According to the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), the default campaign contribution limit from one donor for city and county political candidates in California is $5,900. Additionally, Levine Act rules prohibit local government representatives from voting on “licenses, permits, or contracts” if they’ve received $500 or more from an involved party within one year of the vote.

Both the $5,900 and $500 limits feature exceptions and qualifiers. Nonetheless, the point is clear: Money should not be a corrupting influence on local elections and governments.

What, then, should Stanislaus County residents and voters think when one man and his related businesses donate $30,000 to a candidate for the Modesto Irrigation District (MID) Board of Directors? What should they think when that same man is a business partner with a sitting MID Director who voted to end an investigation into his own and that same partner’s irrigation practices on their ranch in southeastern Stanislaus County?

Ty Angle’s $30,000 in donations to Dominic Giorgi’s campaign against MID Board President Robert “Bob” Frobose may somehow turn out to be legal. That determination would most likely be made by the FPPC, which is already investigating Angle’s partner for voting on a matter of his own interest during an MID Board meeting last December 16, when MID Director Larry Byrd voted to end an investigation into (mis)use of MID surface water on the AB La Grange Ranch.

Byrd is partners on the AB La Grange Ranch with Ty Angle and Byrd’s brother Tim Byrd. He’s currently under investigation by the FPPC for the December 16 vote and by the Stanislaus County District Attorney for alleged water theft.

In yet another conflict involving Byrd and Angle, Board Member John Boer has recused himself from voting on matters involving the AB La Grange Ranch because a large portion of his income is gained from contract work he does for Tim Byrd.

MID Board Member Janice Keating joined Larry Byrd in voting against further investigation into AB La Grange Ranch last December. Keating has subsequently received a total of $10,000 in campaign contributions from the AB La Grange Ranch, JX Byrd Cattle Company, Cal Coast Almonds (owner Chris Angle) and Brandon Angle. Chris and Brandon Angle are Ty Angle’s sons. JX Byrd Cattle Company is owned by Larry Byrd.

In 2024, Keating was ordered to pay almost $45,000 in legal fees after a specious suit against Frobose and MID for gender harassment. In April of 2025, the MID Board of Directors unanimously censured Janice Keating after she threw a clipboard at an MID staff member.

Keating’s disruptive behavior is only one reason Modesto City Councilmember Nick Bavaro is supporting her opponent in this year’s MID election.

“I’ve known Mike Moradian for a long time,” said Bavaro last Saturday. “He’s a successful and ethical businessman and I know he will bring these qualities to the MID.”

“Mike always does his homework. He’s completely independent. Mike will put ratepayers first. We need to bring stability to MID Division 2 and Mike will bring stability. I’ve got one his signs in my front yard.”

Bavaro is also supporting Bob Frobose for many of the same reasons.

“I know Bob Frobose from interactions involving MID and the City of Modesto,” said Bavaro.

“Bob also does his homework. He’s independent and he knows water. He’s already shown he puts ratepayers above the special interests. He has my endorsement and full support.”

If the purpose of FPPC regulations governing campaign contributions is to avoid corruption of government through undue influence, then MID voters and ratepayers shouldn’t just be concerned about Ty Angle’s domination of the MID Board of Directors, they should also be concerned about ongoing Board dysfunction.

It’s conceivable that the MID Board of Directors could be unable to vote on critical issues like the Groundwater Replenishment Program and MID’s Master Account and Farmer-to-Farmer programs because Angle’s campaign contributions have exceeded FPPC and Levine Act limits. And even if Keating, Boer, Byrd and Giorgi were able to vote, who could count on them to be objective?

Bob Frobose believes MID’s first principle should be integrity.

“When you abuse the public trust,” he said recently, “you lose the trust of the public. My duty is to in-district farmers and MID ratepayers. As long as I’m on the Board, MID is not for sale.”

The investigation into alleged water theft on the AB La Grange Ranch is ongoing. MID’s own billing records show Larry Byrd and his partners were almost certainly underbilled for water use on eight properties in 2022. MID hasn’t followed up on that problem either, most likely because management has been disabled by dysfunction on the Board of Directors caused by Ty Angle’s undue influence.

While it’s conceivable that Angle’s partner Tim Byrd — a Boalt Law graduate and career Gallo attorney — has found a back door workaround for FPPC and Levine Act rules, such a workaround would still violate the spirit of the law. MID farmers and ratepayers deserve better.

Modesto City Councilman Nick Bavaro is backing Bob Frobose and Mike Moradian because he understands the value of independence and integrity in government. Bavaro got this one right. MID voters and ratepayers should follow his example.