Four candidates are vying for two open seats on the board of directors of this small but troubled water district, which this year has been beset by embezzlement, the firing of its longtime district manager and a grand jury report detailing a history of gross mismanagement. The current board has responded by exploring a merger with the larger, healthier San Lorenzo Valley Water District—a smart move if it can be done, though Lompico would first have to repair its system to the tune of $2.3 million, probably through a bond measure, which would be tricky for the broke district. Meanwhile, the very notion of merging has some independent-minded mountain folk seeing red and rallying around the battle cry of “local control”—even though that hasn’t exactly worked out for Lompico.
Of the four candidates for the two positions, Santa Cruz Weekly is endorsing one: incumbent Rob Hansel, the only candidate to come out clearly in favor of pursuing the merger. A thoughtful and capable member of the current board, which has responded well to the crisis, Hansel has the advantage of being up to speed on current efforts to fix the system’s leaky tanks and pipes. Candidate Sean Wharton, who has served on previous boards and currently serves on the budget committee, notes that it would be up to Lompico residents to decide whether to merge and says he would first pursue critical repairs that he says can be made without a bond or rate increase. Candidate Shannar Abraham, who has sat on two previous boards, says establishing financial stability is his chief concern. Candidate Sherwin Gott is dead-set against a merger and proposes a cheaper slate of repairs. It’s a bold move, but a secure water supply and functional system in an era of climate change and fire hazard are too important to gamble with.
