Last night’s special public hearing at the Joshua Basin Water District was the first of five such hearings required on the path to converting to district-based elections. Reporter Mike Lipsitz picks up the story from here…
The California Voter Rights Act requires the public hearings in order to gather information that, along with census data, will be used to divide the water district’s service area into five roughly equal sections each of which will elect a resident to sit on the board. In keeping with that process, the board heard from the one member of the public in attendance. Also on-hand at last night’s special meeting were representatives from National Demographics Corporation, the company that is working with the board to draw the new district maps. The reps also offered clarification on the somewhat convoluted criteria which must be met to satisfy the Voting Rights Act requirements. The next opportunity for the public to weigh in on the move to district-based elections is at the next regular board meeting Wednesday, March 20.
