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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2016
YLTA Files Water Board Recall Petitions with Registrar of Voters
The Yorba Linda Taxpayers Association filed recall petitions with the Orange County Registrar of Voters (OCROV) on Friday for Gary Melton and Robert Kiley, Directors of the Yorba Linda Water District. Circulators collected over 11,700 signatures for each Director in just 60 days.
“This is a great victory for YLWD customers,” said YLTA Chairman Jeff Decker. “Voters in November will have the final say on the Board’s poor performance and their excessive rates. We now have the opportunity to elect four new Board members who will act responsibly, lower rates and even offer rebates.”
Melton and Kiley were served recall papers on March 10 and community members began circulating petitions after they were officially approved by the OCROV on April 5. Each petition must contain the signatures of 9520 registered voters (20%) in the Yorba Linda Water District and the Registrar has until July 22 (30 days) to verify and certify them. Over 90 volunteers worked hard to meet the Registrar’s June 10 submission deadline for November ballot placement and saved YLWD customers the $310,000 cost of a special election.
District customers have been outraged since September when the Board raised the flat meter fee an average of $25 a month for every household, which amounts to a $300 annual increase before a drop of water ever leaves a faucet.
Further community angst occurred when the Board failed to recognize a referendum petition that was signed by over 5500 voters in October and certified by the Registrar. YLTA filed a Writ of Mandate in January demanding that the Water Board uphold the CA Constitutional rights of voters, by either rescinding the rate increase or placing it on the ballot. That question will go before an Orange County Superior Court judge on July 11. To date, YLTA has raised and spent over $30,000 to cover our legal fees on both the referendum and the Writ of Mandate.
For more information contact:
Ed Rakochy
YLTA Community Relations
edrakochy@me.com
714.381.2395
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