Unlawful Actions Persist Among Central Basin Directors Despite DOJ Criticism; Silence From the District Attorney.
The California Department of Justice (DOJ) has roundly rebuked a corrupt scheme involving directors of the Central Basin Municipal Water District (CB). In a letter dated February 18, 2025, but not made public until a records request by LCCN, Senior Assistant Attorney General Marc Nolan of the DOJ addressed the issue.
The letter was a response to a request from directors Nem Ochoa, Joanna Moreno, Gary Mendez, and Juan Garza to alter their terms so they could remain on the CB Board beyond their alleged end dates in December 2024. The DOJ's reasoning was that the CB is a local agency and not a state-level department, agency, board, or commission.
The Water Code and CB Administrative Code are clear that vacancies in director seats should be filled in accordance with the normal selection process. The codes also state that where there is a term of office remaining, nominations for the balance of the term shall be valid. However, the DOJ's rebuke was directed towards Director Juan Garza's attempt to unlawfully keep President Nem Ochoa and Director Joanna Moreno on the CB Board.
Ochoa and Moreno should have left the CB Board in February 2025, but they remain loyal cronies to Director Garza. Along with Mendez and Director Jim Crawford, they are in the majority on the CB Board and have unlawfully stymied any attempt to begin the appointment process.
Despite this, no CB Board member, including Ochoa and Moreno, has ever argued they incorrectly appointed. A new nomination process should have started in December 2024, culminating in new director appointments on February 28, 2025. However, the letter to the DOJ to alter the terms was never properly agendized, voted on, and approved by the full CB Board, a Brown Act violation.
The letter to the DOJ was "approved" at a CB Board meeting, but the meeting's attendance and voting process are in question. As of the time of the publication of this article, emails to President Ochoa, General Manager Elaine Jeng, and attorney Victor Ponto were not answered.
The DOJ's five-page letter likely would never have been released, leaving Ochoa and Moreno to extend their unlawful CB Board seat terms for years. The public is encouraged to consult the official website of the Central Basin Municipal Water District, recent board meeting minutes, or official communications from California’s State Water Resources Control Board or local government records for accurate and up-to-date details on this matter.
- The community news on the Central Basin Municipal Water District (CB) involves a scandal, as the California Department of Justice (DOJ) has rebuked a scheme involving directors of the CB.
- The opinion on the issue pertains to Director Juan Garza's attempt to unlawfully keep certain directors on the CB Board beyond their alleged end dates, which the DOJ's letter addresses.
- General-news outlets report that upcoming community events at the CB include the potential for policy-and-legislation changes, due to the ongoing investigations into alleged corruption by some directors.
