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For Immediate Release
YLWD Directors Melton and Kiley Served Recall Papers
Yorba Linda Water District Board members Gary Melton and Robert Kiley were served recall papers Thursday morning, March 10 at the Water District’s regular meeting.
“Due to the deceptive campaign that leveraged California’s water crisis as a means to excessively increase water rates and a failure to uphold the oath of office to support and defend the Constitution of the State of California, and on behalf of the Yorba Linda Water District ratepayers, I hereby serve Gary Melton and Robert Kiley with Notices of Intent to Recall.” said Eddy Jackson of the Yorba Linda Taxpayers Association.
Watch the YouTube Video at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jNpNDmKw3k
Melton and Kiley have 7 days to file a written response to the Registrar of Voters and the recall proponents. The draft petitions will then go to the Registrar for approval and YLTA estimates circulation will begin the last week in March.
Proponents have 120 days to collect 9,520 signatures on each petition, which is 20% of the registered voters in the District. “Our goal is 10,600 by mid June,” says Jeff Decker YLTA Chairman. “And, the petition submissions will be timed so the recall election is concurrent with the November election, thus saving District ratepayers the cost of a special election.”
YLWD customers are outraged by the District’s excessive meter fee increase that has raised water bills 380% for the next five years. Customers are also receiving massive administrative penalties, even after the District reached its State mandated 36% water reduction. In just 6 months, the District has made $1.69 million in block penalties and in this fiscal year it’s estimated they’ll make $10 million in net profit from the rate increase, when they only projected a net profit of $3.6 million.
This November, only the seats of Board members Ric Collett and Mike Beverage are up for reelection. Changing two seats on the Board will not change the Board majority that voted 5-0 to increase water rates and 5-0 to ignore the water rate referendum that was signed by over 5500 voters of the District. Under the law, the Board was required to either rescind the water rates or place the rate question on the ballot. They did neither, thus forcing YLTA to take the District to court to enforce the law.
A concurrent recall election of Melton and Kiley could open up three to four seats on the Board and change the majority, so ratepayers can Take Back the Water District and put an end to the malfeasance at YLWD.
For more information contact:
Jeff Decker jeffreydecker@msn.com (714)394-5665
Ed Rakochy edrakochy@me.com (714)381-2395
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