Score: -5 (0/8/5)

Napa County Grand Jury • 2024-2025

Napa County Civil Grand Jury 2024-2025 April 23, 2025

Published: April 23, 2025 21 pages

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⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.

⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Findings and Recommendations 12 findings

F1

Napa County’s 2024 General Election was safe, secure, and performed with integrity.

No recommendations for this finding

F2

The 2024 election procedures were followed in accordance with the law.

No recommendations for this finding

F3

No eligible vote cast in the prescribed manner was found to be uncounted.

No recommendations for this finding

F4

The Napa County election computer systems were secure.

No recommendations for this finding

F5

The Voter Registration Database was maintained accurately.

No recommendations for this finding

F6

The confidentiality of a voter’s ballot was maintained and protected throughout the entire election process.

No recommendations for this finding

F7

The legally required manual audit of the election was secure and accurate.

No recommendations for this finding

F8

The election process was transparent, and observers were welcomed and encouraged to witness the activity.

No recommendations for this finding

F9

The Napa County Elections Division’s office workspace was inadequate and warrants improvement.

Related Recommendations (1)

R1

The Napa County Board of Supervisors examine the need to upgrade the Napa Elections Office to ensure adequate office workspace for future elections. This examination should include collaboration with and input from the Napa County Elections Division staff, and should occur , with a report of recommendations released in 45 days.

F10

Napa County Elections Division website is lacking information and organization to assist voters and the community in an easy-to-understand format.

Related Recommendations (1)

R2

The Napa County Elections Division review its website for modernization and standards to help the organization of information. The Elections website should include the public reports required by the state. Recommendation for a review and generation of areas of improvement of the website be and implementation of changes from the identification of the areas of improvement.

F11

Napa County Elections Division did not maintain its own social media accounts as required by the Napa County Social Media Use Policy, leading to personnel utilizing personal accounts for county business.

Related Recommendations (1)

R3

The Napa County Elections Division set up and maintain its own social media accounts to distribute voter information, and staff should refrain from using personal 13 accounts to communicate official county business. Both of these recommendations should be implemented

F12

Napa County Elections Division outreach failed to use effective strategies to target soon-to-be-of-age eligible voters.

Related Recommendations (1)

R4

The Napa County Elections Division examine its outreach program directed to those coming of age to vote. This outreach should be added to the next iteration of the Napa County Election Administration Plan (EAP). Materials should be readily available and circulated

Commendations 1

CM1 Page 14

The Civil Grand Jury commends the Napa County Elections Division Staff and Registrar of Voters. These individuals executed their duties expertly and conducted their operations in a manner that ensured the elections were safe, secure, and conducted in accordance with the law and procedures. The Elections Division staff governed the process with integrity and transparency.

Agency Responses 4

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.

Board of Supervisors (BOS) Response to Napa County User Permit Process

August 20, 2025 • 19 pages • 9 responses • Score: -2 (+0, 7, -2) View Details ▾

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9 responses to findings and recommendations

F1

Napa County’s 2024 General Election was safe, secure, and performed with integrity.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The Director of Planning, Building, and Environmental Services, the Chief Executive Officer, and the Board of Supervisors disagree partially with this finding. While a pre-application in-office meetings are optional (as well as pre-application site visits), and does come with a fee, these meetings can provide valuable guidance and clarity for applicants. As of July 7, 2025, the fee for a pre-application in-office meeting with the Planning Division, which includes preparatory research, a one-hour in-person meeting, and follow-up, is $772. Depending on the project's scope, applicants can choose ...

R1

The Napa County Board of Supervisors examine the need to upgrade the Napa Elections Office to ensure adequate office workspace for future elections. This examination should include collaboration with and input from the Napa County Elections Division staff, and should occur , with a report of recommendations released in 45 days.

Response: Will Not Implement

Due: Within 60 days Scheduled: within 120 days Score: -1

The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted or is not reasonable. Napa County supports a transparent, consistent, and professional development review process that encourages early coordination between applicants and staff with the Planning, Building, and Environmental Services Department. Pre-application meetings are an important tool for facilitating communication, clarifying regulatory requirements, and improving the overall quality of project submittals. However, pre-application meetings remain a voluntary service, and Napa County does not mandate them as a prereq...

