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Somis residents press county over Waterworks District 19 rates; public works pledges financial planning work group
Summary
Somis residents told the Ventura County Board they rejected an 11.9% rate increase through Prop 218 and called for an independent overhead nexus study and infrastructure assessment; Public Works staff said a financial‑planning work group and a 10‑year CIP search for grants and loans will begin with renewed community engagement.
A string of Somis residents and small‑farm operators asked the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on March 24 to halt proposals they say shift county management costs to a tiny water system and its customers.
Kathy Janowski, a Somis resident and three‑acre avocado farmer, told the board that the county’s labor overhead allocation treats small waterworks like large municipal systems and the result is a disproportionate charge that leaves the local utility unable to operate without steep rate increases. “We would like to challenge the fee structure by asking for a nexus study that shows the cost of services provided by the county ensures the fees do not exceed the reasonable cost of service,”…
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