In last week’s edition, I highlighted how supporting Measure Q on the Nov. 5 ballot represents a historic opportunity to steward our precious and increasingly fragile environment, which is a value shared throughout Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley. The water and wildlife protection measure will provide a steady stream of locally generated and locally governed revenue to reduce fire risk, bolster natural habitat and improve our cherished parks.
This week, I’d like to share a few thoughts specifically about a critical resource to be bolstered by Measure Q: our natural water sources. During my 12-year tenure as Santa Cruz County’s District 5 Supervisor, I have joined other local leaders in dedicating a great deal of time and energy toward ensuring a strong future for our water systems.
Together with the San Lorenzo Valley Water District and Scotts Valley Water District, the County formed the Santa Margarita Groundwater Agency in response to state law requiring better management of groundwater resources throughout California. More than 75% of our water supply countywide comes from the ground, and we receive no water from outside sources. These facts made it imperative to author a state-approved groundwater management plan designed to bolster the long-term health of our basin—a milestone reached in collaboration with well owners and the cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley.
Additionally, during the past decade, several small water systems in the San Lorenzo Valley have encountered financial and infrastructure challenges. We worked in 2016 to merge Lompico Water with SLV Water, and the County is now in the process of supporting the consolidations of two other small water companies, Bracken Brae and Forest Springs, with SLV Water.
Likewise, my office has spearheaded efforts to support Big Basin Water customers, many of whom lost homes during the CZU Fire—a disaster that exacerbated years of mismanagement by the company’s owners. We pushed for state intervention, which in part led to a lawsuit by the Attorney General’s Office that resulted in the Superior Court’s appointment of a receiver to run the system. And, we oversaw the effort to transfer the company’s wastewater system into County management, which took place earlier this year.
Yet, even as we also have urged a future consolidation of Big Basin Water with SLV Water, I cannot imagine a more challenging time for the District. In addition to having several key staff positions vacant, including the general manager role, the District faces two serious issues on the Nov. 5 ballot.
I urge voters to elect Bryan Largay and Alina Layng to the District’s Board of Directors, which they were appointed to earlier this year to fill vacancies. As natural resource professionals and proponents of good governance, they express a shared vision for lifting the organization out of the morale deficit and financial uncertainty that have hampered fire recovery, consolidation planning and much-needed capital projects.
I also join Bryan, Alina and other SLV community leaders in voting “No” on Measure U, a poorly conceived attack on the District’s fixed-rate structure that will only deepen financial losses and punish larger water users, such as families and schools. Although the proposal pretends to champion fairness, it ignores the reality that more than 90% of the District’s costs are unrelated to consumption levels—those related to maintaining pipes, storage tanks and other infrastructure.
The current fixed-rate structure—established through an extensive evaluation of the District’s needs and approved through the public Prop. 218 process—provides year-round financial security, which is critical for water agencies that have experienced massive disruptions due to drought-related conservation, the pandemic and natural disasters. A system highly reliant on usage-based rates is far more vulnerable to disruptions wrought by climate change and other issues outside of their control.
Let’s invest in a healthy future for SLV Water by electing board members who want to strengthen the District rather than dismantle it, and by rejecting a measure that would harm its budget. Facing our own fiscal challenges, the County will not be in the position to rescue SLV Water from financial ruin or state regulators taking action against deficit-driven compliance failures. We’d rather partner with the District to create a bright future focused on resilience, responsibility and strong relationships with our Valley neighbors.
Bruce McPherson is the Fifth District Supervisor for the County of Santa Cruz, including the San Lorenzo Valley and parts of the cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley. His views are his own and not necessarily those of the Press Banner.
