Four of seven seats on the board of Santa Clara County's biggest water supplier are on Tuesday's ballot. The man who will soon run the agency has given money to two of the candidates.
The donations
The Valley Water board has appointed Aaron Baker as its next chief executive, effective Jan. 4, 2027, the agency announced. Baker, now chief operating officer, has worked there for 25 years.
Campaign filings as of Oct. 22 show Baker gave $499 to District 1 incumbent John Varela and $499 to Milan Balinton, who is running for the open District 6 seat, San José Spotlight reported. Balinton also received nearly $770 from Valley Water's chief of external affairs, Rachael Gibson. Balinton said he did not know about the donations.
“I made these contributions in my personal capacity, on my own time,” Baker told Spotlight. He said he did not seek or expect anything in return.
Sean McMorris of the nonprofit Common Cause said such gifts do not appear to be illegal but are not best practice. “The public may perceive this as purchasing some goodwill,” he said.
The races
- District 1: John Varela (incumbent) vs. Jimmy Forbis, former Gilroy city manager
- District 4: Jim Beall (incumbent), unopposed
- District 6: Milan Balinton vs. Phuong Nguyen (Board Chair Tony Estremera is termed out)
- District 7: Rebecca Eisenberg (incumbent) vs. Los Altos Councilmember Pete Dailey
Valley Water is a $1.2 billion agency with nearly 900 employees. Former CEO Rick Callender resigned earlier this year, days before an investigation found he had sexually harassed subordinates, Spotlight reported.
How to vote
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.