F2

The 2024 election procedures were followed in accordance with the law.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The Director of Planning, Building, and Environmental Services, the Chief Executive Officer, and the Board of Supervisors disagree wholly or partially with the finding. State law allows government agencies to recover the cost of providing services by levying fees. Napa County has previously established fees for services and has periodically updated those fees. A comprehensive fee update was adopted in May 2019 via Board Resolution 2019-70. At the conclusion of the 2019 study, the Board of Supervisors maintained the goal adopted in 2003 to obtain full cost recovery for the Building Division and...

R2

The Napa County Elections Division review its website for modernization and standards to help the organization of information. The Elections website should include the public reports required by the state. Recommendation for a review and generation of areas of improvement of the website be and implementation of changes from the identification of the areas of improvement.

Response: Implemented

Due: Within 60 days Scheduled: within 120 days Score: 0

The recommendation has been implemented. Local jurisdictions like Napa County are entrusted with the critical responsibility of managing limited public resources while delivering high-quality services to the community. Development-related fees are a key mechanism for ensuring fiscal responsibility. These fees are not general taxes; rather, they are designed to recover the actual costs incurred by the County in processing private development applications, including staff time, technical analysis, and administrative overhead. Without a structured fee system, the financial burden of reviewing and...

F3

No eligible vote cast in the prescribed manner was found to be uncounted.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The Director of Planning, Building, and Environmental Services, the Chief Executive Officer, and the Board of Supervisors disagree wholly or partially with the finding. The Winery Database was originally created to support cumulative impact analysis as outlined in Action Item AG/LU-10.1 of the 2008 Napa County General Plan. Its purpose was to track and provide summary information on increases in winery production capacity, marketing events, and other operational characteristics to ensure new and modified winery entitlements stayed within the 2030 projections estimated in the 2008 General Plan ...

R3

The Napa County Elections Division set up and maintain its own social media accounts to distribute voter information, and staff should refrain from using personal 13 accounts to communicate official county business. Both of these recommendations should be implemented

Response: Requires Analysis

Due: Within 90 days Scheduled: within 120 days Score: 0

The recommendation requires further analysis. The Winery Database was originally developed in response to Action Item AG/LU-10.1 of the 2008 Napa County General Plan, which directed staff to "maintain a database of all wineries including their production capacity, marketing events, and other characteristics that could influence analysis of cumulative effects or the winery's effect on neighbors." The intent was to support ongoing cumulative impact analyses and inform future planning efforts with a larger summary data set, not to serve as a realtime, parcel-specific entitlement tracking system. ...

F4

The Napa County election computer systems were secure.

Response: Disagree Partially Score: 0

The Director of Planning, Building, and Environmental Services, the Chief Executive Officer, and the Board of Supervisors disagree wholly or partially with the finding. We partially disagree. While Napa County no longer operates the random audit program that existed over a decade ago, where a select number of wineries were audited each year from a randomized list, the County has established other mechanisms to address potential violations. Under the previous Board of Supervisors, the County's Code Compliance program transitioned to a complaint-based model. This model focuses on actively respon...

R4

The Napa County Elections Division examine its outreach program directed to those coming of age to vote. This outreach should be added to the next iteration of the Napa County Election Administration Plan (EAP). Materials should be readily available and circulated

Response: Requires Analysis

Due: Within 30 days Scheduled: Fiscal Year 2025-26 Score: 0

The recommendation requires further analysis. Napa County's Code Compliance program currently operates on a complaint-based model, a structure necessitated by limited staffing and funding. The County implements a proactive enforcement process that includes warnings, escalating fines, and the potential for litigation if properties remain out of compliance, while emphasizing responsiveness and fairness, ensuring that complaints are addressed in a thorough and objective manner. Code Compliance staff work to balance the County's regulatory obligations with a consistent and respectful approach to r...

F5

The Voter Registration Database was maintained accurately.

Response: Disagree Score: -1

The Director of Planning, Building, and Environmental Services, the Chief Executive Officer, and the Board of Supervisors disagree wholly or partially with the finding. The claim that PBES "faces structural inefficiencies" and "lack[s] an effective management structure" is untrue and not supported by evidence. PBES had a long-serving Director who was called upon to act as a temporary Chief Executive Officer during a lengthy nationwide recruitment. The current Director of PBES was promoted following the prior Director's announced retirement in 2023. For the past two years, the department has un...

