Slow-Growth Council Names Francis as Mayor
City Councilman Richard Francis was unanimously elected as Ventura’s mayor this week as a new City Council dominated by slow-growth forces took office.
Francis, 41, a Ventura lawyer, said he considers his major challenge to be providing leadership to “a council that clearly wants to get things done.”
Elected deputy mayor of the seven-member council was Donald Villeneuve. New council members sworn in Monday night were Cathy Bean, Todd Collart and Gary Tuttle.
They join incumbents John McWherter and outgoing mayor Jim Monahan, who narrowly won council reelection last month.
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