Candidates and College District Troubles: Question of Priorities

L.A. Times Archives

Oct. 20, 1991 12 AM PT

The Question

The Times queried the candidates for the Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees about three key issues. Today’s responses are to question No. 1:

Over the past year, the Ventura County Community College District has been riddled with a variety of problems: budget cuts, layoffs, personnel scandals. District Trustee James T. (Tom) Ely and his wife were convicted of padding their travel expenses and two top administrators were either demoted or asked to leave amid charges of mismanagement. If elected to the board, what would be your top problem-solving priority?

AREA 3

Timothy D. Hirschberg

The district has closed the book on the Ely case and has moved on to address several critical educational issues. Strong and experienced leadership will be needed to steward the district through a period of growing enrollment and continuing shortage of funds.

The current board has decisively tackled and resolved a number of problems this year. The board uncovered numerous abuses, bucking an entrenched administration, leading to the conviction of a trustee. As current board president, I worked to reform administrative policies and restore the district’s fiscal integrity. I pressed for strict fiscal safeguards.

Tom Jolicoeur

I would establish an external committee composed of educators, professionals and business leaders to study all aspects of the district budget to determine where savings can be achieved. While a trustee of the Ventura Community College board, I proposed that we create a “watchdog” unit to operate independently of district administrators which would report directly to the board. This idea was rejected by the board.

Concurrently, Phil Bardos of the Los Angeles Board of Education proposed this concept to the Los Angeles board, which was adopted unanimously. This board became the first board in the nation to create this unit.

Vernon Markley

The intolerable abuse of district funds and power by district officials has been highly publicized. The board is responsible to you and must ensure the lawful and proper utilization of educational resources.

I will seek prudent policies and procedures that are responsive and supportive of the district’s educational goals. I will direct my energies toward instituting comprehensive checks and balances to ensure compliance with policy and the law, for the best use of your tax dollars. I believe open forums and public disclosure are essential to instill understanding and public trust.

Michael A. Musca

Restoration of the public’s faith in the Board of Trustees is my top priority. The reputation and community standing of a board of trustees is only as good as that of its members.

I have made a point of “taking it to the streets” of the community and introducing myself to voters. At the farmers’ market, the county fair and college campuses, the overwhelming message I hear is, “Let’s get some honest people on the board who can manage our tax dollars.”

My personal integrity and experience in financial management are needed on the Board of Trustees.

Al Pacheco

My first priority would be to establish a sense of trust and respect back in the board. This must be done in two ways. First, establish a wholesale review of the policies governing the conduct of the board and district administration. The latest changes to the policies are a step in the right direction. If more revisions are required, then they must be made, although we shouldn’t change policy for the sake of change.

Second, reach out and meet with groups and individuals so as to establish the fact that we do care and take our positions as public servants seriously.

AREA 4

Ted Fautz

If elected to the board, my top problem-solving priority will be to give our students the best education possible with the limited number of tax dollars we are privileged to spend. I will do this by promoting cooperation between local businesses, the state employment development department and the faculties of the colleges to provide the students with the skills that are in demand now and in the future.

Also, the master plan for the three colleges must either be adhered to or updated. It must not be ignored as it is now.

Allan W. Jacobs

The first order of business is to return credibility to the district. To do this the board must do the following:

1. Adopt a balanced budget. 2. Spend more time managing the budget. 3. Establish and monitor procedures that will prevent inappropriate expenditure of funds. 4. Clearly delineate the functions of the board and the administrative team. 5. Ensure that the board is informed on all major issues. 6. Review the process for evaluating and monitoring personnel. 7. Meet as often as necessary to ensure that problems are resolved early. 8. Work as a team.

Marilyn E. Maurer

Ethical rules for many professions share this common principle: If temptations are allowed to get out of hand, many will yield--the lower the rewards for dishonesty, the more people will resist, while a job that offers rewards for unscrupulousness will attract unscrupulous people and corrupt some ordinary people. What is essential is to reduce--if not eliminate--temptations for dishonesty. We must at once restrict the use of credit to verifiable necessities.

We must be willing to sort the bad apples from the good. There must be severe consequences for dishonesty as well as rewards for integrity.

Terry Timmons

The Ely scandal was only the tip of the iceberg. Digging deeper into district affairs, we find buying and selling grades with various Foundation members to make up for the shortfall of state money for the district’s pet projects.

The district claims they are cutting their own budget to save money, when in fact they are cutting a mere token $87,000 out of their own salaries. The district has been top-heavy with managers for years and it is time to consolidate positions, getting rid of the fat at the top, instead of cutting into needed services first.

Contenders for the Board

Area 3: Ojai, Camarillo, Santa Paula, part of east Ventura and adjacent unincorporated areas. One vacancy.

Timothy D. Hirschberg

Age: 33

Occupation: attorney

Tom Jolicoeur

Age: 70

Occupation: chartered life underwriter

Vernon Markley

Age: 43

Occupation: deputy sheriff

Michael A. Musca