Napa County

April 23, 2025 • 3 pages • 1 response • Score: -1 (+0, 0, -1) View Details ▾

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1 response to findings and recommendations

R3

The Napa County Elections Division set up and maintain its own social media accounts to distribute voter information, and staff should refrain from using personal 13 accounts to communicate official county business. Both of these recommendations should be implemented

Response: Will Not Implement

Due: Within 90 days Scheduled: within 90 days Score: -1

: The Napa County Elections Division set up and maintain its own social media accounts to distribute voter information, and staff should refrain from using personal accounts to communicate official county business. Both of these recommendations should be implemented within 90 days. Response, Napa Countywide Communications: The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted or is not reasonable. Napa Countywide Communications recommends that the Elections Division coordinate with the County Public Information Officer to distribute official voter information through the Count...

Napa County Election Division, Response to Findings and Recommendations

April 09, 2024 • 4 pages • 4 responses • Score: -2 (+0, 1, -2) View Details ▾

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4 responses to findings and recommendations

R1

The Napa County Board of Supervisors examine the need to upgrade the Napa Elections Office to ensure adequate office workspace for future elections. This examination should include collaboration with and input from the Napa County Elections Division staff, and should occur , with a report of recommendations released in 45 days.

Response: Implemented

Due: Within 60 days Scheduled: within 60 days Score: 0

The recommendation has been implemented. On April 9, 2024, the Board of Supervisors reviewed the Facilities Master Plan (FMP) report which included recommendations to address election division workspace needs. In developing those recommendations, the firm preparing the FMP report interviewed the Registrar of Voters, surveyed election staff and reviewed Napa County workspace standards. The Board of Supervisors expects to follow those recommendations when final decisions are made on relocating the election division. R2. The Napa County Elections Division review its website for modernization and ...

R2

The Napa County Elections Division review its website for modernization and standards to help the organization of information. The Elections website should include the public reports required by the state. Recommendation for a review and generation of areas of improvement of the website be and implementation of changes from the identification of the areas of improvement.

Response: Will Not Implement

Due: Within 60 days Scheduled: within 90 days Score: -1

The recommendation has not yet been implemented. The Election Division is participating in a major, countywide upgrade of countyofnapa.org website where Election Division pages reside. The timing of improvements to the website are beyond the control of any single department or division but will be undertaken as part of the countywide effort. R3. The Napa County Elections Division set up and maintain its own social media accounts to distribute voter information, and staff should refrain from using personal accounts to communicate official county business. Both of these recommendations should be...

R3

The Napa County Elections Division set up and maintain its own social media accounts to distribute voter information, and staff should refrain from using personal 13 accounts to communicate official county business. Both of these recommendations should be implemented

Response: Will Not Implement

Due: Within 90 days Scheduled: within 30 days Score: -1

The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted or is not reasonable. The Napa County Social Media Use Policy has no requirement for departments or divisions to create and maintain their own sites. Creating and maintaining a social media presence demands both financial and staff resources which are beyond the scope of smaller departments and divisions. The Election Division uses the Countywide Social Media team to disseminate information and monitor any comments received. The Napa ELECTION DIVISION RESPONSE TO GRAND JURY REPORT Page 1 of 2 County Social Media Use Policy...

R4

The Napa County Elections Division examine its outreach program directed to those coming of age to vote. This outreach should be added to the next iteration of the Napa County Election Administration Plan (EAP). Materials should be readily available and circulated

Response: Unknown

Score: 0

The recommendation has been partially implemented. Napa County approximates the statewide average of pre-registered voters as a percentage of eligible 16 and 17 year olds. Outreach materials targeted at coming-of-age voters are available in our office. Instructions on pre-registration are being added to our website as part of the overall, countywide upgrade. Napa County has a Registration Ambassador program targeted at elementary and coming-of-age voters. Our attempts to coordinate outreach activities with the schools have run into scheduling problems and lack of response. Our outreach strateg...

A Look Inside Napa County 2024 General Election (Español)

May 02, 2025 • 21 pages View Details ▾

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No Responses Found 1

Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.

Napa County Board of Supervisors Elected County Office