Nourishing Accountability and Transparency in Local Government A

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE Citizenry Involvement: Nourishing Accountability and Transparency in Local Government A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Public Administration in Public Sector Management and Leadership By Alexandra Munoz December 2018 Copyright by Alexandra Munoz 2018 ii The Graduate project of Alexandra Munoz is approved: ___________________________________ _________________ Dr. Philip Nufrio Date __________________________________ _________________ Dr. Henrik Palasani-Minassians Date __________________________________ __________________ Dr. Kay K Pih, Chair Date California State University, Northridge iii Acknowledgement I would first like to thank my project advisor Dr. Kay K. Pih, of the Public Administration Program at California State University, Northridge. Professor Pih was always available whenever I ran into a trouble spot or had a question about my research. He consistently allowed this paper to be my own work, but steered me in the right the direction whenever he thought I needed it. I would also like to thank my loving partner for being the motivating light during the final stages of research, along with my dear friends and family, who fed me, supported me, and relentlessly inspired me throughout this memorable process. Finally, I must express my very profound gratitude to my parents, Javier and Carmen Munoz, for providing me with endless support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study and through the process of researching and writing this project. This accomplishment would not have been possible without them. Thank you. iv Table of Contents Copyright Page ii Signature Page iii Acknowledgement iv Abstract vi Introduction 1 Literature Review 5 Mechanisms and Implementation of Citizen Participation 5 Factors that Affect Citizenry Involvement 8 Mechanisms of Transparency and Accountability 10 Citizen Participation and Accountability 12 Research Design 15 Ethical Considerations 16 Recommendations 19 References 21 Appendix 24 v Abstract Citizenry Involvement: Nourishing Accountability and Transparency in Local Government By Alexandra Munoz Master of Public Administration in Public Sector Management and Leadership Did lack of citizen participation in the governmental planning process adversely decrease city officials’ accountability to citizens in the city of Bell, California? There is little research on the perspectives from key stakeholders, citizen community groups and both former and current public officials of Bell, California. Using the qualitative method in the form of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, this study analyzes the perspectives of stakeholders that previous literature lacks. While previous literature makes an undeniable correlation between the level of citizen participation and the level of accountability held to public officials, more could be done considering input from community organizers and city administrators on how to effectively increase methods of citizenry involvement in governance to increase accountability. Together, citizens and city officials are responsible for increasing mechanisms of accountability and transparency in local governance through citizenry participation. vi Introduction The complex relationship between public officials and their constituents is a multifaceted roller coaster that has transformed throughout the last century. “In the American experience, accountability of public officials is deeply ingrained within the constitutional framework of the United States”, based on the notion that administrators should always execute their duties in the interest of the public (Comstock, 2001). However, the vitality of transparency and accountability is generally highlighted after municipal scandal and corruption has already occurred. According to Grimmelikhuijsen and Welch (2012), public administrators consider transparency to be a “quintessential democratic value that undergirds a trustworthy, high- performing, and accountable government” (p. 562). Transparency encourages information sharing, better municipal performance, and reduces corruption. Scholars, policy makers, and citizens recognize that governmental processes and outcomes require transparency to strengthen the foundation for accountability, as effective transparency determinants are an enabler of “good governance” (Grimmelikhuijsen, et al., 2012). National media attention scrutinizes federal and state governments after scandal and corruption discoveries, highlighting vital transparency, accountability and consequence implementation needed on federal public and political officials (Grimmelikhuijsen, et al., 2012). Accountability will be defined in this study as “to have to answer for one’s actions and to be responsible for the consequences” (Roberts, 2002, p. 658), answerability from government officials to its citizens. According to Dunn and Legge (2001), “accountability is the obligation owed by all public officials to the public, the ultimate sovereign in a democracy, for explanation and justification of their use of public office and the delegated powers conferred on the government through constitutional processes” (p. 74). Public officials and administrators, 1 regardless of ranking or position, are obligated to assume accountability and provide necessary transparency to the residents of their municipality (Roberts, 2002). During the early 1900s, one founder of the New York Municipal Research Bureau, Frederick Cleveland, held that both citizens and elected officials were responsible for ensuring an effective and efficient government (Ebdon and Franklin, 2006). After World War II, in the early to mid-20th century, cynicism in governance increased as transparency in federal government was seemingly lacking (Wang and Wart, 2007). Holding local government managers and elected public officials accountable for their municipal behaviors was not standard administrative practice. Through the 1960s to 1980s, emphasis on citizen engagement expanded, as cities across the United States introduced citizen surveys as a means of evaluating the public’s views, opinions, and preferences (Dalehite, 2008). Towards the end of the 20th century, as citizens became openly distrustful and cynical in their government, practitioners focused on gathering public input and encouraging participation in governance (Wang and Wart, 2007). Mckinney (1981) emphasized, “understanding accountability may be a key to maximizing responsiveness and effectiveness in the management and delivery of public good and services” (p.144) in local government. On July 15, 2010, the Los Angeles Times published an investigative report that shed light on the salaries of top government officials from the small city of Bell, California. Journalists Jeff Gottlieb and Ruben Vives (2010) highlighted the generous salary of city manager Robert Rizzo, who was grossing nearly $800 thousand per year. Angela Spaccia, assistant city manager, had a sizeable annual salary of over $370 thousand, earnings significantly higher than the average chief city manager during that period. Illuminating financial records already available to the public, 2 Gottlieb and Vives reported, “Bell Police Chief Randy Adams had an annual salary of $457,000, more than double New York City's police commissioner” (2010). According to the Los Angles Times, “Bell City Council members were able to exempt themselves from state salary limits by placing a city charter on the ballot in a little-noticed special election held in 2005 that attracted fewer than 400 voters” (Gottlieb, 2010) from a population of roughly forty thousand. Less than one percent of Bell residents voted in favor of the charter measure, which ultimately passed. The majority of the votes counted were absentee ballots, as citizens failed to show up to the polls. The lack of participation from Bell residents (lack of voter turnout) in this special election severely impacted the city’s fiscal budgeting process in the years that followed. In the year following the conversion of Bell into a “charter” city, salaries for council members jumped more than 50%, to nearly $97 thousand annually for part-time administrative positions, salaries paid for by the predominantly blue-collar residents of Bell (Gottlieb, 2010). The purpose of this study is to analyze the power citizens have in their government through active participation and continuous engagement. The city of Bell scandal is a prime example of corrupt officials misappropriating millions from public funding for years, without documented knowledge or responsiveness from residents. Lack of civic participation by residents diminishes accountability and transparency (Halachmi and Holzer, 2010), which allowed corruption to cultivate and led to misappropriation of public funds in the city of Bell. Citizen involvement in local government and active public participation is vital in maintaining accountability and increasing efficiency in local government (Wang and Wart, 2007). This research will focus on the significance of mechanisms of citizen participation in increasing transparency and nourishing accountability in local governance. 3 Citizen participation is defined in this study as active involvement of constituents in the government planning process. Citizen participation includes: voting in local elections, attending public city meetings, creating voluntary community organizations, participating in public city forums, occasionally reading the city newsletter, participating

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