A new report by the Marin County Civil Grand Jury calls on county officials to publicize details about Marin’s many small government agencies so taxpayers have the ability to hold them accountable.
Countywide, there are more than 130 so-called special districts, which are public agencies that deliver services including water, recreation, sanitation, policing and firefighting to specified geographic areas.
Information about those districts — including basic details, such as what they are called, whom they serve and how to contact them — is often difficult to find, says the report, which was released Thursday.
“Operational details about them are uncertain and obscure,” it says.
The Marin County Civil Grand Jury routinely reports on special districts, often urging county officials to facilitate greater transparency from the agencies. It has repeatedly pressed for a comprehensive list of all Marin districts accessible through the county’s website.
But according to the latest report, a complete inventory has yet to be published, despite the Board of Supervisors agreeing to create one in response to a 2014 grand jury recommendation.
“Without a full list,” the grand jury says, “it is difficult to determine how many special districts exist and how much taxpayer money is expended by them.”
State law requires public agencies when they are formed to file information with the state secretary and the clerk of the county where they operate. That information includes the name and mailing address for each agency, in addition to the names of directors. When any changes are made, agencies are required to notify the state and county within 10 days.
But the roster of public agencies maintained by the Marin County clerk’s office shows that many districts don’t routinely file change notices. Information about some districts hasn’t been updated since the 1960s.
Shelly Scott, the county clerk, said she does her part by refreshing the roster when Marin’s agencies file notices with her office. But she’s not responsible for ensuring the information about each agency is current, or that each district is on the list.
“I don’t keep track of all the agencies,” she said. “They’re required to report to me.”
The grand jury report asks the county Board of Supervisors to create an accurate and complete public agencies directory before the end of the year and identify county staff responsible for updating it.
It recommends including in that database the names of board members for each special district and how much they are paid. It also suggest providing information such as the purpose, total budget and source of funds for each district.
The recommendations are aimed at promoting “transparency and accountability,” the report says.
That information is crucial for watchdog groups like the Coalition of Sensible Taxpayers, said Paul Premo, a board member for the organization.
It can be tough in some cases, he said, to track down details about many districts — especially financial figures, including how much directors and administrators are being paid. When the public doesn’t have easy access to that information, the agencies are able to “fly under the radar,” he said.
Transparency, Premo said, allows Marin residents to “monitor and perhaps challenge the efficiency of these governments.”
June 24, 2019
Marin Independent Journal
By Matthew Pera
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