.

We urge all citizens to consider this worthy work.

Applications will be accepted until May 8. The 2015/2016 grand jury will be sworn in on June 26.

Applications and related information are available and can be downloaded at: www.mendocino.courts.ca.gov/grandjury. The application is also available at the Superior Court, 100 N. State St., Room 303, Ukiah or by calling the grand jury at (707) 463-4320.

March 1, 2015

Ukiah Daily Journal

Editorial