Our Government Positions

• County Government
• County Campaign Finance Reform
• Grand Jury System
• Libraries
   

County Government

The League studied County Government in 1985 and 1986. The position was updated in conjunction with the Salinas League in 1991 to refine its position on the roles of the Board of Supervisors and the County Administrative Officer and management of countywide water resources. The position on the Local Agency Formation Commission was updated in 1994. The League position follows:

Support for and continuing evaluation of measures to promote the efficiency and accountability of County Government through:

• Clear definition of policy making and administrative roles; reduction in the number of elected officials;
• A rational financial management structure; a budget format highlighting county goals and priorities;
• Land use planning procedures and decisions that take full account of the county's diverse interests and needs;
• Elimination of overlapping jurisdictions or duplication functions among special districts and agencies, with special reference to those involved in water supply and sewage treatment.

Objectives

1. Enactment by the Board of Supervisors of an ordinance delegating to the County Administrative Officer the authority to hire, evaluate, and dismiss non-elective department heads with the exception of County Counsel.
2. Specific delegation to the County Administrative Officer, by ordinance, of clear supervisory authority over the performance of all county departments headed by a non-elective officer, with the exception of County Counsel, and direction to such department heads that they report to the County Administrative Officer.
3. Greater decision-making authority to key staff, thus freeing the Board of Supervisors for its primary function of policy making and long range planning.
4. Action by the Board of Supervisors and voter referendum to separate the positions of Auditor-Controller, Clerk-Recorder, and Treasurer-Tax Collector from elective to appointive, as these positions become vacant.
5. Action by the Board of Supervisors and voter referendum to separate the position of Auditor and Controller and to consolidate the position of Controller and Treasurer-Tax Collector in a finance office within the County Administrative Office.
6. Gradual change of the County budget format from line-item only to a program format supported by a line-item budget.
7. Appointments to the Planning Commission that represent a balance of viewpoints and avoid conflict of interest; reasonably expeditious procedures for land use decisions; assurance of public access to information and participation in the planning process; action to insure that the County's growth management policy and General Plan goals and objectives are fully reflected in local area plans and land use decisions and that County land use ordinances and regulations are adequately monitored and enforced.
8. A study by LAFCO or AMBAG, at the request of the Board of Supervisors, of the relationships among the public agencies involved in water supply and sewage treatment with a view to coordinating the elimination of duplicating functions.
9. Action by the Board of Supervisors to appoint a Board of Directors to oversee water management for the Monterey county Resource Water Agency. This Board should be appointed from a combination of interest groups with strong public involvement and dedicated to the whole spectrum of water management. The Board of the Agency should be responsible for coordinating water management planning in all areas of the county, including the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, the Pajaro Valley Water Management District, and the Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency. Funding is to be provided through a benefit assessment district.
10. Action by the County Water Resource Agency Board to create a technical advisory committee which may include any or all of the following: health, fire, Army Corps of Engineers, water purveyors, Fish and Game, planning departments, Agricultural Commissioner, Office of Economic Development, and recreation.
11. Efforts of the Local Agency Formation Commission to re-evaluate the possibilities of consolidation or dissolution of special districts or local agency.
12. Examination by the Local Agency Formation commission of the spheres of influence of cities and the County in reuse of Fort Ord.

County Campaign Finance Reform

At the annual meeting, May 1997, LWVMP adopted the following position. A change to the model ordinance referred in 2. was approved at the May 2006 Annual Meeting. The League supports:

1. A Monterey County Campaign Reform Ordinance with the following emphasis:
   1. Encourage voluntary expenditure limits in campaigns.
   2. Require frequent and timely disclosure requirements in campaigns with penalties for failure to meet deadlines or incomplete disclosure statements.
   3. Require campaigns to reject contributions several days before elections.
   4. Require disclosure several days before elections.
2. An ordinance which would be similar to the "Campaign Finance Disclosure Model Law (2004)" developed and updated by the Center for Governmental Studies.
3. A limit on out-of county contributions.
4. Adoption of Campaign Reform Ordinances similar to the Model Ordinance (Item 2, above) by local cities in Monterey County.

