Decision ’92 : SPECIAL VOTERS’ GUIDE TO STATE AND LOCAL ELECTIONS : LOCAL CONTESTS : Camarillo Council
Four candidates, including two incumbents, are running at large for two seats. The council race comes at a time when the city attempts to raise revenues and yet control the pace of developing its remaining open space.
William L. Brown
Age: 39
Occupation: Criminal defense and living trust attorney.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in physical education from Los Angeles Baptist College; master’s degree in physical education from Cal State Long Beach; a law degree from Ventura College of Law.
Background: Former Ventura County sheriff’s deputy for 9 1/2 years; founding member of Citizens Against Government Waste, a Camarillo citizens watchdog group started this year.
Issues: Brown opposes automatic budget increases every year and believes the city can put off widening roads or cut services to save money. He favors reducing the city’s sales tax by .25% to help ailing businesses. He wants the city to make it easier for property owners to build on their own land.
Manuel (Manny) Eneriz
Age: 70
Occupation: Retired engineer. Tutors Latino children to read and speak English.
Education: Through the G.I. Bill, took engineering classes at Los Angeles Pierce College and had Litton Industries training.
Background: A prisoner-of-war for three and a half years in Bataan, Philippines, during World II; member of several veterans organizations.
Issues: Eneriz favors preserving greenbelts around the city and opposes the effort to enlarge the Camarillo Airport. He wants more money for schools and sanitation improvements and believes as a councilman he could become a spokesman for Latinos.
Michael Morgan
Age: 45
Occupation: Federal probation officer.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cal State Long Beach, master’s degree in public administration from USC.
Background: Councilman for 12 years. Mayor in 1983. Led drive to establish greenbelts around the city. Serves on the Camarillo Airport Authority and the Camarillo Sanitary District. Founding member of Camarillo Arts Council and worked to build the city’s pavilion.
Issues: Morgan supports the city’s preservation of prime agricultural land and wants to preserve Calleguas Creek habitat from encroaching construction. He wants to bring more recreational and cultural activities to the city. He favors the construction of a factory outlet mall on land already zoned for development.
David M. Smith
Age: 47
Occupation: Financial planner.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in English and business from Cal State Fresno. Earned a high school teaching credential at Cal State Fresno.
Background: Councilman for past four years. Mayor in 1991. Owns his own financial planning business. Member of Camarillo’s Noontime Optimist Club. Active with the Ventura County chapter of the International Assn. for Financial Planning.
Issues: Smith favors aggressively seeking retail businesses to relocate to Camarillo to shore up the city’s tax base. He wants city leaders to streamline regulations and meet regularly with company leaders to improve business climate and keep employers from leaving. He also proposes building a new police station.
Fillmore Council
Four candidates, including three incumbents, are competing for three seats on the council. The lone challenger voices no criticism of his opponents. All candidates believe the city’s biggest challenge will be coping with additional cuts expected in state funding.
Roger Campbell
Age: 42
Occupation: Owner of auto repair business.
Education: Studied mathematics at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for five years.
Background: Councilman since 1984; mayor during 1986-87; 19-year veteran and assistant fire chief of the Fillmore Volunteer Fire Department; member of Ventura County Agricultural Land Trust Advisory Committee; founder of Valley Advisory Committee for Santa Clara Valley; past president of an area division of the League of California Cities; past board member of Fillmore Chamber of Commerce.
Issues: Campbell wants to form neighborhood councils to boost citizen participation in government. He supports using redevelopment funds to build houses for first-time buyers, which could encourage young people to stay in the city. He favors trimming other city departments, such as planning, to maintain police services if state funding cutbacks continue.
Scott Lee
Age: 45
Occupation: Social studies teacher at Rio Mesa High School in El Rio.
Education: Teaching credential from Cal Lutheran University; bachelor’s degree in economics from UC Santa Barbara; master’s degree in business administration from Cal State Hayward.
Background: Councilman since 1988; mayor from November, 1990, to November, 1991; district representative for local Boy Scout troops; active member of Fillmore High School Booster Club; chairman of a citizens committee that advises Fillmore High School on managing a school farm; referee for youth sports leagues; worked as a banker for 15 years before he became a teacher in 1985.
Issues: Lee wants the city to spend redevelopment funds to develop old-fashioned shops and other tourist attractions at an old train depot that the city has purchased. He supports continuing the periodic town meetings, city newsletter and other recent efforts to increase citizen participation in local government.
Michael McMahan
Age: 35
Occupation: Owner of an oil field service company.
Education: Graduated from Fillmore High School.
Background: Councilman since 1988; mayor since November, 1991; serves on the Ventura County Economic Vitality Council and the Fillmore Economic Development Committee; member of Fillmore Noontime Rotary Club; former board member of Fillmore Chamber of Commerce.
Issues: McMahan wants the city to mount an advertising campaign to attract new businesses. His other top priority is to continue new police programs to curb crime and gang activity. He favors higher local taxes to maintain current police services if state cutbacks continue to diminish city funding in coming years.
Charles (Tom) Robertson
Age: 48
Occupation: Assistant fire chief for Point Mugu Fire Department.
Education: Fire science courses at several community colleges; graduated from Fillmore High School.
Background: Ran for City Council in 1990, placing fourth out of six candidates running for two seats; sailor in the U. S. Navy from 1962 to 1966.
Issues: Robertson wants the city to supplement its revenues by developing commercial buildings and leasing them to businesses. At the old railroad depot, he would have the city build retail stores for lease rather than waiting for private developers. He also supports higher taxes for maintaining existing police services if state financial cutbacks continue.
Moorpark Mayor
Three candidates, including the incumbent, are running for the two-year term as mayor. The campaign has focused on the city’s economy and whether the city is doing enough to attract retailers and to help existing business weather the recession.
Paul Lawrason
Age: 63
Occupation: Incumbent mayor; contracts manager for Teledyne Systems Co.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business from Michigan State University; Sloan Fellow, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, 1971.
Background: Mayor for two years; councilman for two years; board member of the Moorpark Boys & Girls Club; member of the Moorpark Historical Society, Moorpark Beautiful organization, Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club.
Issues: Lawrason believes the city needs careful guidance through the recession, keeping close reins on spending and not imposing new fees on business or citizens. He wants the city to provide more affordable housing and use its redevelopment agency to revitalize some areas. He supports the city’s growth control ordinance.
Edward R. (Pete) Peters
Age: 71
Occupation: Retired 22-year Army veteran; runs a handicapped equestrian program on his ranch on Walnut Canyon Road.
Education: High school graduate; engineering training in the U. S. Army.
Background: Licensed sea captain; certified deep sea diver; Kiwanis club member; active in city matters.
Issues: Peters supports building a downtown park and wants the city to adhere to its General Plan with no exceptions or zoning changes. He seeks a better relationship between the city, school district and other local agencies that must work together.
Helen Taylor
Age: 33
Education: Associate of science degree in nursing from Brigham Young University.
Occupation: Registered nurse at Pleasant Valley Hospital and Kimberly’s Quality Care; cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructor.
Background: Citizen activist who last spring organized Parents for Better Schools, a group that successfully nudged the Moorpark Unified School District to consider reconfiguring its school system and implementing magnet schools; school volunteer; active in church groups.
Issues: Saying she is alarmed by poor sales tax revenue, Taylor wants the city to ease regulations on business and attract major retailers to the city. She seeks to put the city’s six-year-old growth control ordinance back on the ballot for revision or rejection.
Moorpark Council
Five candidates, including three incumbents, are running at large for three council seats. The top two vote-getters will win four-year terms, the third-place finisher will get a two-year term. The local economy is again a central issue, with council candidates debating what the city should do to attract new retailers and aid existing businesses.
Eloise Brown
Age: 71
Occupation: Former councilwoman; community volunteer; volunteer with the International Visitors Center.
