Modesto councilmembers up for re-election comment on MID investigations
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Modesto councilmembers publicly weigh amid unresolved allegations MID’s Larry Byrd.
- FPPC is reviewing Byrd’s participation in vote that ended in tie.
- Councilmembers urge voters to weigh MID board conduct in upcoming elections.
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Allegations of water theft at MID
The district launched an investigation in September after Director LarryByrd was publicly accused of stealing or misusing MID canal water. The allegations exposed fractures within the district, some political, that are beginning to reveal themselves as the story continues to unfold.
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Modesto elected officials are beginning to weigh in as a series of actions, and inactions, that drag Modesto Irrigation District’s governing board further into the spotlight.
On Feb. 17, MID Director Janice Keating abstained on a vote to further investigate fellow Director Larry Byrd, who’s alleged to have misused or stolen hundreds of thousands to millions of gallons of water from the district to irrigate part of a ranch he’s co-owned for over a decade.
A three-hour MID meeting where an initial investigation’s findings were presented was contentious. It ended with a tie vote, with Keating and Byrd himself voting against it.
Byrd’s ability to participate in that vote is now being looked into by the Fair Political Practices Commission.
Modesto City Council reactions
Chris Ricci was the first Modesto City Council member to publicly hold a position on the matter. On the dias, Ricci said that “transparency and impartiality matters in government” and that he hoped MID’s situation is resolved “in a way that benefits the people of our community.”
On the phone with The Modesto Bee, Ricci was more candid, calling what’s going on at MID “really strange” and saying he finds it odd “the ways the votes are coming together.”
“It’s very odd and it just feels really corrupt,” he said. “It’s not how our public entities are supposed to work.”
Ricci implored voters to “keep this in mind” when the next election for MID board positions occurs. “It’s going to be up to voters to police this,” he said.
Ricci is not up for re-election this November, but MID Board President Robert Frobose, Director John Boer IV and Keating are. Also up for re-election this year are Modesto City Councilmembers Nick Bavaro, Jeremiah Williams and Eric Alvarez.
The Bee asked these three incumbent council candidates what their positions are on what’s happening at MID, which supplies about 50% of the city’s water supply, according to its website.
Alvarez said that with regard to Byrd’s vote and subsequent FPPC investigation, he always gets the advice of the city attorney “to maintain effective and objective decision-making.”
The District 2 councilmember added that it’s ultimately up to elected officials to decide when to recuse themselves to “really ensure they’re serving ethically and principally.”
On the investigation into the allegations against Byrd, Alvarez said, “If taxpayer dollars are being wasted, I have a problem with that.”
“Public confidence is No. 1. It’s important for residents and ratepayers to know that any review is handled through the board’s processes with the ultimate goal of upholding transparency, fairness and fiscal integrity,” Alvarez said. “And if an investigation is the way to get to that end, so be it.”
Williams sent a text message to The Bee: “I really don’t have anything to say about the MID situation with both parties.”
Bavaro expressed concern with the environmental impacts caused by farmers using well water to irrigate their crops and what impact that will have on the city of Modesto.
But as far as the investigations and allegations surrounding Byrd, Bavaro said he hasn’t been keeping up. “To be honest with you, I haven’t really been following it. I’ve been focusing on the city of Modesto,” he said.
This story was originally published March 2, 2026 at 11:18 AM.
