Slow-Growth Backers Stumble in City Races

Slow-growth forces in Ventura County lost momentum Tuesday while incumbents and fiscal conservatives gained strength in eight city races that focused primarily on finances and growth issues.

In Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Moorpark--where issues of growth were prominent in the campaign--officeholders widely viewed as advocates for strong or moderate growth retained their seats with comfortable margins.

The exceptions were the victories of slow-growth candidates Elois Zeanah in Thousand Oaks and Margaret Ely in Simi Valley.

Fiscal conservatives such as former Councilman Michael Plisky in the Oxnard City Council race and Charles K. (Ken) Gose in the Camarillo City Council race won big in cities plagued by financial woes.

“The voters are saying they are not as interested in frills--even important frills such as improving the ecological system--as they are in keeping their jobs,” Bill McAleer, chairman of the Ventura County National Bank, said of the election.

The election results also seemed to be a blow to the political clout of Patagonia Inc., a Ventura clothing manufacturer that endorsed four slow-growth candidates in races throughout the county. The only Patagonia candidate to win was Zeanah.

“Our problem is that environmentalists have failed to deal effectively with economic and fiscal issues. We need to find a solution,” said Russ Baggerly, a spokesman for the Environmental Coalition of Ventura County.

Patagonia spokesman Kevin Sweeny said many voters were unaware of the Patagonia endorsements of slow-growth candidates because there were so many initiatives and candidates on the ballot.

“Our support of candidates got lost in the crowd,” Sweeny said.

Countywide, voters elected 10 incumbents and two former council members, despite a perceived rise in anti-incumbent sentiment.

Santa Barbara campaign consultant John Davies, chief strategist for Oxnard Mayor Nao Takasugi, suggested that the anti-incumbent feelings were more a media perception than reality. “We’ve always hated Congress but loved our congressmen,” he said.

County election officials released semiofficial results Wednesday but said they would not have a final vote tally until today or later.

In Oxnard, Takasugi was elected to his fifth term in office with a comfortable margin, despite criticism of his pro-growth policies.

His closest challenger was Councilwoman Dorothy Maron, who said her campaign was the victim of the mayor’s mudslinging, an allegation Takasugi denied.

Plisky, a vocal advocate for financial responsibility in City Hall, will join three-term Councilman Manuel Lopez in filling two seats on the council. Ann Johs lost a bid for her second full term.

Scott Weiss, the founder of a slow-growth movement who won Patagonia’s support, finished sixth in a slate of 12.

In the 4th District supervisorial race, Vicky Howard defeated fellow Simi Valley council member and next-door neighbor Bill Davis in a race that revealed few differences between the two on growth and other issues facing the east county.

Howard’s election to the county board was in sharp contrast to the election in June of Maria VanderKolk, a slow-growth advocate and political novice who won a surprising victory over incumbent Supervisor Madge L. Schaefer in the 2nd District.

While VanderKolk opposed a proposal to have Simi Valley annex entertainer Bob Hope’s Jordan Ranch, Howard supports the plan because of Hope’s offer to sell and donate 5,700 acres of surrounding wilderness to park agencies if his development is approved.

Davis, who spent Wednesday morning cleaning out his campaign headquarters in a Simi Valley shopping center, sounded more relieved than disappointed with the election results.

“You have to look at it realistically,” said Davis, who has two years remaining on the City Council. “I think we did the best we could do, and we lost. That’s all there is to it.”

In Simi Valley, incumbent Mayor Greg Stratton won a third term in office, while political novice Sandi Webb garnered the highest number of votes in the council race.

Webb attributed her victory to local television ads and old-fashioned, door-to-door campaigning. “I walked my feet off and talked myself hoarse,” she said.

Judy Mikels, chairwoman of the Planning Commission, had a slight edge over incumbent Councilwoman Ann Rock. Election officials, however, said there are enough uncounted absentee ballots to sway the final results.

In Thousand Oaks, longtime, pro-growth Councilman Alex Fiore won the largest number of votes in a race that focused primarily on development and the construction of a new civic center.

The two other council seats in Thousand Oaks will be filled by Zeanah, VanderKolk’s former campaign manager, and Judy Lazar, a planning commissioner and advocate for moderate growth.

In Moorpark, where growth and redevelopment of the city’s downtown were the dominant issues, voters elected Paul W. Lawrason Jr. to be the city’s first elected mayor. Lawrason beat Councilman Clint Harper, who was endorsed by Patagonia.

John E. Wozniak, chairman of the city Planning Commission, won a council seat with a comfortable margin.

In Camarillo, a city hard hit by state budget cuts, Gose will join incumbent Charlotte Craven and former Councilman Stanley J. Daily to fill three council seats.

In Santa Paula, where candidates shared a vision of creating more jobs by strengthening the town’s retail and light industry sectors, voters reelected 16-year incumbent John A.F. Melton to the council, along with Planning Commissioner Wayne Johnson and Margaret Ely, a legal assistant.

In Fillmore, where newcomers dominated the campaign and where growth was the main issue, Linda Brewster, a housewife, and Donald Gunderson, a retired Navy captain, were elected to fill two council seats.

Port Hueneme voters gave big margins of victory to incumbent council members Dorill B. Wright, James F. (Jim) Daniels and Ken Hess.

Times staff writers Santiago O’Donnell and Carlos V. Lozano contributed to this story.

* ELECTION RESULTS: Home Edition,A30