Metropolitan water districts: proxy vote authorizations.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the consequences of breaking proxy voting rules.

Proxy Voting for Water Districts

This law allows representatives from water districts who can only appoint one person to their board to give another representative the right to vote on their behalf when they cannot attend meetings, with certain limitations.

What This Bill Does

• Allows a member public agency that is entitled to designate or appoint only one representative to assign a proxy vote authorization to a representative of another member public agency for up to six board meetings in a calendar year.
• Requires the proxy vote assignment to be documented in writing and specifies that it cannot authorize the assumption of the assigning representative’s officer position at any meeting.
• Ensures all provisions of the Metropolitan Water District Act apply equally to both the person giving away their vote and the one using it.

Who It Names or Affects

• Representatives from member public agencies of water districts who have only one voting seat on the board.
• Other representatives from different member public agencies who might receive a proxy vote.

Terms To Know

Proxy Vote

A written agreement that lets someone else vote for you when you can't be there to do it yourself.

Member Public Agency

An organization, like a city or county government, that is part of the water district and has voting rights on its board.

Limits and Unknowns

• The proxy vote rules will only be in place until January 1, 2030.
• It does not specify what happens if someone breaks these new rules about proxy votes.

Official Summary Text

AB 523, Irwin.
Metropolitan water districts: proxy vote authorizations.
Under the Metropolitan Water District Act, the board of a metropolitan water district is required to consist of at least one representative from each member public agency, as prescribed. The act authorizes each member public agency to appoint additional representatives not exceeding one additional representative for each 5% of the assessed valuation of property taxable for district purposes within the entire district that is within the boundaries of that member public agency.
This bill would, until January 1, 2030, authorize a representative of a member public agency that is entitled to designate or appoint only one
representative to the board of directors to assign a proxy vote authorization to a representative of another member public agency to be exercised when the assigning representative is unable to attend a meeting or meetings of the board, as provided. The bill would require the proxy vote authorization to be memorialized by a written instrument, as specified. The bill would prohibit a proxy vote authorization from authorizing the assumption of the assigning representative’s officer position at the designated meeting and would limit a
proxy vote authorization’s effectiveness to no more than 6 board meetings in a calendar year. The bill would declare that all provisions of the act apply to the representative assigned the proxy vote authorization and that all conflict of interest laws that apply to the assigning representative also apply to the representative assigned a proxy vote authorization.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF