Are elections purposefully avoided at Irvine Ranch Water District?

January 6th, 2009, 6:30 am · Post a Comment · posted by Teri Sforza, Register staff writer

Less than two months after winning re-election to the Irvine Ranch Water District’s board of directors, long-time board member Darryl Miller has resigned.

That means Irvine Ranch is free to appoint Miller’s successor, rather than enduring the sloppiness, chaos and profound unpredictability of a democratic election.

There may be something of a pattern here. The overwhelming majority of Irvine Ranch’s board - four out of five members - were originally appointed, not elected, to their seats.

Once in, these appointees go on to win elections (as incumbents) and it’s hard to get them out: Miller, for example, was originally appointed in 1984.

(Appoint-rather-than-elect is a disturbingly common phenomenon in Orange County. Nearly half of those sitting on local water boards were originally appointed, not elected. See our October story for more details.)

Miller’s resignation is not exactly a surprise. Some little birdies in the oft-contentious water world told The Watchdog this was coming more than two weeks ago. Said birdies question whether Miller ever intended to actually take his seat.

To which Miller says “hogwash.” He told us this via email:

“I decided to run for re-election last July before the candidate filing
process started in preparation for the November 4, 2008 election. After my
re-election, I became aware of some professional opportunities that will be
available in early 2009. I subsequently began to consider whether I could
effectively fulfill my term if I wanted to pursue these opportunities.
After much personal deliberation in December, I decided to resign from IRWD
for the benefit of my career, family, and financial opportunities. I
regretfully resigned from IRWD effective December 31, 2008.”

To the idea that Irvine Ranch might purposefully avoid elections so it can appoint who it wants, district spokeswoman Beth Beeman said by email:

“All of IRWD’s current Board members have been publicly elected by residents of the district and serve four year terms. Every two years the public participates in elections conducted by IRWD for the alternating board seat terms.

“If IRWD receives a notice of resignation from a sitting Board member, be it for personal, professional or other reasons, the district follows the process provided for in California law to fill the vacant Board seat in an expeditious and fair manner.”

Irvine Ranch isn’t just any little special district. It’s one of the richest and most powerful in California. It posted on its web site Monday that it’s taking applications for an open seat - a good opportunity for someone who has a hankering to serve (for the next quarter-century or so) and be paid $237 a meeting, up to 10 meetings per month. (That can translate into nearly $30,000 a year for a part-time job; not bad in this economy.)

Applications are due by Feb. 4, and a “candidate forum” will be held Feb. 9. More info is available at the district’s web site here.

MILLER’S CHANGE OF HEART

In his candidate’s statement for the November 4 election, which you can read here, Miller touted his 24-plus years with the district and pledged continued vigilance. “As a geologist and water quality professional, I am keenly interested and experienced in protecting our water supplies from the influence of toxic waste products…. I pledge my continued commitment to control the District’s costs and secure a reliable and safe water supply for our future needs. Thank you for your continued support.”

In his resignation letter - dated Dec. 30 - Miller says he plans to “pursue professional opportunities in the future that could create a potential conflict of interest” if he remains on Irvine Ranch’s board. (Read the miller-resignation-letter- here.) He also plans to spend more time with his family.

I DO DECLARE….

The “Candidate’s Handbook” - the election bible released by the Orange County Registrar of Voters - states that a candidate must qualify for and accept the office for which he is running. It does not, however, say that a candidate must remain in that office for any length of time:

Directors who were originally appointed to the Irvine Ranch Board are: Miller (1984), Mary Aileen Matheis (1988), John B. Withers (1989) and Douglas J. Reinhart (2004).

Its only originally-elected member: Peer A. Swan, vice-president. Elected in 1979.

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