The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency’s governing board Tuesday approved a move intended to create a more even distribution of its elections, according to a spokesman for the agency.
Ultimately, six of the district’s nine seats will be on the Nov. 5 ballot: two seats in each of the agency’s three districts.
However, one of the seats on the ballot for the 3rd District will be for a two-year term, said Kevin Strauss, spokesman for the agency. The western end of the district’s borders stretch south to The Old Road and Sierra Highway, west past the Ventura County line and north past Castaic Lake.
The seat currently held by Ken Petersen, who was appointed to replace B.J. Atkins on the board, is now going to be a two-year seat on the Nov. 5 ballot, as a result of the board’s decision.
In addition to Petersen’s seat in the 3rd District, the seats held by Beth Braunstein and Gary Martin in the 1st District, and the seats held by Ed Colley and Piotr Orzechowski in the 2nd District, will be on the ballot.
The 1st District is a southeastern district for the agency and the 2nd District is directly above it, geographically.
In the 3rd District, incumbent Kathye Armitage also is up for reelection.
Petersen’s seat reverts to a four-year term in the 2026 election, which would have four seats on it: Petersen’s seat, as well as those currently held by William Cooper, Maria Gutzeit and Dirk Marks.