Orosi Public Utilities Board directors voted out, refuse to leave: Why?

OROSI, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Over a month after the certification of the November election, the small Tulare County town of Orosi continues to see controversy stemming from it.

Three incumbent directors on the Orosi Public Utilities District Board, Reynaldo Rivas, Maria Gonzalez and Johnny Sandoval, defeated in November, have refused to step down.

They claim some voters didn’t receive ballots for their races in the election, based on an error on the election boundary map. However, Michelle Baldwin, the Tulare County Registrar of Voters says those boundaries came directly from the board itself.

“The map that they provided us, with the boundaries from the district, was different than what they were claiming as far as a subdivision of 200 voters that were not included on that district map,” said Baldwin.

It’s a map that is available to the general public, but issues with it weren’t brought to their attention for months. It wasn’t until Election Day when they were made aware, but Baldwin says it was too late.

“What they submit to us dictates boundaries used for that district election. That’s all there is to it,” she said.

200 votes would not have made a difference in two of the three races, while the race between Rivas and District 1 seat winner Serafin Alejandro Brito was the closest, still with a difference of 182 votes.

Now, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, have formally asked the defeated directors to step down immediately.

Bonta in a statement said in part, “Whatever their grievances may be, they failed to challenge the election results. Now, they must respect the will of the voters. If they do not, the California Department of Justice and the Secretary of State’s Office stand ready to take legal action.”

“To be put on the map because people who lost an election don’t want to leave is kind of funny. I was hoping they’d put us on the map for something more important than this,” said Richard Yanez, an Orosi resident since 1965.

Yanez says the controversy has only given his town attention for all the wrong reasons.

He says it’s especially frustrating when he is waiting for one specific public works project, a connection of public water to his home and others in East Orosi, after their wells dried up over the last few years.

Now, he just wants this over and done with so the board can get back to work for the residents in town.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s 200 votes, one vote, if you lost you lost. Just deal with it and vacate. I mean, it’s that simple,” he said.

Yourcentralvalley.com tried to reach out to those incumbents who lost their reelection bid but did not hear back. The state has given them a deadline of Friday, Jan. 17 to vacate.