Lack of an Election Will Save Water District $85K

is saving thousands of dollars because of a lack of interest in the election it called for this November.

Elk Grove Water District Board Members Charles Dawson and Elliot Mulberg are running for reelection unopposed this fall, so those races won't appear on the November ballot.

Mark Madison, General Manager of the water district and its parent agency, the Florin Resource Conservation District, said the removal will save the agency about $85,000.

"Irrespective of how the amount compares to the budget, I think what's most important is an $85,000 or $90,000 savings is appreciable no matter how you slice it," Madison said by phone. "That's a healthy amount of money."

He said the two agencies have separate budgets, and the larger Elk Grove Water District would have shouldered the majority of the election costs.

Madison declined to speculate on why more people didn't file to run, saying he's only been with the district for about a year and a half. But it's not the only local election lacking candidates; . 

The savings comes at a good time for the Elk Grove Water District–the agency has been working to reduce labor costs and is about halfway through a rate study to determine whether rates should be increased, Madison said. 

He said a 3 percent increase in January is possible, but pointed out that the last time a rate increase was approved was in 2007. Some of the increases in that multi-year program were canceled, Madison said.

"In effect, we have gone several years without any rate adjustment whatsoever, but obviously inflation has continued," he said. "In general I think the notion going forward is if we can adjust rates in a manner that's somewhat commensurate to inflation, that is probably what the district will try to do rather than try to stave off rates for some time and have a big step."

The district's community advisory committee will discuss the rate study at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 4; a special board meeting will likely be held on Sept. 10 and the rate study will again be discussed at the board's Sept. 26 meeting, Madison said.

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