AB 523: Metropolitan water districts: proxy vote authorizations.

Under the Metropolitan Water District Act, the board of a metropolitan water district is required to consist of at least one representative from each member public agency, as prescribed. The act authorizes each member public agency to appoint additional representatives not exceeding one additional representative for each 5% of the assessed valuation of property taxable for district purposes within the entire district that is within the boundaries of that member public agency.

This bill would, until January 1, 2030, authorize a representative of a member public agency that is entitled to designate or appoint only one representative to the board of directors to assign a proxy vote authorization to a representative of another member public agency to be exercised when the assigning representative is unable to attend a meeting or meetings of the board, as provided. The bill would require the proxy vote authorization to be memorialized by a written instrument, as specified. The bill would prohibit a proxy vote authorization from authorizing the assumption of the assigning representative’s officer position at the designated meeting and would limit a proxy vote authorization’s effectiveness to no more than 6 board meetings in a calendar year. The bill would declare that all provisions of the act apply to the representative assigned the proxy vote authorization and that all conflict of interest laws that apply to the assigning representative also apply to the representative assigned a proxy vote authorization.