Johs Urges Using County for Fire, Police Service : Oxnard: The councilwoman says the financially beleaguered city would save money by eliminating its own public safety departments.

Faced with trying to resolve Oxnard’s financial problems, Councilwoman Ann Johs said Tuesday that the city should consider eliminating its police and fire departments and turning those services over to the county.

Johs said she believes that the financially beleaguered city will be able to save a considerable amount of money by hiring the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and Fire Protection District, as other cities have done.

The city, which is projecting a $2.8-million deficit in the fiscal year beginning July 1, had hoped to raise $5 million a year with a 5% utility tax increase on the June 5 ballot. The tax was defeated by a 3-to-1 ratio.

Johs’ recommendation to study how much money the move would save the city was supported by Councilwoman Geraldine (Gerry) Furr. But it sparked immediate criticism by one council member and top city police and fire officials.

Councilwoman Dorothy Maron said she would be reluctant to approve a transfer of police and fire services to the county. “It would have to be a very compelling reason to make me want to change my mind about police services,” she said.

Mayor Nao Takasugi declined to comment until next week, when Johs is expected to explain her proposal in detail to the council.

Police Chief Robert Owens said despite Oxnard’s current fiscal crisis, the city can continue to provide more police services than the county Sheriff’s Department. He added that Oxnard police officers will not be happy to hear of Johs’ proposal.

“Oxnard police officers are fiercely proud that they work for the city,” he said.

Assistant Fire Chief Ted Christensen said that a transfer of fire services to the county may save the city money but would probably reduce the level of service provided to Oxnard residents.

“Service level has to be the determining factor, not dollar value,” he said.

The Fire Department now has an average three-minute response time to emergency calls, he said. If the county were to take over fire services, Christensen said, several fire stations could be closed and the response time could increase.

But Johs said she recommended the study because she is worried that the city will be forced to reduce its police and fire services to dangerously low levels due to current financial problems. City Manager David Mora has recommended that the city cut 64 positions--including 16 police officers and eight firefighters--to help avoid a $2.8-million deficit next year.

Johs said she realizes that her recommendation would be criticized by police and fire officials. “I know they are not going to be happy campers, and I’m not a happy camper for suggesting it,” she said.

A Sheriff’s Department spokesman said he believes that Oxnard would save money by contracting with the agency.

“In cities that we contract, our per capita costs are certainly lower than some other cities,” Undersheriff Larry Carpenter said.

When the Sheriff’s Department took over police services for Fillmore about three years ago, Carpenter said, the city saved about $250,000 from its $1-million Police Department budget.

Fillmore Councilman Roger Campbell said the Sheriff’s Department has provided his city more law enforcement services than the city provided at a higher cost.

“I’ll bet you they’ll save a lot of money on sheriffs,” Campbell said.

However, Carpenter said taking over Oxnard’s police services would be a “monumental task” and could take more than six months to execute. Typically when a city contracts with the county to take over police services, many of the city’s police personnel, including administrators, are hired by the Sheriff’s Department to continue serving the city, he said.