Contra Costa County Grand Jury
• 2012-2013
A Report by the 2012-2013 Contra Costa County Grand Jury
⚠️ 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 7 findings
F1
Policy is set by the California State Legislature, but the implementation process is up to the local LAFCO. Policies to implement state mandates are a matter of local jurisdiction.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The Contra Costa County LAFCO become much more proactive in its review and evaluation of agencies within its purview, pursuant to Government Code section 56430.
F2
LAFCOs' authority to enforce its recommendations is limited, although it can take action using SOI as a tool for disciplining wayward local agencies. LAFCO has not realized the full potential of its ability to educate and influence the public.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
LAFCO assess performance of its agencies beginning with their mission statements, but also determining whether or not they have in place measurable goals for service delivery, fiscal sustainability, and other Section 56430 elements related to successful performance. Without these goals performance cannot be accurately measured.
F3
LAFCO members can speak out individually and publicly, and, except for the Public Representative, are appointed by constituencies to which they can return with concerns.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
LAFCO develop a staggered MSR process which would spread the workload more evenly and give LAFCO a more solid foundation permitting more in-depth MSRs targeting, in particular, those local agencies which have demonstrated the need for greater and more frequent review.
F4
Instances exist, some quoted above, which represent failures on LAFCO's part to take actions that were recommended by the Grand Jury, or which took lengthy amounts of time to be brought to closure.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
LAFCO do much more than it currently does with regard to reviewing and commenting on local agency budgets, particularly for those agencies that lack a fiscal oversight entity.
F5
Should it choose to do so, LAFCO can become more assertive under existing state law, by following up more rapidly on concerns raised by its studies or those conducted by other agencies.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
LAFCO institute a program of regularly reviewing local agency annual financial statements, auditor reports and other key regulatory documents or reports including annual updates on performance so that highlighted indicators are regularly tracked and evaluated rather than during the five-year cycle.
F6
Given the existing five-year MSR cycle, LAFCO is simply unable to respond immediately or nimbly to issues within local agencies as they arise. The five-year MSR cycle also precludes timely follow up and monitoring with regard to concerns raised during reviews.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
LAFCO propose corrections for the deficiencies found with regard to the elements noted in Section 56430, with specific time lines for correcting them.
F7
Conducting all MSRs on an equal basis and all at once every five years means that local agencies with potentially severe ongoing or new significant problems may not get a timely and in-depth review. Contra Costa County 2012-2013 Grand Jury REPORT 1303
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
The time lines for deficiency corrections be structured in such a way as to encourage regular and frequent reports, particularly for those agencies with egregious deficiencies.
Additional Recommendations 1
These recommendations are not explicitly linked to specific findings.
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R8LAFCO provide to each agency governing board a full report of the results of its review including proposed improvements, and these reports, as well as follow-up evaluations and reports, are made available to the agency's constituency.
No Responses Found 1
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Contra Costa LAFCO
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