Mission Springs Water District v. Verjil

Opinion

RICHLI, J.

Mission Springs Water District (the District) increased its water and sewer rates. Initiatives to roll back the increases gathered enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Rather than hold an election on the initiatives, however, the District filed this action against the proponents of the initiatives (the Proponents) for a declaration that the initiatives are invalid.

The Proponents filed a “SLAPP motion”—i.e., a special motion to strike pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16 (SLAPP Act). For this motion to be granted, the Proponents had to show that the…