Goleta Water to Go to Division-Based Board Seats

The Goleta Water District delivers water to more than 87,000 people in the Goleta Valley. The district encompasses 29,000 acres between the ocean and the mountains, from El Capitan to the Santa Barbara city limits. The district serves a wide range of customers including residential, business, recreation, agriculture, and manufacturing. After 76 years of operation, the district is embarking on a transition to ensure that the Board of Directors reflects and represents our diverse community.

There are currently five members on the Board of Directors, elected at-large, who represent all residents in the district. The board has approved moving to a division-based electoral system by November 2022, meaning residents in each geographic division will vote for an elected official to represent them on the board.

The district’s transition to electoral divisions is governed by the the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). The CVRA implements the California Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and provides the legal requirements we must follow to ensure every voter has access to participate in the electoral process. The Board of Directors created the District-Based Elections Committee last year, composed of all five board members, to coordinate the transition. As the chair of the committee, I have been and continue to be fully committed to ensuring the broadest participation, from all sectors of our community, in this transition.