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Extraído del Informe Consolidado
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Score: -4
(0/4/4)
Riverside County Grand Jury
• 2023-2024
Riverside County Special Districts: Obscure Local Government*
⚠️ Aviso de traducción: Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings 6 findings
F1
financial transactions to the California Controller's Office pursuant to Government Code §12463 et seq. These reports are compiled and published by the Controller's Office and are accessible online. Local district attorneys handle most criminal activity complaints. As it relates to special
F2
districts, multiple California state laws strictly prohibit misconduct: Government Code §8314, Penal Code §424, Government Code §1090, and Government Code §1097. Riverside County special districts appear to operate in relative obscurity, hidden from the
F3
scrutiny of the public they were created to serve. Less than 50% have websites, and of those, a bulk are redirected to the County site for Economic Development. Multiple areas of improvement exist related to best practices:
F4
transparency/accountability, community engagement, governance/leadership, financial management, service delivery/efficiency, and environmental/social responsibility. The top ten revenue generating special districts in Riverside County have a total revenue
F5
of $1.45 billion, or 20% of the $7.31 billion total revenues for Riverside County in 2021. The top ten expenditures for Riverside County special districts total $1.42 billion, or 19%
F6
of the $7.67 billion annual budget for Riverside County in 2021, and 11% of the $13.4 billion total actual expenditures for Riverside County in 2021. State of California Special District Financial Transactions Report Instructions For the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2023, https://www.sco.ca.gov/Files-ARD-Local/LocRep/SD_FTR_Instructions_22-23v11202023-Final1.pdf, accessed 5/16/2024. RECOMMENDATIONS By December 1, 2024, the Grand Jury recommends the Riverside County Board of
Recommendations 6
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R1Supervisors direct the Executive Office staff to collect the following information, at a minimum, on each special district with which the county government is directly or indirectly involved: Name of the Special District 2. Brief Description of Services Provided 3. Overall Annual Budget 4. Website Location Phone Number Email Address 7. Board Appointees Based on Findings F-1, F-3, F-4, F-5, F-6 Financial Impact - Minimal By December 1, 2024, the Grand Jury recommends the Riverside County Board of
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R2Supervisors direct the Executive Office staff to include special district information, gathered in R-1, on the County's "Find a Service" website location. Based on Findings F-1, F-3, F-4, F-5, F-6 Financial Impact - Minimal By December 1, 2024, the Grand Jury recommends the Riverside County District
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R3Attorney's Office include misconduct or malfeasance by special districts within Riverside County in its biennial report to the public. Based on Finding F-2 Financial Impact - Minimal By December 1, 2024, the Grand Jury recommends the Riverside County Board of
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R4Supervisors require its representatives on special district boards, committees, and/or commissions to provide the Board of Supervisors with an "annual summary" of that special district's purpose, governance, overall financial status, and accomplishments. Based on Finding F-4 Financial Impact - Minimal By December 1, 2024, the Grand Jury recommends the Riverside County Board of
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R5Supervisors include in its annual report a new special districts "annual summary" (refer to R-4). Based on Findings F-1, F-3, F-4, F-5, F-6 Financial Impact - Minimal LEGALLY REQUIRED RESPONSES California Penal Code §933.05 requires responses to Grand Jury findings and recommendations, within 90-days, to Riverside County's Superior Court Presiding Judge. Required Responses Findings Recommendations Locations
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R7Board Appointees Based on Findings F-1, F-3, F-4, F-5, F-6 Financial Impact - Minimal By December 1, 2024, the Grand Jury recommends the Riverside County Board of R-2 Supervisors direct the Executive Office staff to include special district information, gathered in R-1, on the County's "Find a Service" website location. Based on Findings F-1, F-3, F-4, F-5, F-6 Financial Impact - Minimal By December 1, 2024, the Grand Jury recommends the Riverside County District R-3 Attorney's Office include misconduct or malfeasance by special districts within Riverside County in its biennial report to the public. Based on Finding F-2 Financial Impact - Minimal By December 1, 2024, the Grand Jury recommends the Riverside County Board of R-4 Supervisors require its representatives on special district boards, committees, and/or commissions to provide the Board of Supervisors with an "annual summary" of that special district's purpose, governance, overall financial status, and accomplishments. Based on Finding F-4 Financial Impact - Minimal By December 1, 2024, the Grand Jury recommends the Riverside County Board of R-5 Supervisors include in its annual report a new special districts "annual summary" (refer to R-4). Based on Findings F-1, F-3, F-4, F-5, F-6 Financial Impact - Minimal LEGALLY REQUIRED RESPONSES California Penal Code §933.05 requires responses to Grand Jury findings and recommendations, within 90-days, to Riverside County's Superior Court Presiding Judge.
Conclusions 4
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CL1Actions such as publishing meeting agendas and minutes, financial reports, and other pertinent documents on their websites.
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CL2Accountability can be strengthened through the establishment of clear performance metrics, regular audits, and timely response to public inquiries and complaints. Special districts should actively communicate to the public that they operate directly for public benefit, with taxes and fees collected for local services. Community Engagement: Special districts can enhance community engagement by actively • soliciting input from residents and stakeholders on important issues and decisions. This can involve:
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CL3Having mechanisms in place for identifying and addressing conflicts of interest among board members and officials such as requiring disclosure of potential conflicts, abstention from voting on matters in which a conflict exists, and recusal from participation in related discussions.
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CL4Promoting a culture of integrity and ethical behavior by fostering open communication, encouraging collaboration, and recognizing and rewarding exemplary conduct. By prioritizing ethical standards and best practices, special districts can strengthen governance and leadership, ultimately enhancing public trust and confidence in their operations and decisions. Financial Management: Special districts can enhance their financial management by implementing several key practices:
Agency Responses 2
Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.
* This report's PDF did not contain easily extractable text and required Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for analysis. There may be minor errors in the extracted findings and recommendations due to OCR limitations with scanned documents.