Sonora, CA– Tuolumne Utilities District accepted two of the highest honors available to California special districts at its monthly board meeting today. Presenting the awards was Dane Wadle, Senior Field Coordinator for the California Special Districts Association, for the achievements of a District Transparency Certificate of Excellence and a District of Distinction award.
“These awards are a testament to TUD’s commitment to open government, sound fiscal management, and best practices in public service,” said Don Perkins, TUD General Manager. “Our staff and board have worked diligently to ensure our operations are transparent, responsible, and responsive to our community’s needs.”
Board President Ron W. Ringen states, “Receiving both the Transparency Certificate and District of Distinction designation reflects our dedication to earning the trust of the community we serve. These recognitions affirm that TUD operates as a team with integrity, accountability, and a focus on long-term sustainability.”
The transparency recognition specifically acknowledges several areas of achievement including that the district was able to demonstrate it provides essential public services in a responsible and respectful way, has clean financial audits and operates in a fiscally responsible and transparent manner, plus has current and relevant policies and procedures in place that conform to all statutes and regulations under state law and an emphasis on continuing education for the district’s board members in ethics. Properly held open and public meetings, and filed financial transactions and compensation reports to the State Controller in a timely manner are also requirements to earn the award. The Transparency award specifically recognizes the TUD website for having posted election procedures, board meeting schedules and agenda, the current budget, a recent financial audit, and compensation information for board members and staff.
The District of Distinction is a higher level of accreditation than the Transparency award and recognizes that SDLF performed an independent audit review of the last three years of TUD and found excellence in operations and fiscal practices. The district’s board and executive staff also completed educational training in public governance, ethics, and harassment prevention. The District of Distinction award is a prestigious honor held by only 2% of the approximately 2,000 special districts in the state. Specifically Wadle noted in the state 192 have earned the District Transparency Certificate of Excellence and the District of Distinction has been awarded to 44.
The special district is separate from Tuolumne County government, there is no cost to participate or receive the Transparency Certificate recognition, the Distinction award has some costs associated with the training associated with earning it. SDLF is an independent, non-profit organization formed to promote good governance and best practices among California’s special districts through certification, accreditation, and other recognition programs.
