San Diego taxpayers association returns with annual watchdog awards

Six months after flirting with shutting its doors amid a financial collapse exposed by the abrupt resignation of its longtime president, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association is returning to its roots: honoring the best of public service and poking fun at those who fall short.

The decades-old nonprofit announced Friday that the 29th Annual Golden Watchdog and Fleece Awards banquet will be held Nov. 12 at the Riverwalk Golf Club in Mission Valley. It also said its yearly review of local school bonds will be released next month.

“Reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated,” said Mike McLaughlin, the new president and board chair.

“We turn 80 this year and we’re busy preparing our annual school bond transparency report card, while at the same time staging our annual Golden awards showcasing the good and the bad of tax-dollar spending,” he added.

The announcement marks the first public acknowledgement that the government oversight organization is persisting in its work after former president Haney Hong departed suddenly early this year.

Hong ran the San Diego County Taxpayers Association for nine years, and signed a multiyear contract extension paying him $300,000 a year just months before he left. Hong blamed the crisis on COVID-19 and an outdated business model.

After Hong left, charity officials learned the extent of the organization’s financial mess.

The taxpayers association initially named former San Diego Housing Commission chief Richard Gentry to succeed Hong, but it soon became clear there was no money to pay him.

Gentry departed days later. The group is now being run by chief operating officer Ryan Penkala and a collection of volunteers and interns.

For almost 30 years, the Golden Watchdog and Fleece Awards have been a key fundraiser for the nonprofit — and a thorn in the side of public agencies on the receiving end of unwelcome attention for wasting government resources.

The annual gala also toasts those agencies that spend wisely and innovate in the ways they deliver public services. The association also honors distinguished work by local journalists.

McLaughlin said the association is now accepting nominations for the 2025 prizes.

“If they did great, tell us; and if they did poorly then tell us that too,” he said. “These awards are not about beating up people and organizations; it’s about rewarding the best and encouraging others to do better.”

The school bound report cards also have become a traditional independent look at major public spending. The taxpayers association reviews historically examine billions of dollars in borrowing to see whether school districts complied with what they told voters.

Click here to nominate an agency for one of the awards. Tickets for the Nov. 12 banquet are available here.