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HUMAN SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION
January 31, 1984
Board of Supervisors
Administration Building
651 Pine Street
Martinez, California 94553 1290
Dear Board Members:
Your Human Services Advisory Commission supports constructive actions
the Board of Supervisors is taking to resolve the current Health Services
Department fiscal crisis but, more so, the Commission is concerned about
correcting a system and its processes which produced such a crisis, or
allowed it to occur.
We are concerned .that records as primary as income and expenses have
been insufficient to provide the answers to what, how, when and where
errors could occur. This is the result of five years of struggle
(presumably) since Proposition 13 was passed in 1978 to make Departments
accountable not only for where taxpayers' money goes, but for what it
produces, to document what those funds have done to improve the quality
of life for the people of our County.
The Commission is concerned that it is unknown who should have realized
the situation, and especially before a year had lapsed, if indeed it was
not evident by the prior fiscal year's independent audit. We are concerned
that the ability to act effectively and timely was hobbled for at least
six months. Did this result from ignorance or misunderstanding; a faulty
or malfunctioning system? If so, must we continue to deal with this and
for how long? Is the same situation continuing?
A majority of the Human Services Advisory Commission feel that the Board
must immediately disclose to the public the cause of the current situation
and any corrective action to provide for fiscal accountability. It is
our recommendation that, as a start, the Board of Supervisors place a full
disclosure ad in the newspaper so that the Board's knowledge will be public
without outside editing.
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OFFICE OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR•COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING•MARTINEZ•CA•94553.(415) 372-2601
Board of Supervisors
January 31 , 1984
Page 2
The Board has a unique opportunity now to move the bureaucracy, the
Department's management, toward modern management with realistic human
services objectives.
The Human Services Advisory Commission stands ready to help in any way
we can.
Very truly yours,
LEE OHNSON-KAUFMANN, Ph.D.
Chair
HUMAN SERVICES ADVISORY COMMISSION
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cc: County Administrator
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