Conroy to Propose Bills to Change Los Alisos Water Board

Two weeks after announcing he would attempt to restructure the Santa Margarita Water District, Assemblyman Mickey Conroy (R-Orange) said Friday that he would introduce similar legislation that would establish a “one-man, one-vote” system at the Los Alisos Water District.

Like the Santa Margarita Water District, Los Alisos is the only other water district in Orange County in which votes for board directors are based on a landowner’s assessed land value.

For each dollar of assessed value, a property owner gets one vote toward electing a member of the district’s board of directors.

Conroy stressed that the Los Alisos Water District, which serves a population of 40,000 in the Lake Forest area, is a problem-free public entity but that changes are needed in the way directors are elected.

“While the Los Alisos Water District has done an admirable job in providing for its ratepayers, its rules for electing board members are outdated and fail to give representation to the public,” Conroy said.

District officials were not available for comment Friday. The Los Alisos Water District has 21,901 voters. Conroy said the proposed bills are to be heard May 12 in the Assembly Local Government Committee.