TWO MEMBERS SWORN IN BY HELIX WATER BOARD, THIRD RACE STILL UNDECIDED

Update December 7, 2016 --Today's board meeting will be held, since all votes in this race have been counted,   board member  Kathleen Hedberg has advised  ECM. 

By Miriam Raftery

December 6, 2016 (La Mesa) — Mark Gracyk and Joel Scalzitti were sworn in last night on the Helix Water District Board.  But the race for a third seat is still too close to call.  The Registrar of Voters has until Friday to certify final results, but if this race is not certified by tomorrow, a December 7^th board meeting will be postponed, the board secretary has informed ECM. 

Mark Gracyk won election in district 2 handily with over 57% of the vote, ousting long-time incumbent Chuck Muse and also defeating challenger Eric Collins.  Gracyk ran on a platform of opposing rate hikes. 

Scalzitti ran unopposed for his reelection in district 5 after his would-be opponent was found to have a home in one district, but a water meter in another, so Aaron Zajac wound up running in district 1 instead.

In district 1, where four candidates squared off, former Helix employee Louis Tejeda leads by less than 200 votes over Dan McMillan, a past member of the Padre Dam water district and the San Miguel fire district boards.  The two have 35.5 and 34.4 percent respectively.   Incumbent John Linden lost his reelection bid with 25%, while Zajac picked up just 5%.

At last night’s meeting, which a full house turned out for, a member of the public identifying himself as David Burton from East County Citizens Oversight claimed during public comments that an investigation is underway into residency of a candidate in district 1.  He later told an audience member that he was referring to Tejeda.

However, Registrar of Voters Michael Vu told ECM,” The Registrar of Voters has not received any formal complaint regarding Mr. Tejeda's residency. Any complaint would be forwarded to the District Attorney's office for investigation and we would assist them in the investigation.”

Asked about Burton’s remarks, Tejeda told ECM, “What he is saying is false. My domicile is Royal Road,” which is in division 1. Tejeda says he owns property in two divisions but that is driver’s license, voter registration and bills are all at the Royal Road address, where he says he resides.

During the campaign, Tejeda was the target of an attempted dirty trick when someone anonymously mailed an old personnel file record recommending a disciplinary action to media.  Leaking a confidential personnel file is a crime, which Helix Water’s staff indicated the district would investigate.

At the December 7 meeting, the board is slated to elect officers.  Without Tejeda seated, Linden would remain on the board. To avoid a potential controversy, the board will postpone the meeting to later this month unless the Registrar can certify the results a day before the legal deadline to do so, the board secretary confirmed.