Association opens nominations for Golden Watchdog, Fleece awards

San Diego County Taxpayers Association has opened the nominating period for its 2012 Golden Watchdog and Fleece Awards. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 8.

The association says the annual awards honor good government practices and efficient use of public money while spotlighting wasteful, inefficient or absurd uses of taxpayer dollars.

The organization also rewards public-private partnerships and excellence in media coverage on behalf of taxpayers.

Among last year’s Golden Watchdog recipients were the North County Transit District for privatizing its bus operations and maintenance, and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority for its bond funding of the Terminal 2 expansion project at Lindbergh Field.

Golden Fleeces went to the scandal-plagued Sweetwater Union High School District for its spending practices and to a regional fee established to subsidize freeway call boxes, even though cell phones have made the boxes largely obsolete.

Nominations may be made online at sdcta.org/Events/Nominations.asp.

The awards dinner is scheduled for May 16 at the Town & Country Resort.