Grand Jury Criticizes Sonoma County Budget’s Lack of Oversight and Language

thinkstock_31617_budget
thinkstock_31617_budget

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Good news and some bad news from a grand jury regarding Sonoma County’s budget. NorCal Public Media reports that the 2023-2024 Sonoma County Grand Jury found that there was no evidence of impropriety, waste or financial trickery. However, they determined that there is a lack of oversight and no authority ensuring special funding is being spent correctly. They also found that while the county does comply with transparency laws, the documents are opaque and largely indecipherable to ordinary people. Due to the language, the grand jury themselves were hard pressed to determine whether money for special taxes and bonds meant for certain areas are in fact going to those areas. The grand jury’s report on taxes and spending is scheduled to be published online today. The board of supervisors will then have 90 days to review and respond.