Transparency in government is not optional

Assemblymember Marie Waldron

AD-75 (R)

Recently, the California State Auditor revealed that the Office of the President of the University of California did not disclose to the UC Board of Regents, the Legislature or the public that it was holding $175 million in reserve funds for fiscal year 2015-16.

The report reveals that the Office of the President asked the Board of Regents for funding increases based on the previous years’ over-estimated budgets rather than on actual expenditures. Furthermore, an undisclosed budget was created to spend the reserve funds, including $32 million in unspent funds received from charges levied on UC campuses, money that should have been spent educating students.

This undisclosed budget was truly undisclosed – the Board of Regents didn’t even know about it. In effect, the Office of the President received more funds than it needed each year, amassed millions in reserves which it then spent with little oversight from anyone, at a time when tuition was being raised.

UC President Janet Napolitano appeared before a joint legislative audit committee on May 2 and offered an apology about how her staff responded to the audit. Though she disputed the findings, she stated that she accepts budgeting recommendations made by the State Auditor, which include requiring that actual past expenditures be used as a basis for future budgets, reserve amounts and reserve spending must be clearly defined, and all expenditures must be approved and justified.

All state agencies must be fully transparent; the existence of undisclosed budgets and slush funds simply cannot be tolerated.