VSD Board Moves to By-Ward Elections for November 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2020

Indio, CA — The Valley Sanitary District (VSD) Board of Directors approved a map defining five election wards that will change the way rate payers vote for Directors starting in November. While not threatened with a lawsuit, Directors unanimously agreed that it was in the rate payers’ best interest to move from an at-large voting system to by-ward voting in compliance with the California Voting Rights Act.

“VSD serves a community that is largely Hispanic and Spanish-speaking. The Board is sensitive to this fact and wants to make sure that the needs and concerns of all its rate payers are heard and are reflected in the elections process,” said Beverli A. Marshall, VSD’s General Manager. “The Map and the new wards reflect the District as a whole as well as the micro-communities within the District.”

The Board unanimously voted for the map known as the “Tan Map”. In concurrence with the expiring incumbents’ terms, Wards B, D, and E will be up for election in the upcoming November General Election. Wards A and C will be up for election in November 2023. More information on the process that was used, the draft maps, and current Directors can be found on the VSD website at: www.valley-sanitary.org

Contact: Beverli A. Marshall, CSDM
Valley Sanitary District
45-500 Van Buren Street Indio, CA 92201