Robert’s Record
Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s Robert’s record on the MID board, in the words of local news.
Protecting Our Water
Helped enact a 20-year plan to protect our groundwater
The Groundwater Replenishment Program reduces pumping by giving farmers in our basin extra surface water in wet years.
Ended cut-rate water deals for out-of-district corporate growers
Robert raised the price for out-of-district corporate growers from $60 to $200 an acre-foot, saving ratepayers nearly $10 million a year.
Keeping local water local
“Bob Frobose may be Stanislaus County’s all-time acre-foot champion for keeping local water local.”Eric Caine, The Valley Citizen
“These are times when everyone wants our water. We need people who know water.”Robert Frobose, Aug. 26, 2026
Fighting For Better Rates
Stopped the bleeding so you don’t pay more later
Robert inherited a budget running a large deficit. He made the tough call in 2023 to balance it, which required a rate increase. Fixing it then has paid off for you: no additional base rate increases since, and three balanced budgets in a row.
Cut costs by $7 million a year
At his very first board meeting, Robert formed a cost-cutting committee to find savings for ratepayers.
Saved $23 million on energy and debt
A long-term natural gas deal saved $21 million, and a bond refinancing saved another $2 million.
Why he ran
Robert has been clear about his priorities from day one.
“I ran for office to protect MID ratepayers’ water and keep rates reasonable for water and electricity.”Robert Frobose
Holding MID Accountable
Proposed a plan to shield ratepayers from cleanup costs
Resolution 2026-10 would make sure ratepayers don’t pay for environmental damage caused by a few bad actors. Robert is taking it to city councils across the district for approval.
“MID ratepayers should not be funding the damage… innocent people are getting stuck with a bill they should not be.”Robert Frobose
Telling voters the truth
Robert has pushed for transparency on the board, and he says so plainly.
“The people are entitled to the truth.”Robert Frobose
Independent, and he does his homework
“Bob also does his homework. He’s independent and he knows water. He’s already shown he puts ratepayers above the special interests.”Nick Bavaro, Modesto City Council, District 4
Keeping the Lights On
There’s a cheap way to balance a utility budget: stop maintaining the grid and let it fall apart. Robert won’t do that.
Reliable power takes steady investment in the poles, lines and substations that keep your lights on. Robert balanced MID’s budget without gutting that work, so the grid you depend on stays among the best in the country.
Why costs went up
- It started before Robert. MID’s costs were already climbing before he joined the board.
- Inflation and COVID drove up the price of nearly everything a utility buys.
- Supply chain shortages made transformers, cable and switches hard to get. MID sometimes had to pay extra to get them, so your service didn’t suffer.
The Truth About Rate Hikes
You may have heard half of this story. Here’s the whole thing.
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Before Robert
He inherited a budget in the red
When Robert joined the board, MID’s budget was running a large deficit. On Nov. 15, 2022, before he took office, the previous board adopted a study finding revenue shortfalls in both water and electric, and set rates on a path to cover them.
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2023
He made the tough call
Robert voted to close the deficit, including the electric rate plan for 2024 and 2025 and the 2023 water rate update. The water update followed that 2022 study: it changed only the fixed charge, left per-acre-foot water prices untouched and added about $90 a year for a typical 10-acre parcel. The alternatives were letting the hole grow into bigger increases later, or cutting maintenance and putting MID’s reliability at risk.
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Since then
No new base rate increases
That 2023 plan finished phasing in, and Robert has helped pass three balanced budgets that added no new base rate increases.
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Today
Savings keep pressure off your bill
$7 million a year from his cost-cutting committee, $23 million saved on energy and debt, and nearly $10 million a year from charging out-of-district growers a fair price.
When a fellow director was accused of taking MID water, Robert demanded answers.
Have a question about Robert’s record or MID?
CMFroboseforMID@gmail.com