During a news conference at the County Administration Center, Water Authority Board Chair Mark Muir was joined by business and civic leaders to demand MWD "Stop the Spending!"
San Diego Civic, Business Leaders Call on MWD to 'Stop the Spending'
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on March 22 unanimously adopted a resolution in support of efforts by the Water Authority to recover nearly $250 million in illegal charges imposed on local water users in recent years by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and calling on MWD to end ratepayer overcharges, overspending and unplanned borrowing that have contributed to MWD doubling water rates over the past decade. In conjunction with the action, the Water Authority released a study that shows ongoing ratepayer overcharges will only worsen unless the Los Angeles-based agency makes major changes to rein in out-of-control spending.
MWD's own data show a series of serious problems:
MWD overcharged ratepayers $847 million more than the agency's own budgets said was needed from 2012-2015.
MWD overspent its budget by $1.2 billion from 2013-2016 on things like buying Bay-Delta islands ($175 million) and turf replacement ($420 million).
In 2016, MWD authorized $900 million in unplanned borrowing to pay for its overspending.
CBS 8 aired a story about the March 22 news conference that launched the "Stop the Spending" campaign related to Metropolitan Water District's overspending, overcharges and unplanned borrowing.
"This organization in Los Angeles is spending $1.2 billion dollars on unnecessary things that we, as rate payers in San Diego, are having to pay part of," said Jim Madaffer, San Diego County Water Authority Vice Chair.
