01/23/2026
Thank you, Ronny Arrellano, for your comment regarding our corruption post. We appreciate your concern about local corruption within the county board and the Imperial Irrigation District (IID). However, the actions you've mentioned, while potentially indicative of poor decision-making, do not necessarily constitute corruption as they appear to fall within legal boundaries. Notably, as the sole IID board member, I voted against the salary increase for the IID general manager, primarily due to the timing of the decision occurring well into an existing contract. Given the circumstances, it might be prudent to consider replacing the entire IID board. On a related note, I'd like to highlight a different issue that raises concerns about corruption. In a recent election, I narrowly lost my bid for IID reelection to Lewis Pacheco by a margin of one percent. His campaign's promise to reduce IID energy rates was heavily promoted through numerous campaign signs across town, including placing campaign signs in restricted public areas. Another of Pacheco’s campaign promise was to be a very active director like I was. Following his election, his first action was to increase IID energy rates to a record high. And he is surely very dormant and missing in action in our community and in our Issues. This disconnect between campaign promises and subsequent actions raises questions about campaign integrity and accountability. Similarly, the current IID board president promised Imperial residents that she would help build a regional park on a desolate IID property in Imperial if elected; however, she abandoned that promise after siding with Alex Cardenas. Furthermore, Director JB Hamby previously criticized Alex Cardenas as the biggest thief and corrupt individual in the county, yet he accepted a $5,000 check from him without knowing it’s origin at a time were dark dirty money played a role on local elections. Facts reveal the truth, and we cannot hide them. And as public elected and or appointed representatives we have a moral duty to be honest with the people about matters of public concern.