Education: High school graduate.
Background: Elected to the council in 1986, defeated in 1990 and again in the March, 1991, special election. While on the council, served as an alternate to the Ventura County Transportation Commission and on the joint powers authority that brought Metrorail to Moorpark; member of the Moorpark Woman’s Fortnightly Club.
Issues: Brown wants the city to take control of its waterworks from the county. She wants the city redevelopment agency to offer low-interest loans for home improvement. Brown supports televising council agendas before the meetings and wants a simple, accessible way for residents to keep track of developments under review.
Patrick Hunter
Age: 31
Occupation: Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy.
Education: High school diploma
Background: Ten years law enforcement experience; training officer with the Sheriff’s Department, former assistant manager of a retail business; homeowner association board member.
Issues: Hunter advocates luring new businesses to Moorpark and helping existing merchants grow, thus shoring up city sales tax revenue. He supports carefully controlled growth and does not want the city to lose its rural flavor. He wants the council to pay more attention to the public before making decisions.
Scott Montgomery
Age: 39
Occupation: Incumbent councilman; financial consultant to city, county and state governments; also markets financial computer software.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in management from Pepperdine University; attended the United States Military Academy at West Point for two years.
Background: Councilman since 1988; 14 years experience with municipal finances, seven with his own business and seven as vice president and director of municipal programs with Great Western Bank; charter vice chairman of the Ventura County Waste Commission.
Issues: Montgomery’s top issue is the city’s financial health and he wants to attract new business to the city. He favors balanced, managed growth. He opposes sending all the county’s trash to the Simi Valley landfill if other sites are not found. He supports city renovation under its redevelopment agency.
Bernardo Perez
Age: 43
Occupation: Incumbent councilman; service representative for Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
Education: High school graduate.
Background: Councilman for four years; past president and current board member of Cabrillo Economic Development Corp.; board president of El Concilio del Condado de Ventura; board member of the United Way of Ventura County; board trustee of the Southern California Water Committee; founder of Our Town Teens; member of the Knights of Columbus.
Issues: Perez considers Moorpark’s fiscal stability his highest priority and wants the city to take an active role in stimulating economic growth. He vows to make sure homes are built in all price ranges and wants all city residents to receive equitable representation on the council.
Roy Talley
Age: 44
Occupation: Incumbent councilman; general manager for Solar Electronics.
Education: Equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, Scranton, through correspondence courses and on-the-job training.
Background: Won special election to council in 1991; former planning commissioner, former state vice president for the California Junior Chamber of Commerce; Kiwanis Club member; served on the council’s ad-hoc redevelopment study committee.
Issues: Talley favors streamlining government by cutting processing time for permits and wants to do away with restrictive ordinances. He seeks to promote business and industry in Moorpark and provide low-cost affordable housing for every working person. He supports managed growth and a new downtown park.
Ojai Council
Three candidates, including two incumbents, are vying for two at-large seats on the City Council. The race comes as the city struggles against added air pollution and traffic from growth in surrounding communities and the proposed Weldon Canyon landfill.
Robert J. Laszlo
Age: 34
Occupation: Manager of private preschool in Ojai.
Education: Completed three years at Cal State Northridge toward accounting degree.
Background: City redevelopment commissioner for two years. Has developed industrial properties in Ventura County, with construction budgets as high as $2.4 million and has interacted with all levels of government agencies.
Issues: If elected, Laszlo would seek to reform city spending, and use staff to conduct studies the city now hires consultants to do. He opposes raising taxes, particularly the city’s hotel tax. He wants the city to ease financial burdens on business. He vows that he would fight against the county’s proposed landfill in Weldon Canyon.
James D. Loebl
Age: 65
Occupation: Attorney
Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Princeton University. Law degree from Stanford University.
Background: Council member for 24 years. Member of Ojai Area Plan Advisory Committee. General counsel for Casitas Municipal Water District.
