CRAC-ers take heed: MercuryNews.com recently reported that the Santa Clara Valley Water District in California may have to wait till next year to get a question on the ballot—an error that could cost the Water District half a billion dollars—because the summary of the ballot question they turned in to election officials went over the allowed number of words. Then in their haste to correct their mistake, the district’s board members violated California’s open meetings law, the Brown Act, by holding a board meeting without posting a public agenda on their website 24 hours prior (they missed the cutoff by about an hour). Now a taxpayer group is threatening a lawsuit unless the measure is pulled off the ballot.
A word to the wise: Always make sure to read directions first.