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MMWD
Urgent: MMWD Board Candidates Search
I am writing in the hope that a candidate will emerge to oppose Cynthia Koehler for the Division 4 of Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors’ position.
Two seats will up for election – Division 1 and Division 4.
Both incumbents are running for re-election.
Filing opened on July 16 and will close at 5 P.M, on Friday, August 10.
I am addressing this to the entire online group since it is critical to elect fiscally responsible people to the MMWD board and perhaps, even though you don’t live in that district, you might know of someone in Division 4 who might consider running.
Division IV includes incorporated Mill Valley and all surrounding unincorporated neighborhoods west of Highway 101, area east of Highway 101 and north of Tiburon Boulevard and west of Tiburon and south of Corte Madera, Sausalito, Marin City, Muir Woods, north and south slopes of Mt. Tamalpais, watershed land south of Fairfax-Bolinas Road and up to Division III boundary, and Forts Baker, Barry, and Cronkhite and portions of GGNRA lands within the district's service area.
During Ms Koehler’s tenure, fees were increased by 27% in 2015. The most thorough coverage of this was provided by Nels Johnson in November 2015:
http://www.marinij.com/article/NO/20151107/NEWS/151109821
An excerpt from the article, by Robert Fellner of Transparent California, is worth highlighting:
“Robert Fellner, research director of TransparentCalifornia.com, an affiliate of a conservative Nevada think tank that tracks public employee salaries and pensions, thinks the district’s personnel expenses are too plump.
“Residents are getting soaked with rate increases to fund, in large part, excessive pay and bloated administrative staffing at the MMWD,” Fellner said. He cited a water budget larded with “exorbitant” expenses including a publicity program in which three employees are designated as public information officials at a total cost of $430,000 a year. He noted North Marin Water District has no information officer.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen an agency this small pay that much, if anything at all, for dedicated public information officers,” Fellner said. Libby Pischel, Marin Municipal’s chief public information officer, earned about $140,000 last year, along with a $49,000 benefit package, putting her second on Fellner’s compensation list of 116 employees across the state with information officer titles. Pischel’s two aides earned $85,000 each last year, and had benefit packages averaging $34,500 each.”
Two seats on the MMWD board will be up for grabs this election cycle, Division 4 and Division 1, currently held by Jack Gibson – who has been on the board since 1994. Both incumbents have filed for re-election.
Greg Knell has filed to run in Division 1. Mr. Knell has served four terms on the San Rafael City School Board (16 years) and is a private business owner. No other candidate has yet filed for Division 1. We will be interviewing Greg in the near future to consider an endorsement. Email exchanges between us to date have been encouraging.
No opposition candidate has yet filed in Division 4.
If you are interested and live in Division 4, please contact me right away.
The best way to change the direction of Marin County is by electing leaders who have a track record of responsible spending, concern for the taxpayers and a thorough knowledge of the most devastating financial problem in all government agencies – unfunded public retiree debt. It is the driving force behind all the increases in taxes, rates and fees.
Regards,
Jody
CSPP