"Digger"

Only hours before the BWD board meeting on 18 Nov., Rich Williamson, General Manager of the Borrego Water District, handed the board a draft of a contract he had the District Counsel draw up for him at district expense. It contained demands that might be appropriate for an officer of the San Diego Water Authority or the Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District, but, in a small water district like Borrego's, they are laughable - or would be except Williamson is serious.

A majority of the board was ready to grant all of Williamson's ridiculously excessive demands until directors Steve Smiley and Rita Anderson - probably the only two who bothered to read the contract - raised concerns about it. Borregans are in their debt.

This is a serious situation. Williamson has, in effect, bought off a majority of the board with percs like free health insurance. He is burning through district funds like a cutting torch through butter to support questionable but expensive projects and grandiose plans with no meaningful oversight by the board. Now he has moved on to secure a compensation package that will allow him a lifestyle to which he would like to become accustomed but that Borrego ratepayers cannot afford and should not have to support.

Attached is a brief plain-language summary of the "low-lights" of the contract. Please read it and let the BWD board members and General Manager know what you think in no uncertain terms before their next meeting on December 16. Please also let as many people as possible know about this travesty. The GM and his lackeys on the board are doing their best to keep the community from finding out about it - for obvious reasons. Thanks.
11/21/2009