Water conspiracy or just poor optics?

April 1, 2019
by Lois Henry
Lois Henry

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There’s a reason Matt Hurley wears so many hats, his critics say.

And he does wear a lot of hats:

General manager of Angiola Water District, Green Valley Water District and Deer Creek Storm Water District; chairman of the newly formed Tri-County Water Authority; and he’s a director on the Fresno Slough Water District and the W.H. Wilbur Reclamation District.

Hurley says it’s all about improving the water basin.

Uh-uh, say his detractors.

It’s so he can tie up as much groundwater as possible for his “boss,” John Vidovich, to pump out and sell to L.A.

“It’s a very tight-knit operation,” Tulare County farmer Milt Pace said of Hurley’s work on so many boards.

Pace, along with fellow farmer Jack Mitchell, is suing Angiola over what they say is an illegal attempt to take over the tiny Atwell Island Water District.

Hurley insists that’s not true.

SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site dedicated to covering water in the San Joaquin Valley. Get inside access to SJV Water by becoming a member.

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