Commentary: As FPUD/RMWD merger vote comes to LAFCO, Hawkins Report is reviewed

As the LAFCO vote regarding the merger of Fallbrook Public Utility District and Rainbow Municipal Water District approaches on Monday, Sept. 14, both proponents and opponents of the merger between the two districts agree that consolidation would provide some economic savings, although the specific amount is in dispute and opponents note that functional rather than jurisdictional consolidation might also achieve those savings. There is also a consensus that some customer service benefits might be compromised if the governance of the two districts is merged. The major debate is thus whether the...