Opinion No. (2007)

EDMUND G. BROWN JR. Attorney General GREGORY L. GONOT Deputy Attorney General May a general manager or department head of a (1) municipal water district, (2) public utility district, (3) county water district, or (4) irrigation district, and (5) the city manager or department head of a city, serve on the board of directors of a county water authority as the representative of a member agency? *Page 2 CONCLUSION A general manager or department head of a (1) municipal water district, (2) public utility district, (3) county water district, or (4) irrigation district, and (5) the city manager or department head of a city may serve on the board of directors of a county water authority as the representative of a member agency. ANALYSIS Under the County Water Authority Act (Stats. 1943, ch. 545 ; "Act"; see West's Ann.Wat.-Appen. (1968) ch. 45; 4 Deering's Ann. Wat.-Uncod. Acts (1970) Act 9100), two or more public agencies may establish a county water authority ("Authority") to provide water for its member agencies. The Act requires each member agency to have at least one representative on the Authority's board of directors. (Act, § 6.) We are asked whether an agency's representative…