County leaders for years ignored the chaotic mismanagement of 29
special tax districts established in areas without some traditional
municipal services.
County leaders for years ignored the chaotic mismanagement of 29 special tax districts established in areas without some traditional municipal services.
For many years, residents in those county service areas were not getting the least bit served. Many also were not paying into a system set up several decades ago.
In other words, the system was nonexistent.
For the past nine months, county leaders have been revamping the program. The most basic change necessary was a complete overhaul to the fees. It started with a fiscal analysis of the current charges and what would be necessary to keep the CSA program cost neutral for San Benito County.
Meanwhile, they plan to add the most important component missing from the equation all these years – accountability. Part of the restructuring to the CSAs involves hiring of a director to oversee their management. This will allow one person to focus on the complexities of the service areas instead of having a department head – in public works – oversee them on the side while taking on many other major challenges.
To reach any level of sustainable success, this program needs a manager focused solely on the CSAs – one person to continually examine the financial reports, someone who can provide answers to citizens and supervisors when they have questions.
In the past, nobody had the answers. Without someone to hold accountable, the level of organization for the county’s CSAs whittled away and eventually disappeared altogether. There was no schedule of work, no management whatsoever.
Interim Public Works Administrator Janelle Cox deserves credit for kick-starting and overseeing the overhaul. Next, as called for under the Proposition 218 process being used, citizens in most of the CSA districts will take part in a mail-in vote to decide if they will accept the fees or drop the services.
It seems fair. This time, it also seems the county has learned from years of collective disorganization. If it is done well, the county and those CSA citizens will be better off in the long run.
