Yesterday, Dr. Anthony (Tony) Fellow, Director on the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District Board of Directors from District 1, has defeated 16 year incumbent Beth Wells-Miller for the seat on the Pasadena City College (PCC) Board of Trustees from Trustee Area 7.

   PASADENA AREA COMM COLLEGE - GOV BD MEMBER TR AREA 7

However, the question remains:  Will Dr. Fellow step down from the Water Board?

Dr. Fellow needs to be reminded that he can't serve in both offices due to a long standing 1990 opinion (90-892)from the California Attorney General's office regarding Ed Chavez who was elected to the La Puente City Council and subsequently served on the Bassett School District Board of Education.  The attorney general concluded, "that the offices of school board trustee and City Council member are incompatiable where the city and district have territory in common."

In 2003, West Covina Councilman Roger Hernandez attempted to serve dual offices on the city council and on the Rowland Unified School District Board of Education.  On, May 31, 2003, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported that Hernandez must step down or face legal action from the Los Angeles County District Attorney.  Therefore, Hernandez did finally step down from the school board.

In 2005, then-Rosemead Councilman John Tran attempted to take a page from Mr. Hernandez's book by serving on the Garvey School District Board of Education and on the Rosemead City Council.  However, Mr. Tran got the message from the community and did leave the school board and assume his new duties as a councilmember.  (Note:  Now, Mr. Tran is El Monte Union High School District Board of Trustee-Elect according to latest election results from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's office).

It is with hope that Dr. Fellow will understand that dual elective offices didn't work for Mr. Hernandez and Mr. Tran and it shouldn't work for him.

Therefore, Dr. Fellow should educate himself on the dual office issue and do what any reasonable person would do, resign from the water board soon and move on to his new duties as a Trustee on the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees.