In the wake of the Bell scandal, where the city was paying $1.6 million a year to three city employees, the California Controller decided to make every county, city and special district in the state fork over the salary information for each specific job.

That'll keep 'em honest, was the thought.

But so far, according to a list if deadbeats that the Controller put out, nearly 20 percent of the 900 agencies have not complied and could face up to a $5,000 fine.

One of those agencies is the South Bay Cities Sanitation District, which claims it has a valid excuse for seemingly ignoring its obligation to be transparent.

But does it?

Valorie Hall of the LA County Sanitation District tells The Informer that the south bay district never received a notification letter from the Controller that it needed to comply with the new reporting requirements, and thus the district never submitted the salary info of its 19 board members.

“We received [notification] for most of our other districts,” Hall says. “We contacted [the Controller] yesterday when we saw we were on the non-compliant list and we're getting ready to submit the data.”

But folks from the Controller's Office say the south bay sanitation district's excuse doesn't hold much water.

Jacob Roper, spokesman for the Controller's Office, tells The Informer that the district was in fact notified months ago.

“We do have a record of mailing them on October 29 regarding the requirements,” he says, “and we stand ready to work with all the special districts” to ensure complaince.

If you believe Roper, perhaps the South Bay Cities Sanitation District needs the most help in the mail room.

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