Water district board seeks applicants to fill vacancy; must reside in Division 3
During a brief special meeting held on Dec. 30, members of the Board of Directors of Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District decided to fill a vacancy on the board by appointment.
Delbert Jones, who was elected Nov. 8 to represent the district’s Division 3, resigned on Dec. 14 toward the end of his first meeting. He had taken the oath of office earlier in the meeting and told his fellow board members that he was concerned that he would not have enough time to do a good job on the board.
Jones was elected with 63.8 percent of the vote to the seat last held by James Pack, who did not run for reelection. Also in the running was Nathanael Benton Harbison, who garnered 3,680 votes compared to 6,487 for Jones.
General Manager Tom Neisler let the board know its options, which included calling a special election or making an appointment. If the board took no action within 60 days of the resignation it would be up to the Kern County Board of Supervisors to appoint someone to the board.
Neisler said a special election could be expected to cost the district at least $30,000 — and not surprisingly, the board voted unanimously to make an appointment.
The GM said the appointment will be through November 2024, at which time the position would be opened up for election (to a two-year term) in compliance with state law.
The board set Jan. 27 as the deadline for individuals to apply to be appointed to the vacancy. Applicants must reside within Division 3, which Neisler said will
be interpreted as where they are registered to vote. He noted that the board’s
division boundaries are the same as when the district was established in 1966.
Division 3 includes areas in the southeast part of the district including part of Brite Valley, much of Mountain Meadows and a small portion of the city of Tehachapi.
The board plans to hold a special meeting at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, at which applicants will be interviewed and an appointment could be made.
No special application is needed. Individuals interested in being considered for appointment to the vacancy may write a letter providing information they believe will be of value to the board in considering the appointment.
Application letters may be mailed or delivered to the district office located at 22901 Banducci Road, Tehachapi.
More information about the district, including a map showing division boundaries, is available online at tccwd.com.