Commentary: Mesa Water should not give management raises, bonuses and then hike rates

With the frenetic pace of our daily lives, most of us pay little attention to the mundane issues, like how much we pay for water. Are you aware that our water rates are on track to increase by more than 60% over 15 years?

In December, the Mesa Water District Board of Directors ignored numerous public comments (I was one of them) asking the board not to raise water rates until the board got its own house in order and cut excessive spending.

Much has been written about Mesa Water District, its board and general manager over the last several years with news articles and investigative reports detailing an ongoing pattern of the board racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in meeting and travel expenses, and the unanimous approval of rate hikes.

Just as glaring are the exorbitant salaries for the general manager and management staff and the board’s habit of providing bonuses to General Manager Paul Shoenberger with limited public notification. At its meeting in late December, the board voted to give its GM both a salary increase and a $10,000 bonus.

Are you kidding? Since mid-2014, Schoenberger has received $52,500 in bonuses, with $30,000 of that amount coming within the last 18 months. Mr. Schoenberger’s salary was also bumped to a staggering $290,000, which does not include the aforementioned “incentive” bonuses or benefits. Mr. Schoenberger was already among the highest-paid public-sector executives in Orange County.

Three members of the Mesa Board — Marice DePasquale (District 3), Jim Atkinson (District 4) and Shawn Dewane (District 5) — will be on the ballot this November (Mr. Dewane also serves on the Orange County Water District Board of Directors, and that seat will also be on the November ballot).

The highest priority of the board should be providing water to its 110,000 ratepayers in the most cost-effective and efficient manner possible. Providing salary hikes and $50,000-plus in bonuses to its general manager during 15 consecutive years of rate increases is most certainly not responsible public stewardship.

Costa Mesa residents and ratepayers should attend Mesa Water Board meetings, follow closely the actions of that board and speak out against frivolous spending, lavish travel expenditures and excessive salaries, benefits and bonuses.

Mesa Water’s Board of Directors holds its regular meetings at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month.

WENDY LEECE served on the Costa Mesa City Council from 2006-14 and was a member of the Newport-Mesa school board from 1994-2002.