Ventura Supervisor Schaefer to Seek 2nd Term

Ventura County Supervisor Madge Schaefer, whose liberal sympathies and caustic tongue have stirred resentment in her affluent constituency, announced Monday that she will seek reelection to a second term.

Schaefer, 47, announced her candidacy at a press conference outside Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, where she served on the City Council from 1978 to 1986. She said she chose the hospital site because it represented her interests in health care and in the county’s financial well-being, both issues she named as top concerns.

“It symbolizes quality care and getting well, and I think the county is finally getting well,” Schaefer said, referring to budget deficits that existed when she was elected in 1986. “Since I was there for the critical portion of the illness, I want to be there for the full recovery and the visions of things to come.”

Schaefer’s four-year term ends this year. Although no one has announced plans to challenge her, several officeholders and political activists said she probably will face opposition in the Republican primary June 5.

Thousand Oaks Councilman Frank Schillo acknowledged Monday that he is considering a challenge, saying the city is not adequately represented at the county level and is not receiving its fair share of funding and services.

The campaign will coincide with the environmental hearings on two controversial development proposals in Schaefer’s district--those for the Jordan and Ahmanson ranches. Together, the projects would add 3,000 homes, two golf courses and two commercial complexes to the less-developed eastern area of the county.

Schaefer already has come under fire for approving further study of the projects instead of rejecting them outright. Critics have cited substantial contributions to her from developers, builders and real estate agents, including those involved in the Jordan and Ahmanson ranch proposals.

But Schaefer said Monday that “anyone who makes up their mind before they are thoroughly informed is performing a disservice.” She also said she resented the implication that she could be bought, and that she was comfortable with developers’ contributions as long as they were reported.

Her campaign has about $38,500 in cash, according to her most recent financial disclosure statement.

Schaefer pledged to improve health care for the elderly and for citizens excluded from private medical treatment because they lack insurance, and said she would announce a medical program for needy Thousand Oaks residents in the next two weeks.