Letter to Voters

By Chris Shilling

Did you know you will pay 80% more for your water over the next 5 years?1

Did you know there is a plan for the Otay Water District to fund a project in Mexico and that our money has already started flowing across the border?2

Did you know that the General Manager (a former Otay Water Board member), and the 5 other people in his department, including 2 assistants and 3 secretaries, draw salaries that total almost $1.5 million?3

Did you know that while the Padre Dam, Helix and Lakeside water districts see no need for lobbyists, Otay Water has employed one for the last 5 years costing us $250,000?4

The total number of "hook-ups" for the entire Otay Water District is only 49,000. We 49,000 are funding all of this massive bloat with no real accountability for the use of our money.5

If you are like me, you've been busy with your life and have not paid any attention to what's going on at our water board. But this time, if we do not do something, we will have only ourselves to blame as we watch our water rates skyrocket and our money pool into bloated salaries before it's pumped across the border.

My name is Chris Shilling and I am running for the Otay Water Board. My goal is to do whatever is possible to stop the increases, reduce the bloat, and keep our money here in Chula Vista and in the Otay Water District.

As the Public Safety Director for General Growth Properties (with two locations in Chula Vista), I am used to serving our community and looking out for the best interest of the people. My bachelor's degree is in Business Management and my master's is in Organizational Leadership. As a member of the Chula Vista Board of Ethics I have spent years fighting for integrity in government and accountability of our public officials.

As a father of three, I believe our children deserve the university we were promised here in Chula Vista. Our economy needs the research firms and businesses that will come with it. But if water is not affordable then the university and those businesses will not come. These unabated rate increases can have a devastating effect on our small businesses. As a lifelong Chula Vista resident who is now raising my own family here, I worry about what will happen to us and to our community if our water rates continue this steep increase.

That is why I need your help! On November 2nd please vote Chris Shilling for Otay Water Board.

What else can you do? Tell your friends and neighbors to vote for me. Put up a sign on your lawn or in your window. Donate at http://www.voteshilling.com. Please volunteer to help get the word out. The money you save will be your own.

You can always contact me directly at (619) 796-2258 or voteshilling@gmail.com with any questions or to see how you can help our campaign. I cannot do this alone, but with your support we can stop the 80% increase, end the waste, and keep our money in our community!

Thank you for your time and your support.

Sincerly,

Chris Shilling

1:http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/aug/25/otay-water-board-oks-199-percent-rate-increase/

2: http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?sector=4&noticia=325061&idioma=I

3: http://www.otaywater.gov/owd/pages/board/budget/FY09/Departmental%20Operating%20Budget-GM.pdf

4: http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080823/news_1ez23lobby.html

5: http://www.otaywater.gov/owd/pages/about/abouthome.aspx