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• Tax group seeks attorney fees from North San Joaquin water district

• Galt City Council approves work with developer on pre-annexation for Delta Greens

• Delta trustee applicants to be interviewed on Jan. 14

• Officials to gather homeless data for San Joaquin County

• Delta board educated on Mountain House

• Regional Roundup

• McNerney asks Obama appointee to investigate Peripheral Canal proposal

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• Regional Roundup

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Group investigates reports of haunting

October 31st, 2009

• Area schools have no plans of closing due to H1N1 virus

• Tokay High evacuation

• Gated communities in Lodi

• Finishing touches on Hill House replica

• Regional Roundup

• In remembrance of Kyle Coumas

• Lodi-area Halloween events

• City of Lodi settles case of mistaken identity

• Lodi a reflection of Halloween's retail emergence

• Izzy Laviola and Seth Siddle-Mitchell crowned Tokay homecoming queen and king

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (63)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (60)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (56)
• Universal health care solves big problems (42)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Words from our forefathers (26)
• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home (18)
• Falcons trample over Galt's playoff hopes (17)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (17)

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Tax group seeks attorney fees from North San Joaquin water district

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is requesting the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District pay the taxfighting group $110,520 in attorney fees for a lawsuit in which the district tried to keep Measure V off the November ballot, according to papers filed in San Joaquin County Superior Court.

North San Joaquin board members, at their meeting Monday morning, expressed disgust over being asked to pay Howard Jarvis' attorney fees. Minutes later, they discussed the issue in a session closed to the public.

"We were kind of shocked," North San Joaquin board President Tom Hoffman said Tuesday. "They initiated it, so why are we having to pay for it?"

Hoffman noted that if Howard Jarvis prevails, fees to provide Measure V petitioner Bryan Pilkington legal advice will come out of the taxpayers' pockets.

"Instead of getting a groundwater recharge program, they'll get expensive legal advice," Hoffman said.

Judge Elizabeth Humphreys ruled in August that Measure V would remain on the Nov. 4 ballot. The measure was aimed at repealing a groundwater recharge fee imposed by district directors. Exactly what the measure means, in legal terms, remains hotly debated.

Attorneys from Howard Jarvis worked without pay on behalf of Measure V petitioner Bryan Pilkington, who won a seat on the five-member North San Joaquin board on Nov. 4. Since Pilkington won the case, his attorneys are entitled to fees from the water district, according to the brief, filed by Jonathan Coupal, Howard Jarvis' director of legal affairs, and attorney Tim Bittle.

According to the brief, Bittle has worked 133 hours and plans to work 18 more hours on the case involving the North San Joaquin district. Coupal also worked 2.5 hours. Both attorneys say they are entitled to $480 per hour.

The tax-fighting organization operates only on $15 annual dues from association members and charitable donations, according to the brief.

A Feb. 3 court date has been set for Superior Court in Stockton.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.