WACO Irrigation District Elections Workgroup Report

 

• WACO irrigation district elections workgroup report...Read Here.
  
  
• WSWRA irrigation districts elections guidance document...Read Here.

 

 

WSWRA Irrigation District Workgroup Representatives’ Perspective on Irrigation District Elections

 

The Irrigation Elections workgroup conducted numerous meetings with irrigation district representatives. These extensive discussions revealed two critical realities of irrigation district elections:

 

1. In over 40 years, no irrigation district has been found to be in violation of election laws or been part of a valid voter challenge.
2. The statutes governing irrigation district elections have proven to be both comprehensive and fundamentally fair, without need for change or update.

 

All irrigation district elections are susceptible to review by the State Auditor’s office, and that office has made no finding against any district for any election impropriety. So, in essence, any proposed changes to the irrigation election statutes would raise costs to district ratepayers to “fix” a problem that does not exist.

 

Irrigation district directors are elected by water users to manage the districts in a fiscally sound manner. They are committed civil servants who are paid very little for that service. Many are farmers or ranchers, not politicians. All are concerned citizens.

 

Local government is the form of representative government closest and most responsive to its constituents. Local government officials—irrigation district directors—are accountable to neighbors, local business owners, congregation members, and even friends and family. When there is a problem in the community, they are the first to hear about it. This local connection is what makes irrigation district-controlled elections so essential and valuable.

 

The workgroup findings and recommendations must recognize and appreciate this underlying framework and keep it intact for the betterment of the irrigation districts and the farms and communities they serve.