Incumbent and challenger vie for Division 3 seat on North Yuba Water District board
The Appeal sent a simple, three-question survey to all area candidates in contested races in Yuba and Sutter counties. We will be printing responses over the next couple of weeks. Answers are worded by candidates with light editing. Word limits were set. If you are a candidate in a contested race and you did not receive this survey via email, please let us know at smiller@ appealdemocrat.com.)
Charles Sharp:
1. Who are you? I am Charles Sharp. I am 70 and live in Oregon House. I am running for the Division 3 Director seat of the North
Yuba Water District in Brownsville.
2. What makes you the best candidate? I am the best candidate because I will bring transparency, accountability, competent, and honest management to the water district. I will work toward providing a reliable source of water and will regularly meet with the public to answer questions.
3. What top priorities would you champion, if elected? I will work on a 50 cubic feet per second Forbestown
Ditch conveyance system that can deliver all of the district’s 23,000+ acre feet of water to its customers. This will provide reliable water for a) existing users, b) new users, and, most important, c) to build a robust fire protection system to protect property throughout the foothills.
Gary Hawthorne, incumbent:
1. Who are you? I am Gary Hawthorne, age 74, a water district customer and resident of Oregon House. I operate my own software development firm and grow culinary lavender on our farm.
2. What makes you the best candidate? I am a team player. Successful groups operate as a team. Each member contributes and all of the ideas are heard. Finally, the decision of the group reflects the best ideas. Successful groups stick together and still respect each other even when an individual’s proposal does not survive the deliberation.
3. What top priorities would you champion, if elected? My top priority is to pipe the Forbestown Ditch. This will substantially increase our water supply and ensure that the water will last through the entire irrigation season. Due to efforts of the board that was seated in 2017, this door opened. Let’s keep the team together that wants to see this project through to completion.