Water district officials change voting from odd to even years

In an effort to get more people out to vote for their water board members, the election of Newhall County Water District members on odd years will now take place on even years.

Postcards explaining the change were mailed last week to NCWD customers by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder County Clerk’s office.

Historically, when the NCWD is the only thing on the ballot, turnout hasn’t been overwhelming.

The NCWD’s 2015 at-large election saw a voter turnout of 9.6 percent. Countywide, the number stood at about 11 percent.

Consolidating the vote promises a more vibrant voter turnout, NCWD spokesman Steve Greyshock told The Signal Monday.

Last September, the LA County Board of Supervisors voted to move NCWD’s board elections to even years.

“This was in compliance with a new state law that required certain local governments to move their elections from odd to even years to help increase voter participation,” Greyshock said.

“The postcard received by NCWD customers recently was sent by the County in accordance with its requirements to notify voters of the change,” he said.

For reference, NCWD estimated that moving to even year elections would save approximately $120,000 per cycle.

Of course, this would be a moot point if the effort to create a single water agency, via SB-634, passes. Under the proposed legislation Castaic Lake Water Agency – which owns Santa Clarita Water Division and Valencia Water Company – and Newhall County Water Company would merge forming a unified approach to water management.

The move does not impact or relate to the process to create a new district in the Santa Clarita Valley, Grey-shock confirmed.

The legislation that would form the new entity already requires that the new district hold its elections in even years, he said.

Specifically, that the date of the General Municipal and Governing Board elections in NCWD change from the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November on odd years to the same day on even years.

County officials note on their postcard that the change has nothing to do with efforts to create a new water district for the Santa Clarita Valley.