One acre, one vote structure should be employed
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Editor,
Commissioner Tim Orr’s letter last week (FJBC issues to be aware of) fails to mention several important factors which area irrigators should also be aware of.
First, the present FJBC structure gives the Mission and Jocko Districts, representing less than 25,000 irrigated acres between them, power to outvote the Flathead District, representing about 85,000 irrigated acres. The result has been that the board has wasted large sums of irrigators’ money pursuing legal challenges to the water compact, against the wishes of the great majority of the area irrigators. Thankfully, this challenge has now been finally rejected by the Montana Supreme Court.
Secondly, irrigators should be aware that the administrative management of the board’s affairs, controlled by the Mission and Jocko commissioners, has been so incompetent that the FBI have been called in to investigate unauthorized expenditure (and a potential loss) of more than $200,000 by a board employee lasting over three years, as reported in the Valley Journal of Sept. 29, 2017.
Finally, it is badly misleading for Commissioner Orr to suggest that the low-cost block of power will be protected if the present structure of the FJBC is maintained. As he is aware, the low-cost block was scheduled to expire some years ago under the terms of the relevant agreement with the tribe but continued until recently because the tribe overlooked it.
The fact is that the existing structure of the board is grossly undemocratic and should be amended urgently to reflect an equitable “one acre, one vote” structure, enabling competent, democratic management in the interests of all the irrigators.
Giles Gordon, Irrigator
Ronan
