Helix Water District Board Silent After Taxpayer Advocacy Group Lists Demands

Continuing the momentum of the awareness of ratepayer rights garnered , a local taxpayer advocacy group Wednesday again took an opportunity to publicly criticize the board for its pension and benefits systems.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was drafted by the Taxhawks and  on Mount Helix Patch and La Mesa Patch. On Wednesday, one of the advocacy group's founders, Russell Buckley, read what essentially equates to a list of demands into record.

Following Buckley's recitation, his group's co-founder, David Smyle, a founder of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce who runs a commercial mortgage banking firm, addressed the issue of what he views as an exorbitant amount of paid time off  for HWD employees.

"How can you justify three extra holidays [the day after Thanksgiving and two floating days] when most people in the private sector don't get it?" Smyle asked.

Another of the group's demands in the MOU revolved around at what times the board meets. The document states:

That the schedule of meetings be changed to be more worker-friendly. Alternate between the present time of 2 p.m. and a later time, say 6 p.m.

Smyle said that most ratepayers sit idly by, and don't have the time or energy to come to meetings and hold those they have elected accountable.

"Now, a sleeping giant has been awakened," he said, adding that given the state of the current pension and benefits plans, members of the HWD board are either "very poor negotiators, or don't want to eliminate the benefits you enjoy with no concern to ratepayers."

Unlike the previous board meeting, when after hearing Buckley and Smyle's public comments, HWD General Manager Mark Weston defended the district and lauded the quality of its service, employees and comparably low rates, he and the rest of the board of directors said nothing. When given the opportunity to respond to the public comments, they all sat in silence and quickly moved on to the next item on the agenda.

The district is currently in negotiations for a new labor deal. Under its current labor deal, Helix employees pay no part of their pension plan, and can earn 192 hours (or 24 work days) of PTO per year. Their benefits and those of their dependents—for employees hired before Jan. 1, 2007—are also contributed for in full, with the employees paying nothing for their health care.