The Truckee Donner Public Utility District Board of Directors is an elected body. Ratepayers (the public) elect those who sit on the board. Ratepayers directly affected by board decisions choose who represents them. With the recent resignation of TDPUD Director John Hillstrom, the board had a choice and#8212; either call a special election or appoint a replacement. Kudos to the board for deciding not to spend up to $25,000 in ratepayer monies on a special election.

Five applicants have submitted letters of interest to fill this vacancy. Two of the five were TDPUD candidates for the November election nine months ago, and one (Josh Susman) received our CATTPAC endorsement. The other candidates have impressive resumes and supporting documentation. We are lucky as a community to have this caliber of applicants for such an important post.

When a hard choice needs to be made, we look to the voters for guidance. It makes sense to look at the not-too-distant election when Susman came in third out of a field of five candidates.

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According to official results from Nevada County, there was a 4.14 percent spread, or 348 votes, between second-place candidate Ron Hemig and third place candidate Josh Susman.

Similarly, official results in Placer County showed Josh coming in third, with a 51 vote spread, or 10.06 percent, between Ron and Josh.

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Josh is next in line. Josh has been through the rigors of a campaign and garnered a respectable amount of votes from the public. Whoever is chosen by the TDPUD Board will likely be in front of the voters next year, as the appointment expires December 2012.

Pick the replacement based on who the voters wanted. Honor the choices made by the public. Respect the results.

And to the other applicants for this vacancy, we strongly encourage you to make plans now to run in 2012. Our community is a better place when good people run for public office.

Mitch Clarin, Truckee,

Chairman, CATTPAC