California's Plan to Crack Down on Troublesome Cities

California is about to start keeping a more watchful eye on its cities. Ever since a troublemaking set of public officials in the small city of Bell were caught in a corruption scandal involving exorbitant salaries and unlawful taxes, cities across the Golden State have been facing additional scrutiny. Now the state is stepping in with a new law intended to make sure no other cities follow in Bell’s footsteps.

The new law, signed earlier this week by Governor Jerry Brown, authorizes the creation of a program to audit local government agencies deemed to be at a high risk of fraud, waste, abuse or mismanagement. This state-led audit authority would be called into action at the will of the state auditor. It targets Bell-like abuses of power, and, as the text of the bill states, any publicly created entity “that has major challenges associated with its economy, efficiency, or effectiveness.”