CASHING IN ON INCUMBENCY WATER BOARD VETERANS HOLD SIZABLE EDGE IN ELECTION FUNDRAISING.

Byline: ALEX DOBUZINSKIS Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- Water may seek its own level, but when it comes to campaign contributions, the candidates for the Castaic Lake Water Agency board are anything but equal.

Three incumbent board members have each raised in the neighborhood of $20,000, giving them a cash advantage over their challengers in Tuesday's election.

Leading the pack is incumbent Jacquelyn McMillan, who works as an adviser for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and raised $24,736 this year.

McMillan and the other two top fundraisers also have day jobs with water agencies other than the Castaic Lake Water Agency. But they said campaign contributions don't influence their vote.

``In the four years that I have served on the Castaic Lake Water Agency board, I have never had a phone call begging me to vote one way or another, or even suggesting it,'' McMillan said.

Incumbent candidate Peter Kavounas, who heads up Glendale's water department, received $19,500 from the beginning of the year to Oct. 21, the most recent filing deadline.

Tom Campbell, an engineer with the Metropolitan Water District, raised $20,140.

Ed Colley, the other incumbent, raised less than $1,000, as did three challengers in the race -- Cam Noltemeyer, Isaac Lieberman and Christopher Hall.

Challenger Carole Lutness, a retired pension accountant, raised $1,425. Jan Heidt, former Santa Clarita mayor and another challenger, raised $5,819.

Noltemeyer, one of two challengers vying for Kavounas' seat, said she has not asked for donations and that she's at a disadvantage.

``We can hardly compete with these gentlemen that work for other water companies and get a lot of outside funding,'' she said.

``I feel that the developers, the outside interests that want what they can provide for them, they locate these guys who work for other water agencies (and) they bankroll them in.''

McMillan said that, rather than getting sought out by campaign donors, she has sought them out.

``It does take a lot of work ... we go to fundraisers all week long,'' she said.

McMillan, Kavounas and Campbell each received money from construction-related companies. Among McMillan's major campaign donors were the Independent Construction Co. of Concord, which gave $2,000, and a Corona company called ACI that gave $2,500. Kavounas and Campbell also received $2,000 each from Independent Construction. And Campbell was given $1,000 by the Building Industry Association.

Kavounas also received $2,000 from Independent Construction. Campbell received $1,000 from the Building Industry Association of Southern California.

Lynne Plambeck, president of the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment, criticized the incumbents for taking money from development-related firms.

``It's very difficult for someone that's representing the general public to raise money, because the general public doesn't understand the importance of -- (the CLWA panel's) almost a secret board,'' she said.

``I think Jan Heidt's push to have them televise meetings would help the community to understand the growth and how much the growth (that) occurs is the responsibility of the water agency.''

Water board members say their job isn't too approve growth -- just to make sure there's enough water. The City Council and the county Regional Planning Commission make decisions about proposed housing projects, they said.

As McMillan did, Campbell and Kavounas both said that they don't allow campaign contributions to influence their vote. Donors give because they expect board members to make ``sound and reasonable'' decisions, Campbell said.

``To the extent that that assists the business community and we have common interests, I think that that benefits them, and they do derive a benefit from that,'' he said.

And Kavounas took aim at accusations that he can't govern impartially because he works for another water agency. He said he has the advantage of professional know-how, and he lives in the community and cares about its well-being.

``The battle statement is we need ordinary people on the water board and not water professionals,'' he said, ``and I say: How am I not ordinary?''

alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com

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