County Issue / Is it time for district elections?

More than half of Oxnard’s population is Latino, yet only three Latinos have been elected to City Council. Minority rights advocates blame this on at-large elections and back a single-member district system in which neighborhoods elect a council representative. Should Oxnard adopt a single-member district system?

Jack T. Fowler

President, Oxnard Elementary School District No. I think it tends to lead to bad government in relatively small geographical areas and Oxnard is certainly that. People become very parochial. They feel they represent a particular group or part

of the city and their governing decisions are based on being able to say to their constituency, look what I’ve done for you, and they’re not concerned with the rest of the city. Also, I find it very interesting that we always talk about Hispanic percentages, based on somebody’s last name. Yet we’re very aware the Hispanic population has increased and many of these people who are here were not born here but entered the country illegally, are not citizens and don’t have the right to vote. It seems to me advocacy groups will advocate the right to vote for anyone. I think that the city of Oxnard has a pretty good record of electing people regardless of their racial heritage.

M. Carmen Ramirez

Executive director, Channel Counties Legal Services Assn. Yes. I think that the historical results of having three Latinos elected, which is maybe better than other communities in Ventura County, in comparison with the population are pathetic. It just doesn’t seem

fair to have people not really responsive to the different sectors of the community. Although Oxnard has had a couple of excellent people elected, we also have a pretty ethnically mixed city being governed by people who are not. I just think it’s always more democratic to have single-member districts because a particular sector can elect a person to represent their interests. In Colonia and south Oxnard we don’t have any people. If the elected official sees what kinds of problems are just outside on the sidewalk, then you’re going to have a more responsive government.

Joaquin G. Avila

Voting rights attorney Yes. In a place like Oxnard which has over 50% of its population Latino, it doesn’t necessarily translate to 50% Latino eligible voters. When you have racially polarized voting, it’s a recipe for

defeat of those candidates that are preferred by the minority community. I don’t think that the elected officials just represent citizens or voters, they represent everyone. They represent kids, people who come in from other parts of the state or move into the area from other parts of the country. They have a duty to represent everyone. Usually everyone is paying taxes and contributing to the economy, so in essence any limitation in that regard would be taxation without representation.

Nao Takasugi

Mayor of Oxnard Well I think that’s a question that needs to be studied. Also it would probably need to be put to a vote of the people to determine if they wish to establish the system. I understand that

this would certainly give representation to every geographical area of the city, in that every area would be represented by some council person with perhaps the majority being elected as our at-large representative. Under the district form of representation the needs of a particular district may be placed above the needs of the city as a whole and there is that danger. However, that could be probably ameliorated if the district representatives were elected by the entire electorate of the city rather than just by voters of that district. It’s a question of by or from the district. I certainly would favor taking this to the electorate and see what they would like to see accomplished.

John L. Soria

Candidate for mayor of Oxnard Yes, without a doubt the city should adopt a single-member district system. I think it’s only fair in cities such as Oxnard. It’s no longer a rural community where everyone knows

everybody else. This system would lend itself to greater participation in the elections because the candidates would be known to the people in the neighborhoods. And more participants would seek election. The people would see the results of their voting and their campaigning in their neighborhoods. The representatives would be advocates for their particular area and concerns. And elections wouldn’t be lost to candidates receiving large contributions from outside the area. Over the last several years developers have had an inordinate amount of influence in how Oxnard is developing.