Commentary: Combining special districts warrants study
If this primary election has taught us anything, it’s that the voters are not satisfied with the status quo. Now more than ever before, the public expects government to run more efficiently and effectively.
Costa Mesa is fortunate to have two special districts in Mesa Water District and the Costa Mesa Sanitary District that are among the most efficient in Orange County.
Fiscally conservative leadership and a focus on delivering effective services have been the hallmarks of both agencies. CMSD provides high-quality sewer and trash hauling/recycling services; Mesa Water provides high-quality drinking water services.
Nonetheless, responsible public agency governance necessitates timely explorations of potential opportunities to more efficiently provide services to our customers. In April, Mesa Water contacted CMSD to suggest collaborating on a joint study to determine if merging the two agencies may result in added efficiencies that could save ratepayers’ money.
This will be considered this week at CMSD’s and Mesa Water’s board meetings, and I hope that we will mutually move forward with the study. Costa Mesa is a rare community in Orange County that has two independent government agencies that separately provide water services and waste water (sewer) services. The idea is to commission an independent analysis, conducted by third-party professionals, to determine if there may be opportunities for efficiencies in order to reduce unnecessary overhead or expenses and put money back in your pocket.
Mesa Water is a leader in Orange County, providing affordable, safe and reliable water service to our customers. Unlike other water districts that subsidize their rates with property tax revenues, Mesa Water is funded solely through water bill payments.
Also, an annual independent study (conducted since 2010) comparing the 10 public water districts in Orange County consistently shows that Mesa Water provides the most efficient services based on annual expenditures per capita.
Furthermore, due to the district’s investment in the Mesa Water Reliability Facility, Mesa Water’s customers and community benefit from being the only area in Orange County with 100% reliance on local water supplies, along with a 100% reliable backup supply of imported water if needed.
Mesa Water constantly strives to provide outstanding services and cost value to its ratepayers, and our board’s goal is to continually innovate as a public agency and explore new ways to enhance efficiencies. With that intent, Mesa Water endeavors to determine via an efficiencies analysis, the optimal governance structure for both agencies to best serve our customers while maintaining the high level of effectiveness that our residents currently receive and deserve.
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SHAWN DEWANE is president of the Mesa Water District board of directors.