Grand Jury System

The Leagues of Women Voters of the Salinas Valley and the Monterey Peninsula studied public agencies' responses and follow-up to the recommendations made in its final report by the Monterey County Civil Grand Jury in 1997-1998. The scope of the study was expanded in 1998-1999 to include structural and procedural issues. The following is a statement of the Leagues' position:

1. The League of Women Voters supports community involvement in the Civil Grand Jury process through:
   1. Community educational activities regarding the Grand Jury system;
   2. Increased public information about the process for submitting complaints and suggested areas of inquiry appropriate to the Grand Jury;
   3. Wide distribution of Grand Jury reports and agency responses and good public access to agency responses;
   4. Monitoring of Grand Jury reports and agency responses;
   5. Media coverage of the entire Grand Jury process.
2. The League of Women Voters may comment, based on existing League program positions, on specific Grand Jury recommendations.
3. The League of Women Voters supports a Monterey Civil Grand Jury process that:
   1. Recruits Grand Jury members using methods such as:
      • Wide distribution of recruitment information;
      • Efforts to reflect diversity;
      • Employer programs that allow employees to serve as grand jurors.
   2. Provides a thorough orientation and on-going educational process for all new Grand Jury members;
   3. Adheres to all state laws regarding the Grand Jury process;
   4. Encourages the Grand Jury to review draft final reports for accuracy with the appropriate agencies;
   5. Uses a format for the Grand Jury Final Report that would assure clarity and makes it easy for the general public to understand;
   6. Supports Grand Jury Final Reports with focused recommendations and with a limited number of recommendations;
   7. Limits findings to those directly tied to recommendations in the Final Reports;
   8. Provides for follow-up by the Grand Jury on recommendations made by previous Grand Juries.

Notes:

1. This position was approved by the LWVMP Board of Directors April 10, 1999. Paragraph 1.c read "wide distribution of Grand Jury reports and good public access".
2. The position approved by the LWVSV Board of Directors on April 1, 1999, was identical to this except that paragraph 1.c. read "wide distribution of Grand Jury reports and agency responses and good public access".
3. An update to this position was approved at the May 2006 Annual Meeting to change paragraph 1.c. to read as above.

Libraries

The League first studied libraries on the Monterey Peninsula in 1962. A more detailed study was made in 1971 and updated in 1981-1982. In 1993 the Leagues of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas Valley conducted a two-year joint study of the public libraries. The Leagues' position follows:

Public libraries are a basic service of government. The Leagues support measures to maintain and/or improve library services, to provide effective funding, and to promote cooperation among public libraries of Monterey County.

Objectives:

1. Public library service is a basic service of government.
2. It is the responsibility of local governments (County and City) to be the primary source of funding for public libraries.
3. Support State funding to equalize services among local jurisdictions.
4. Support maintaining and/or improving library service.
5. Support measures which provide effective funding for public libraries.
6. Support exploration of additional funding from both public and private sources for public libraries in this county. Possible sources: grants, foundations, Friends Groups, volunteers, and collaborative efforts of libraries with schools and other public and private agencies.
7. Support cooperation among public libraries in Monterey County.
8. Support city and county libraries' exploration of effective cooperative approaches, whether they involve two jurisdictions, five jurisdictions, or any combination thereof.
9. Support cooperative systems and library networks such as Monterey Bay Area Cooperative (MOBAC) Library System when they are both service- and cost-effective.
10. Support free access for Monterey County residents to all public libraries in Monterey County.
11. Support free borrowing privileges for county residents in all public libraries in Monterey County.
12. Support exploration of funding for free borrowing, including user fees for special services, merging of jurisdictions, and increased public funds (taxes).
13. Support the establishment of a group representing the public libraries of Monterey County, or a wider area, to study cooperative efforts, equity of service, various methods of providing service, and funding options.
14. Support effective notification and public participation in the process of making policy decisions for public libraries.

Questions? Email LWVMPca@yahoo.com or call 648-VOTE.
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