South Bay Water District Rep Charged with Misusing Public Funds

The man elected to represent the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the West Basin Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors was arrested Saturday under the suspicion of misuse of public funds and giving false affidavits.

Ronald C. Smith is accused of using about $20,000 public funds to pay for rent, boat repairs and his children’s tuition, according to the Long Beach Press-Telegram. He pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of misusing public funds, one felony count of conflict of interest and four felony counts of filing a false affidavit, the paper reported.

The district, which provides wholesale water for the Patch communities of Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Culver City, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Malibu, released the following statement this evening:

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West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) learned that Ronald C. Smith, West Basin Board member, was arrested on 26 July 2014 for alleged charges of misuse of public funds and giving false affidavits. According to court records, Director Smith has been charged with the following crimes:

· Penal Code section 424 (A) – Two counts. This crime involves the misuse of public funds.

· Government Code section 1090 – One count. This section prohibits a government official from having a financial interest in a contract entered into by his agency.

· Penal Code section 118 (A) – Four counts. This statue makes it a crime to file a false affidavit.

West Basin does not know the facts that underlie these charges, and it should be pointed out that Director Smith is innocent until found guilty by a court of law.

“West Basin was disappointed by this news and it’s unfortunate for all concerned,” said West Basin Board President Donald L. Dear. “We want our customers to know that despite this situation, West Basin will continue its hard work and commitment to maintain our water industry leadership in water recycling, conservation and water reliability.”

Director Smith was elected to the Board of Directors in 2006. Director Smith represents Division I, which includes the cities of Carson, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates and portions of San Pedro.

By law, Director Smith remains on the West Basin Board and can only be removed from the Board if convicted of a felony crime. Director Smith’s case is being handled by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Public Integrity Division. The next legal action is a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 12, 2014. Director Smith’s biography can be found at www.westbasin.org.

“West Basin wants our communities and stakeholders to know that this situation will not impact our commitment to transparency and sound financial and resource management of public funds. We will continue to provide value to our customers by providing water reliability and drought protection initiatives,” said Gloria Gray, West Basin Board of Directors Vice President.