The check register is a financial report generated from the City's financial system (Attachment 1). It categorizes checks by the responsible department or function, providing essential information such as the check number, vendor name, purchase description, check issue date, and the check amount.
Per the California Supreme Court's decision in the case of Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors v. Superior Court (Dec. 29, 2016) (2016 WL 7473802), the check register excludes the specific invoice payments for legal services incurred for pending and active investigations, pending and active litigation, as well as recently concluded matters. The Supreme Court has ruled that these specific invoices are protected under attorney-client privilege and therefore are not subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act.
As a supplement to the check register, staff have included information about the contract balances for vendors who received payments during the month of January 2024. This data can be found on the last page of the report.
The check register provides valuable insights into the City's financial transactions, ensuring transparency and accountability in our financial operations. The exclusion of certain legal services payments adheres to the California Supreme Court's guidelines, safeguarding attorney-client privilege. The contract balance information further enhances our financial transparency.