OXNARD : Chamber Supports Police, Fire Study
The Oxnard Chamber of Commerce announced Friday that it supports a proposal to study eliminating the city’s police and fire departments and hiring county agencies instead.
Councilwoman Ann Johs, who made the proposal, has said she believes that Oxnard, which is facing a projected $2.8-million budget deficit, could save a lot of money by hiring the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and Fire Protection District.
Several other cities, including Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Camarillo, Fillmore and Ojai, contract with the county for these services.
“We believe that the city should seek bids and compare the cost and benefit of providing services using personnel and equipment, compared to buying these services from specialized companies by competitive bids,” chamber President George Lauterbach said. “We need to know if we are getting the best bang for our buck.”
Chamber Vice President Stephen Maulhardt cited voters’ defeat June 5 of a 5% utility tax increase as a clear indication that the council “needs to explore some real innovative and creative methods of cutting costs and solving the budget crunch.”
Johs is expected to explain her proposal to the council in detail Tuesday.
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