By John Todd | Rio Linda Online
Oct. 25, 2026
Our water district faces decisions that will shape this community for years. Addressing hexavalent chromium, maintaining reliable infrastructure and finding a permanent general manager all demand a board prepared to get to work immediately.
Rio Linda Online endorses incumbent Vicky Young and challenger Jennifer Boddie for the Rio Linda/Elverta Community Water District board in the Nov. 3 election.
Young brings institutional memory that our district cannot afford to lose. Boddie brings community relationships, practical experience and the persistence to push a project across the finish line.
We need that combination now.
The work cannot wait
Solving the district’s hexavalent chromium problem is one of the most consequential responsibilities facing the board.
The challenge goes beyond choosing treatment equipment. Directors must understand the engineering, evaluate alternatives, scrutinize construction and operating costs, and keep the work moving toward a reliable solution. They must also explain those decisions to the residents who will pay for them.
Our expectation is straightforward: Follow the evidence, meet applicable drinking-water requirements and pursue a solution that protects both public health and the district’s financial future.
The absence of a permanent general manager makes experienced board leadership especially important. The district needs continuity while the search proceeds, followed by a capable manager who can lead staff, oversee major projects and maintain a productive relationship with the board.
Selecting that person will be among the board’s most important decisions. Directors must understand the job they are hiring someone to do—and give that person clear direction and professional support.
Vicky Young: Institutional memory we need
Young’s institutional memory is a key reason for our endorsement.
There is a difference between reading a meeting packet and understanding the years of decisions behind it. Knowing why alternatives were considered, what commitments were made and how projects reached their current stage helps a director ask informed questions and avoid repeating work.
That knowledge becomes particularly valuable during a management transition.
A new general manager will need time to understand the district. We cannot afford to compound that transition by losing valuable experience on the board at the same time.
Every director should continue learning. But with chromium treatment and management recruitment demanding attention, our community needs people who already understand the district’s history and the consequences of its decisions.
Young provides that continuity. We expect her to use it to advance necessary work, strengthen public communication and help select a permanent general manager capable of leading the district forward.
Jennifer Boddie: Getting things done
Boddie brings a different, complementary strength: She knows how to turn community involvement into action.
Her work with the Rio Linda Elverta Teen Council and Youth Program and the Boddie Family Boxing Academy reflects experience working with families, organizing efforts and staying focused on a community purpose.
Getting a project finished requires more than identifying a problem. Someone must bring people together, make the calls, work through obstacles and follow through.
Boddie knows how to push a project to the finish line.
That ability belongs on our water board, where major projects require sustained attention long after the initial discussion or vote.
Her campaign lists endorsements from Sacramento County Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez; state Sen. Angelique Ashby; Twin Rivers Unified School District Trustee Stacey Bastian; Recreation and Park District directors Charlea Moore, Deanna Read, Lisa Morris and Troy Golden; and SacTaxPAC, the Sacramento Taxpayers Association PAC.
Those endorsements reinforce our confidence in her ability to build relationships and work across organizations. Her priorities of safe, reliable water, transparency and accountability align with what we expect from the district.
Respect for the other candidates
Joshua MacCulloch and Nevaeh Moore complete the four-candidate field for the two available seats. riolindaonline.com
Both are fine, intelligent people. Our decision reflects the district’s immediate needs and our confidence in Young and Boddie.
As newer members of our community, MacCulloch and Moore remain less familiar to us. We have not yet seen enough sustained involvement with the district to recommend them over the candidates we are endorsing.
We encourage both to keep attending meetings, study the issues and remain involved between elections. With that experience under their belts, either could become an outstanding director and present a compelling case to voters in two years.
Our recommendation
The district needs to move chromium treatment toward completion while recruiting a permanent general manager and maintaining dependable everyday service.
Young’s institutional memory and Boddie’s ability to organize, persist and finish the work offer the strongest combination for those responsibilities.
Our support comes with expectations. Both must be prepared, respectful of employees, responsive to residents and willing to explain their decisions. Both should expect Rio Linda Online to continue examining their performance.
For the Rio Linda/Elverta Community Water District board, our choices are Vicky Young and Jennifer Boddie.
This editorial represents Rio Linda Online’s opinion and is separate from our news coverage.
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