Varying pressures on Modesto irrigation leaders

In a public utility such as the Modesto Irrigation District, everyone pays for electricity, and the district theoretically is owned by everyone.

Decisions affecting the rates everybody pays are made by five people sitting on the board of directors, each elected to represent roughly a fifth of MID’s core service area.

Farmers historically – and perhaps predictably – have controlled the board since MID began selling electricity in 1923. Although the panel experienced unprecedented turnover when three members were replaced last year, the balance of power did not change.

Holdovers Nick Blom and Larry Byrd, both growers, were joined by Jake Wenger, who runs a family farm as well, and his father, Paul, is president of the California Farm Bureau. Paul Campbell and John Mensinger represent mostly urban districts and replaced board members who wanted to see fewer farm subsidies covered by electricity customers.

How does the current board stack up?

When they ran for office last year, Mensinger and Campbell argued for farmers to pay more.

Mensinger called the imbalance “inappropriate” and said, “Step 1 is quantifying the size of the subsidy. Step 2 is increasing water rates by a reasonable amount each year until the subsidy is eliminated.”

Campbell was hesitant to predict whether that’s achievable. “It’s going to have to be gradual,” he said.

During the same 2013 campaign, Wenger said the issue is a legal one “for attorneys to decide.” He noted court cases elsewhere in California whose outcomes might have a bearing on whether MID should seek a vote of the people to increase power rates – something the current proposal ignores. “We need to find a way to lower electric rates,” he said at the time, “and the easiest way is by controlling spending.”

Byrd easily is the board member most defensive of farmers, often remarking how some find it tough to scratch out a living. He bristles when subsidies are mentioned, preferring to consider all of MID’s customers as one big family.

Blom, the board chairman, tends to seek middle ground on contentious issues.

This story was originally published November 15, 2014 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Varying pressures on Modesto irrigation leaders."