Las Virgenes District Issue : Water Panel Wants Director Renamed

A Las Virgenes Municipal Water District director who was disqualified last week from seeking reelection in November should be appointed to a new four-year term, other water district board members have decided.

The board voted 4 to 1 Monday night to recommend that Harold Helsley be appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to the Division 3 board seat he has held for eight years.

Helsley was disqualified last week as a candidate in the Nov. 4 election after county elections officials determined that he was three signatures short on the candidate nomination petition filed last month.

In a separate action last week, Helsley’s lone opponent for the Calabasas and Agoura area board seat was also disqualified as a candidate. The county counsel’s office ruled that Gordon Miner’s candidacy was invalid because his 20 valid signatures were improperly collected.

Voting against Monday’s recommendation was Las Virgenes director Tad Mattock, who has feuded in the past with board colleagues and had supported Miner’s candidacy. Mattock said he will personally ask the supervisors to pick Miner for the Division 3 seat. Helsley voted with the majority.

The appointment recommendation followed a similar action last week by water board members. Officials voted to cancel the Division 5 election and recommend that incumbent director Ann Dorgelo be appointed to a new term by county supervisors.

Dorgelo was left unopposed in the November balloting when challenger Kurt Moore was disqualified by county officials because of signature irregularities with his candidate nomination petition.