Claremont-based Three Valleys Municipal Water District has introduced legislation that would amend part of the state water code pertaining to the timing in which elected directors of municipal water districts are sworn into office.

The existing state statute requires that newly elected members not be sworn in until the first Monday after January 1, nearly 60 days after the election. Authored by Assemblyman Chris Holden, of the 41^st Assembly District including Claremont, and co-authored by Assemblymembers Curt Hagman and Roger Hernandez, AB 72 would revise the water code to allow for municipal water districts to swear in their directors on the first Friday in December and reduce the existing waiting period by a month. During this waiting period, water district board members who have been replaced might be disinclined to productively move forward with important matters, waiting for the new board members to be seated, according to the bill’s proponents.

Legislators and Three Valley’s administrators believe AB 72 would solve the current problem of “lame duck” municipal water district board members who continue to serve for 2 months after the voters have selected a replacement.

 “AB 72 will further allow the newly elected board members to begin serving the people of the municipal water district sooner,” said Three Valley’s General Manager Richard Hansen, “and may assist the district in moving forward with important matters, which otherwise would have to wait until the new board members are seated.”