Don’t miss opportunity for equality in Paso Robles groundwater basin
Opponents to formation of the Paso Robles groundwater basin district do not grasp the importance of the district to the future of rural landowners in the basin. The proposed district democratically distributes the basin management and tax burden over large and small landowners and registered voters. If it fails, these property owners will not likely have another opportunity for equitable representation for decades.
If the district vote falls short, our Board of Supervisors must consider county management of the basin; the result will be a structure in which the manager is appointed and not elected by basin property owners. If the county fails to act, the state will intervene and impose a system to demand-manage the basin; again, this will not democratically involve the basin residents.
Regardless of the election results, the next logical evolution for achieving groundwater sustainability over the basin will establish an umbrella organization encompassing all population centers: cities, CSDs and water districts; these existing centers are already organized to contend for the available water. Without a district, residents will have no organization to engage in the competition.
Two significant reasons to vote “yes” on Measures A and B.
William Frost, rural representative at large, Paso Robles Basin Advisory Committee
This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 8:05 PM with the headline "Don’t miss opportunity for equality in Paso Robles groundwater basin."