Why are Elk Grove City Council members backing a candidate for the local water board?
Four candidates are seeking three at-large seats
Of all the government agencies in the Elk Grove area with a board of elected officials, perhaps the Florin Resources Conservation District is the least familiar. The FRCD was originally formed in 1953 as a soil conservation district when the Florin and Elk Grove areas were still in agricultural production.
In 1999, the district purchased the Elk Grove Water Company, a privately owned water purveyor serving much of the older portion of Elk Grove, exclusively east of Hwy. 99. Today, the FRCD's main mission is managing the Elk Grove Water District.
Historically, elections to this board have been low-key, with candidates mounting token campaigns at best. As recently as 2024, no candidates ran for the board, and members were appointed.
This year, however, the story is different. In the at-large election, four candidates are running for three positions.
The candidates include incumbent Paul Lindsay, Kimberely A. Martin, John Moua, and Bret Bartholomew. Of these four candidates. only Mr. Moua has developed a campaign website.
Interestingly, the front page of his campaign site prominently features two endorsements. Those endorsements are from Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and Elk Grove Vice Mayor Darren Suen.
These endorsements, along with additional support from Elk Grove City Councilmen Rod Brewer and Sergio Robles, are noteworthy, though not unprecedented.
There has long been chatter that the Elk Grove Water District's facilities could serve as a water source as the city expands and water remains a keystone of development.
Is Singh-Allen and the other three councilmen's endorsement of Moua an initial step toward having an ally on the board for a future relationship between the city and the Water District? Or is it simply part of Singh-Allen's pursuit of building an Elk Grove political machine where every locally relevant board of elected officials has FOBs - Friends of Bobbie?
If these endorsements help Mr. Moua secure one of the three board positions in the November general election, it will be worth monitoring how the water district interacts with the city.
Could it be a move to tap the district's water resources, or is Mayor Singh-Allen just adding to her already strong political machine?
Perhaps both.
