Voting for FVWD directors
Dear editor:
This letter authorized by the board of directors for the Fern Valley Water District is intended to respond to the Town Crier’s Nov. 23, 2023 letter from Danny and Colleen McDonald.
First, let us make it abundantly clear that the district has always followed California’s Uniform District Election Law. In the particular situation raised by the McDonalds, the Uniform District Election Law allows the district to request the county board of supervisors to appoint the directors to the board in the case where there is no contest; in other words, when the directors to be elected from the district does not exceed the number of offices of director to be filled. (Calif. Election Code section 10515).
This allows the district to save taxpayers’ money in order to keep rates low, in addition to the time savings. In the case where a vacancy occurs between elections, the statutes under which Fern Valley Water District is established requires vacancies to be filled by appointment by the board (Calif. Water Code section 34707.5).
We know the McDonalds already know this since we’ve previously written to them about these issues in response to the many letters they have written to the district over the years.
Ward H. Simmons
Best Best & Krieger LLP
Jon Brown
Fern Valley Water District President