Voters reject local water district
Voters of the proposed Paso Robles Groundwater Basin district rejected the formation and funding of a new district, according to initial results posted Tuesday night by San Luis Obispo Clerk-Recorder Tommy Gong.
Voters rejected Measure B-16 to form the district by 74-percent. There were 1,833 votes against it and 644 in favor of it.
Voters rejected Measure A-16 to establish a district tax by 78-percent. There were 2,643 votes against it and 753 in favor of it.
The election of directors is a moot point with the failure of forming a district. See complete results on the clerk-recorders website.
Ballots were sent out last month to 7,291 registered voters and 4,830 landowners in the district area, which does not include residents of cities or those served by a community service district. The election results are not yet official, as mail-in ballots may be counted until Friday, according to Gong.
The future of the groundwater basin remains uncertain. The state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act requires basins in critical overdraft to have a management plan by 2020.
Both supporters and opponents of the district generally agree there are two options left: The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors may decide to have the county public works department manage the basin; or the State Water Resources Control Board could step in to manage the basin.
