Rancho Murieta Community Services District board candidates answer questions from League of Women Voters moderator Paula Lee during the Oct. 7 forum at the Rancho Murieta Association Building. Photo by Gail Bullen

RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Strengthening Rancho Murieta’s water supply, financing the replacement of aging infrastructure, and restoring public trust emerged as central issues when 10 Community Services District board candidates gathered for an Oct. 7 forum at the Rancho Murieta Association Building.

Although candidates broadly supported better planning, stronger management, and improved communication with residents, they differed over the viability of wells and the relationship between water supply and development. Several advocated grants and bond financing to help pay for infrastructure improvements.

The League of Women Voters of Sacramento County organized the forum, with local League member Lilli DuVal coordinating and Paula Lee moderating. The League assembled questions from suggestions submitted by the public.

Questions covered service fees, reserves, alternative funding sources, board oversight, drought protection, additional water connections, infrastructure and community trust.

To keep the discussion moving and maintain audience interest, Lee used a rotating format in which groups of candidates answered different questions. Candidates had one minute each for opening statements and closing remarks and 90 seconds for answers, along with three opportunities to respond to questions directed to another group. Not every candidate answered every question, and some prepared questions were not reached.

Four board seats are at stake in the Nov. 3 election. Eight candidates are competing for three four-year seats, while Michael Martel and John Van Doren are seeking one two-year seat.

Jeff Berkheimer

Berkheimer, Lodi’s electric utility director, argued that securing more water for existing residents should take precedence over the community’s debate about development. “We need more water for the homes that we have now, and if we solve that issue, the bickering about 600 more new homes basically goes away,” he said. He urged the district to pursue wells, permitting Lake Clementia for drinking-water use and expanded use of recycled water before another major drought.

Berkheimer also criticized what he described as board interference in daily operations, linking it to staff turnover and lost institutional knowledge. He said directors should establish policy and allow employees to implement it. He supported bond financing for major projects and argued that developer fees and additional property tax revenue could help offset costs otherwise borne by current residents. A commitment to a Lodi City Council meeting limited his participation.

Stephen Booth

Booth identified putting the district’s financial house in order as his priority, beginning with completing overdue audits and determining the money available in each reserve fund. He supported seeking grants and presenting bond financing to voters, saying long-term borrowing could spread major repair costs over decades rather than impose steep immediate increases.

Booth stressed the district should begin preparing an urban water management plan, saying it was approaching the 3,000-connection threshold that would trigger the requirement. He called for updated water-supply information and a plan looking ahead 20 years. He said additional development should depend on demonstrated water supplies, while cautioning against allowing analysis to become an excuse for inaction. He did not rule out wells but raised concerns about production, water quality and landowner agreements.

Booth cited experience negotiating and administering contracts, regulations and policies, as well as overseeing staff. He said he intended to be “the voice of the community” and work with all stakeholders.

Maria Caudill

Caudill cited more than 20 years of public- and private-sector experience, including building coalitions and managing complex organizations. She summarized her priorities as restoring public trust, making timely decisions on key issues and involving stakeholders.

Caudill repeatedly called for planning with firm deadlines, saying the district must move beyond responding to one crisis after another. She proposed that, within the new board’s first six months, directors empower the general manager and staff to develop a one-year priority plan. More detailed financial reports and analysis of financing options would help directors understand costs and consequences before making decisions, she said.

Caudill was skeptical of relying on wells and said she needed clearer facts before taking a position on additional water connections. She also urged greater attention to water quality. To rebuild public trust, she proposed quarterly public forums and consistent operating procedures that would remain in place through staff turnover.

Tim Dec

Dec said concern about district finances drew him into the race. He supported completing audits, rebuilding reserves and examining whether property tax revenue could increasingly support reserves as service charges cover operating costs. He also favored reviewing the balance between fixed charges and water-use charges to help reduce the burden on residents who consume less water.

Dec supported completing feasibility work on wells and Lake Clementia, including evaluating cost, water quality, production and seasonal reliability. He also suggested exploring a connection with another water agency. Rather than repeatedly discussing incomplete proposals, he said the district should finish the analysis and either proceed or eliminate an option. He pledged to work toward implementing board decisions even when he was on the losing side of a vote.

