Talley Gathers 41% of Vote in Moorpark Council Win

Moorpark Planning Commission Chairman Roy Talley Jr. was elected to fill a vacant seat on the City Council, semiofficial election results confirmed Wednesday.

Talley, 42, beat out former City Councilwoman Eloise Brown, who lost her bid for reelection to the council in November, and John Roberts, a former parks and recreation commissioner.

Returns from Tuesday’s special election showed Talley collecting 41.3% of the vote, to 30.2% for Roberts and 28.4% for Brown, Bruce Bradley of the Ventura County Elections Division said. Only 17.2% of the city’s 11,087 registered voters cast ballots, he said.

Talley will fill the position vacated by Paul Lawrason, who was elected mayor Nov. 6. The term expires in November, 1992.

The election results will be certified by the Elections Division by the end of the week, Bradley said. Talley will be sworn in during Wednesday’s City Council meeting, according to city officials.

Talley credited his victory to the two dozen volunteers who helped him canvass the city with flyers and talk to voters. He said he knocked on more than 3,000 doors in the past few weeks.

He said he got a telephone call from Roberts on Tuesday night congratulating him on his victory, but did not hear from Brown.

Brown, who referred to Talley as “an extraordinarily passive planning commissioner,” attributed her loss Wednesday in part to the low voter turnout.

“We worked very hard,” she said. “I would have felt a little more comfortable with a few more hundred voters out there.”

Talley said that among his immediate priorities will be to make it easier for businesses to operate in the city, particularly in the downtown area. He said he will push for the city to relax its parking and sign ordinances.

“We need to work on the downtown, give it a historic feel,” he said. “If we do, businesses will do well.”

The electronics engineer said he would also like to see the city work out a lease agreement with Southern Pacific railroad, which owns a large parcel in the downtown area. He said some of the land could be used for public parking.

Talley said the city should also acquire more parkland and recreational facilities.

Lawrason, who spent time with each of the candidates Tuesday night, said Talley’s two years on the Planning Commission will be an asset to the council.

“He’s just exactly what we need,” he said. “I look forward to working with him.”