KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Two Newhall County Water Board candidates plead their case
In the second part of a three part debate hosted by The Signal and KHTS AM 1220, two candidates for the Newhall County Water Board sparred over issues. Incumbent Lynne Plambeck participated in a debate with challenger Daniel Mortensen. One other candidate, Rachel Neville will be listed on the ballot; however she was not able to participate in the debate.
The debate centered on questions ranging from the Water Board’s involvement in the development process, to water conservation.
One question asked about the District’s high water rates. Both Lynne Plambeck and Daniel Mortenson agreed that water prices are higher in the Newhall County Water District, although they differed on their interpretation of how much.
“Newhall County Water District does have water rates that are about four dollars to six…it depends on how much water you use, higher than other areas. I have voted consistently against rate increases over my time period on the District, because I do think that there are office management issues that can make us more fiscally efficient. However, water is going to get more expensive,” she said. “If you look at a comparison of districts our size in Southern California, our rates are not out of line.”
But challenger Daniel Mortensen disagreed. “I absolutely think it’s a problem. I brought today a summary of the rates that Valencia Water Company, Santa Clarita Water District, LA District 36 and Newhall County Water District charge for a base usage home. While Lynne says its four to six dollars, I beg to differ. If you live in Castaic and you have Newhall County Water District water, for that amount of water you pay $49.69 a month. If you happen to live in Valencia Water Company area you pay $35.29 a month. That’s a difference of almost $15 a month.”
To hear the entire podcast of this debate, you can click here.
