Mission irrigators urged to vote for recall
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
3 of 3 free articles.
Editor,
Attention Mission irrigators: You will receive or have received ballots for the recall of Jerry Johnson and Paul Wadsworth. You should be aware of the facts behind this recall. The recall petitions were investigated and approved by Lake County Attorney Mark Russell. Attorney Russell found that these illegal violations had occurred, making the first line in their rebuttal statements untrue.
The recalls have no connection to the Compact or the Water Use Agreement. It is a result of their illegal activities.
Even though these illegal meetings, as stated on the recall, are enough to have them recalled, it is their actions taken during these meetings that are of major concern. Also, they have continued to hold illegal closed meetings since the recall.
Wadsworth and Johnson have increased the administrative fees from $2.65 to $9 per acre, in their words “to have a cushion to hire their lawyers.” Their expenditures have totaled $113,000, putting the fund into a negative balance. The administrative fund for the Mission Irrigation District is broke. Johnson and Wadsworth have issued warrants to pay their bills. These warrants will be the first items paid when MID receives any money. Attempts have been made to transfer operation and management monies to the administrative account, which is illegal (MCA 85-7-2139), but they have disregarded laws before.
There haven’t been dozens of lawsuits filed, only these listed below.
1. Flathead Joint Board of Control filed against the Mission Irrigation District and the Jocko Valley Irrigation District. Settled out of court.
2. MID and JVID against Lake County. Attempt to stop referendum and irrigators “voice” regarding their withdrawal from the FJBC. They lost. The vote showed the majority did not want the FJBC dissolved, but they did it anyway with no plan for the inevitable fall out — like who would run the project, and are the employees and their retirement accounts protected?
3. Individual irrigators against MID and JVID regarding protested tax funds.
These commissioners should be held accountable for their actions. Why would honest, hard-working irrigators reward illegal activities by allowing these individuals to remain as commissioners? Vote for the recall.
Sheila Vallejo
St. Ignatius
