Water district incumbents file for reelection in November
By John Loesing
Acorn Staff Writer

Three incumbents have filed for reelection in the Nov. 5 Las Virgenes Municipal Water District race, but as of Tuesday, there were no challengers in the field.

The filing deadline is 5 p.m. Fri., Aug. 9.

Ann Dorgelo, now in her 20th year on the LVMWD board of directors, represents Division 5, which includes most of Agoura Hills.

Glen Peterson is 16-year board veteran from Division 2, which includes Triunfo/ Lobo Canyon, Old Agoura, Liberty Canyon, Saratoga Hills, Lost Hills and Malibu Canyon.

Division 3 Director Vernon Padgett represents Mulwood, Calabasas Park, Monte Nido, Cold Canyon, Malibou Lake and Cornell.

"I think people are still obviously concerned about rates and I point out that I haven’t voted for a rate increase in nine years," said Peterson, sizing up the potential campaign issues.

In addition to his duties with LVMWD, Peterson is vice chair of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors. Metropolitan is the regional wholesale agency that supplies drinking water to more than 17 million Los Angeles County residents, including the LVMWD service area from Bell Canyon to Westlake Village.

"The other main thing to me that is going to be a big part of this election is the cost for paying for infrastructure," Dorgelo said. "We have to do so much replacement."

Dorgelo has served on the water board since 1983, and like Peterson, has lived in the district for more than 30 years. She has long been an advocate of using reclaimed water instead of potable water whenever possible.

Padgett, a retired medical doctor who served as chief of staff of the Canoga Park Hospital and president of the Canoga Park Chamber of Commerce, is completing his first four-year term in office.

Padgett has been an ardent critic of the water district’s $50 million Rancho-Las Virgenes Compost Facility in Calabasas. He said the plant costs $3 million a year to operate and should be closed down or used in a different manner.

"There is more and more going into it and just doesn’t show any return," Padgett said. "They are more or less pouring money down a rat hole."

Padgett became president of the water district board last year, but resigned unexpectedly in January. Charles Caspary is the current board president.

Another issue that figures to enter the campaign to the growing rift between Las Virgenes water district and its joint venture partner, Triunfo Sanitation District.

In June, a Los Angeles Superior Court turned down an attempt by LVMWD to dissolve its 36-year partnership with the Triunfo. Triunfo officials objected to the way LVMWD was spending taxpayer dollars. LVMWD accused Triunfo of failing to honor its end of the joint venture agreement.

"Triunfo is an issue in which there is very much a consensus on our board, except for Dr. Padgett, that they need to pay their bills," Peterson said. "They’re trying to slough onto the Las Virgenes customers the cost of doing business."