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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Jacksonville woman suspected in uncle's death ... Proposed 200-room hotel on former Box R Ranch sidesteps the rules, state says ... Since You Asked: Friday last day for free Windows 10 upgrade ... Jacksonville woman suspected in uncle's death ... Proposed 200-room hotel on former Box R Ranch sidesteps the rules, state says ... Since You Asked: Friday last day for free Windows 10 upgrade ... DROUGHT Judge: Water district can hike rates Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jul. 26, 2016 at 5:36 PM Updated Jul 26, 2016 at 5:37 PM By The Associated Press Posted Jul. 26, 2016 at 5:36 PM Updated Jul 26, 2016 at 5:37 PM » Social News SANTA ANA, Calif. — An Orange County judge has ruled that a local water district could hike its monthly water rates to offset a decline in usage during the drought. Superior Court Judge Robert J. Moss on Monday ruled that the Yorba Linda Water District could raise rates as an urgency measure to cope with declining revenues as residents heed state-mandated water use restrictions. Yorba Linda water officials had argued that the monthly $25 rate increases aimed to deal with a more than $8 million revenue shortfall since residents scaled back their water use, the Orange County Register reported. Upset by the hikes, a group of residents asked the district to repeal the increases or put the issue before voters. The district rejected the referendum, and residents sued. The case was closely watched by water agencies across the state grappling with the effects of conservation on their revenues. Many officials were concerned the ruling could affect their rate-making ability, according to the Los Angeles Times. Moss wrote that the state's constitution lets voters challenge some "legislative enactments" through referendum, but not urgency measures. Ric Collett, president of the district's board, welcomed the decision. "The actions that we took as a board were needed in order to maintain the financial security of the district," he said. Members of the Yorba Linda Taxpayers' Association, which has mounted a recall campaign against two water board members, said they felt voters had the right to a referendum in this case. "I am outraged at his decision," plaintiff Kent Ebinger told the Register. "The district's rate increase was never legally positioned as an urgency measure." Last week, the Yorba Linda board lowered the monthly water charge by $9 in response to state officials' decision to ease conservation requirements. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jul. 26, 2016 at 5:36 PM Updated Jul 26, 2016 at 5:37 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501