![]() And many government programs and public work projects require state and local assistance, so it’s important for the states and local governments to work together and for each to understand their fiscal conditions. Q: Why is it important for states to keep track of the fiscal conditions of cities?Ī: State and local governments work together and rely on each other to ensure certain government services. So in October 2019, we launched the online dashboard. Q: Why did you decide to add the dashboard?Ī: Although we had information on our website about how we identified cities that could be facing fiscal challenges, we believed we could create an online tool to fulfill our responsibilities while also providing more transparency and accountability. In the early years, this local government high-risk program helped us identify cities that could be fiscally distressed, and we requested and obtained approval to conduct audits of some of those cities. Q: Were you tracking this information before 2019?Ī: We had established our high-risk program more than five years ago, as authorized by law, to identify local government agencies that could be at high risk for waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement or that have major challenges associated with their economy, efficiency, or effectiveness. Q: And it’s updated regularly?Ī: We updated the information in November of last year and plan to continue updating it as new information becomes available. We designed the dashboard to include various layers that allow all types of users to obtain information about cities’ finances, from those who want a quick at-a-glance view to those who want to see the raw data behind each city’s scores. Now, for the first time, Californians could go online and see a fiscal health ranking for more than 470 cities across the state. What were you hoping to achieve?Ī: Our goal was to provide a data-driven, transparent interface-for the public, state and local policymakers, and other interested parties-that identifies cities at high risk of experiencing fiscal distress. Q: A couple of years ago, your office launched a dashboard to identify California cities that could be facing fiscal challenges. Howle, who has been in her position since 2000, has been edited for clarity and length. This interview with California State Auditor Elaine M. In California, the state auditor’s office launched an online dashboard in October 2019 to rank more than 470 cities based on their fiscal health. With the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic putting fiscal pressure on state and local government budgets, states are looking to identify municipalities most at risk of fiscal distress so that local officials can address problems early on, allowing them to perhaps avoid drastic measures such as cutting programs or services. ![]()
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