Chen Announces Candidacy for Water Board
Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying: "It is the people's business — the election is in their hands. If they turn their backs to the fire, and get scorched in the rear, they'll find they have got to sit on the blister."
I don't want the voters of Division 4 to sit on blisters when it comes to water.
Many members of our community may not realize how rarely voters have decided Foothill Municipal Water District board seats. Every current Foothill board member, including my opponent, entered their position by appointment, not through a vote of the electorate. This Nov. 3, Division 4 voters have a real choice. I am asking you to vote for me.
Today, this is more important than ever. Why?
California water is at an inflection point. Imported supplies from the Colorado River and State Water Project face long-term uncertainty. Major regional water investments could cost billions, and Foothill itself faces aging infrastructure and significant capital needs — costs that will ultimately show up in our water rates and property taxes. Coming off the Eaton Fire, it's clear we also need to be better prepared for the next emergency. Decisions to be made by the Foothill board will shape what our community pays for decades.
I am a California Professional Engineer with 40 years' experience in water, from engineering and operations to rates, finance, infrastructure and regional water policy. I recognized decades ago the importance of diversification when it comes to water supply. My experience also taught me that good planning means knowing when conditions have changed — and when to adjust course.
My opponent has noted that Foothill already has directors with water experience. That's true. But every director casts an individual vote — and time is of the essence. Division 4 deserves a representative who can independently evaluate the costs, risks, and long-term consequences of the decisions before the board. The right experience matters. Political relationships open some doors. Water relationships open the right ones.
Good water decisions rarely have simple answers. A project may improve reliability but commit ratepayers to decades of costs. A project that may ultimately be needed does not have to be built today. Before making major commitments, directors should ask: What problem are we solving? What are the alternatives? Can the investment be phased? Can outside funding reduce the burden on ratepayers? Those questions require more than supporting a project because it sounds beneficial. They require experience, judgment, and a willingness to examine the tradeoffs independently.
Affordability is personal to me. My father lived to 100 on a fixed income. I saw how rising costs affect someone whose income does not rise with them. Every dollar committed by this board comes from the water rates and property taxes we pay.
La Cañada has been my home for 30 years. I served our community through the PTA, the La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation, and now the city's Public Works and Traffic Commission, and as the commission's representative to the Emergency Preparedness Coordination Committee. I spent my professional career in public water service, not politics.
I am asking you to trust your own judgment when you vote by Nov. 3.
One well-prepared director can ask the question that changes the discussion.
Let's not be sitting on blisters when it comes to our water future.
Amy I. Chen is a candidate for Foothill Municipal Water District, Division 4. Amy4Foothill.com