Water district vote worth less, says regional agency

When the San Diego County Water Authority Board approved the 2010 vote entitlement for member agencies, Ramona Municipal Water District received a slight decrease in its weighted vote.

The Ramona water district will have a 1.61 percent share of the regional agency’s weighted vote at 2010 board meetings. The district had a 1.62 percent weighted vote this calendar year. Ramona had 1.61 percent in 2008 and 1.60 percent in 2007.

The vote is calculated on the money each district contributes to the regional agency. The contribution includes taxes, assessments, fees and charges paid to or on behalf of the regional agency from property within each member agency’s boundary.

The cost of water treatment is not included in the total contribution, but the totals include standby charges, capacity charges, infrastructure access charges, readiness-to-serve charges, connection and maintenance fees, annexation fees and charges for water delivered and sold to each district. The total amount covers the fiscal year ending June 30.

The total financial contribution from all 24 members of the regional water authority was $8.45 billion for the budget year ending June 30, 2009, an increase from $8 billion the previous year. Ramona’s total was $136 million in the 2008-09, up from $130 million in 2007-08.