Bill Gere

Gere emphasized fiscal discipline, questioning the approval of projects without designated budget funding. He advocated doing more work in-house to reduce reliance on contractors and proposed adding staff capacity to seek grants and manage construction projects. He opposed wells as a viable water-supply solution and called for extended planning sessions involving stakeholders to establish agreement on the facts.

Gere defended his frequent social media posts and encouraged residents to attend meetings and speak directly with directors. Caudill responded by calling for the district to use social media to provide authoritative information about its policies and procedures. “They need to be the official line of communication,” she said, so residents receive current information rather than relying on third parties.

Peter Reagan

“So, I want somebody on the board who knows how plumbing works,” Reagan said. He installed some of Rancho Murieta’s first underground pipelines in 1972 and owned his company for 60 years before retiring. Now working as a district inspector, he also cited experience installing plumbing at water treatment plants elsewhere in Sacramento County. He argued that practical knowledge would help the board avoid infrastructure mistakes and called for scheduled rehabilitation of aging sewer facilities before failures require emergency repairs.

Reagan favored increased water storage, conservation, and continued exploration of a second source of supply. He urged consulting local well drillers about groundwater possibilities. He also supported reviewing developer impact fees and seeking grants, while cautioning that additional rate increases might be necessary.

Tom Shewchuk

Shewchuk urged voters dissatisfied with the district’s direction to elect new leadership. “If you think it’s time for a change, now is the time for a change,” he said. “You can’t vote for the same thing and expect something different.” He said directors should focus on a long-term vision while allowing staff to run the district and proposed more respectful meetings and weekly updates from the general manager.

On water, Shewchuk advocated pursuing wells, additional storage and permitting Lake Clementia simultaneously, while reaching a definite conclusion on whether wells are feasible. He also called for preventive infrastructure maintenance and a review of the balance between fixed water charges and consumption charges to ease the burden on residents who use less water.

Shewchuk cited his 31 years at Intel in Folsom as experience that would help him evaluate information and make multimillion-dollar decisions.

Catherine Silvera

Silvera, a recently retired attorney with 36 years of experience, most of it in the Sacramento County Counsel’s office, said she wanted to bring that expertise to CSD.

Silvera said CSD’s role is to provide water, sewer, garbage and security services, while Sacramento County decides whether to approve development. “CSD is not here to approve or disapprove development,” she said, noting that the district has input during the county’s development review process.

Silvera identified resolving costly litigation, obtaining legally defensible water-supply information, and empowering district management as her leading priorities. She stressed the need for a third water storage tank because the Rio Oso tank is failing. She also called for connecting recycled-water pipelines for irrigation and pursuing infrastructure grants. She said the new general manager and operations leadership should receive the policies, resources and independence needed to succeed.

Michael Martel

Martel supported exploring wells, permitting Lake Clementia for drinking water and adding storage. He also advocated expanding the use of recycled water, including for irrigation at Stonehouse Park, to reduce demand for drinking water. On finances, he favored grants and partnerships with other water agencies to identify operating efficiencies and reduce costs.

Martel proposed streaming board meetings and involving residents with relevant expertise in district committees, including personnel matters. He also called for the restoration of a security advisory committee. In closing, he highlighted security as an issue that deserves more attention and supported cameras, fire monitoring, and other technologies to help protect the community.

John Van Doren

Van Doren took a cautious position on development, saying the district should not add homes beyond its existing contractual obligations without adequate water. He opposed pursuing wells as a cost-effective solution and emphasized the district’s dependence on the Cosumnes River and existing reservoir storage. He also questioned whether extending recycled-water service to Stonehouse Park would justify the expense.

Van Doren favored bonds to spread infrastructure improvement costs over time and said litigation should not automatically rule out borrowing. He supported placing daily operations in the hands of qualified staff and pledged to respond directly to residents’ concerns, seek answers when necessary and follow up. He described his interest as preserving the community and said he had no financial interest in its development.