The Santa Cruz Port District recently received its forth District Transparency Certificate of Excellence from the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) in recognition of its ongoing efforts to promote transparency and good governance.

The SDLF is an independent, non-profit organization created to promote transparency in the operations and governance of special districts.  To receive the award, a special district must complete essential governance transparency requirements, including meeting legal requirements such as conducting ethics training for all board members, properly conducting open and public meetings, and filing financial transactions and compensation reports to the State Controller in a timely manner. In addition to meeting legal requirements, achieving a certificate demonstrates that the Santa Cruz Port District has met additional transparency, website, and outreach requirements. The Santa Cruz Port District Commission affirmed its commitment to transparency in January 2025, by including in its annual priorities a stated goal of providing accurate and timely information through a variety of means to the public.