LUSD superintendent challenges incumbent in water district election

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories that will run in advance of the Nov. 3 elections.

The Lindmore Irrigation District, which services more than 1,000 farms, needs to fill one of its board of directors seats.

Two men have volunteered for the job, incumbent James Oxford and longtime school administrator David De Paoli — voters will opt for one of them during the Nov. 3rd election.

“It’s not [a job] that everyone wants to do,” Director Leroy Spuhler said. “Usually we just have a hard time finding someone.”

The irrigation district, based in Lindsay, is one of five special districts in the Porterville area holding elections this year. The special districts are local governments that deliver public services to a specific area, the five local ones on the ballot are: the Earlimart Public Utility District, the Lower Tule River Irrigation District, the Porterville Memorial District and the Terra Bella Irrigation district.

The winner in Lindsay’s election will represent Division 4 and will serve as one of five directors who give policy direction to a general manager who oversees the daily operations of the district that draws water from the Friant-Kern Canal to quench the more than 26,000 acres encompassed within the district’s boundaries.

The incumbent has served on the board for about 30 years. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.

Oxford has served faithfully on the board, according to Spuhler who was elected in 1984.

Oxford faces competition from De Paoli, the current superintendent of the Lindsay Unified School District who is set to retire in June after 30 years working as a school teacher and administrator.

Whomever is elected will deal with the same issues nearly every other water district is experiencing — keeping enough water in the system, Spuhler said.

“I’ve got some fresh ideas,” he said. “We’ve got to look at this whole water picture, getting it and maintaining it.”
De Paoli, who farms olives and oranges, said he would be a fresh voice for farmers

“It’s always hard to beat an incumbent, but I’ve lived in the community all my life,” he said.

Formed in 1938, the district is also a member of the Friant Power Authority that owns, operates and maintains power facilities at Friant Dam.

Contact Jenna Chandler at 784-5000, Ext. 1050, or jchandler@portervillerecorder.com.