Issues: Loebl vows to continue fighting against the proposed Weldon Canyon landfill. He wants to strengthen Ojai’s affiliation with other Ojai Valley communities. He intends to seek other revenue sources such as raising the city’s hotel tax. He supports maintaining the city’s “very slow growth” policy.
Robert McKinney
Age: 64
Occupation: Retired general manager and chief engineer for Casitas Municipal Water District.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from University of Nebraska.
Background: Council member for three years. Served on Ojai Unified School District board for 6 1/2 years in 1970s. Worked for the Casitas Water District for for 23 years.
Issues: McKinney favors demolishing the Libbey Park jail to make room for more picnic areas unless the public wants to preserve the jail. He wants to improve air quality in Ojai Valley and opposes the proposed Weldon Canyon landfill. He supports forming an agency to represent the interests of all Ojai Valley communities.
Oxnard Mayor
Five candidates are running for the mayor’s post, which is a two-year term. Candidates say the most pressing issue facing the city is a money shortage that has whittled away at city services in recent years.
Anthony De La Cerda
Age: 22
Occupation: Full-time student at Oxnard College.
Education: Graduate, Channel Islands High School.
Background: Navy reservist; video producer.
Issues: De La Cerda supports efforts to develop new jobs and retain the ones already in Oxnard. He also supports private, nonprofit partnerships to better parks and recreation programs.
Oscar Karrin
Age: 76
Occupation: Retired businessman.
Education: Business certificate, Interboro Institute, New York.
Background: 41-year member of Boy Scouts of America; board of directors for Food Share and the Commission on Human Concerns.
Issues: Karrin supports the development of affordable housing and opposes agreements that give developers tax incentives to locate in the city. He also opposes city protection of mobile home park owners in the event of lawsuits.
Manuel M. Lopez
Age: 65
Occupation: Oxnard city councilman; optometrist.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in life sciences and doctorate in optometry from UC Berkeley.
Background: City councilman for 14 years. Member of the Oxnard Boys and Girls Club, the Optimist Club and the Elks Lodge. Founder of the Oxnard-Ocotlan Sister City Committee.
Issues: Lopez wants to hire more police officers and supports continued emphasis on community-based policing. He wants to provide more affordable housing, and supports continued economic development efforts to boost sales tax revenue and provide jobs.
Michael A. Plisky
Age: 51
Occupation: Oxnard city councilman; business and tax consultant.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management from USC. Certified to practice before the Internal Revenue Service.
Background: City councilman for nearly six years. Member of the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Advisory Commission, Noontime Lions Club and Oxnard Union High School District advisory committee.
Issues: Plisky wants priority given to financing the expansion of the police force and supports the creation of new jobs through economic development. He wants to see aggressive code enforcement and public works programs to beautify the city. He supports establishing a permanent greenbelt between Oxnard and Ventura.
John Quigley
Age: 42
Occupation: Sewage treatment operator, city of Oxnard
Education: Bachelor’s degree in social psychology, Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Associate of arts degree in public communications, Mt. Wachusett Community College, Mass.
Background: Served in the Coast Guard reserve, 1968 to 1974. Member of the American Waterworks Assn., Water Pollution Control Federation and National Wildlife Federation.
Issues: Quigley supports greater council oversight of departmental budgets and more funding of police and fire services. He wants neighborhood councils to bring issues before city officials once a month. He seeks greater support of the city’s small business community.
Oxnard Council
Nine candidates, including two incumbents, are running at large for two seats on the City Council. Council members will serve four-year terms. Major issues in the race include the need to generate revenue, expand the police force and strengthen parks and recreation programs.
Deborah L. DeMoss
Age: 38
Occupation: Homemaker and child care provider.
Education: Graduate of Loara High School in Anaheim; two semesters of nursing education at Fullerton and Cypress community colleges.
Background: Volunteer food distribution worker.
Issues: She wants to save money by freezing the salaries of the city manager, city attorney and all department heads. She supports the expansion of the police force and the development of youth activities.
Geraldine W. Furr
Age: 69
Occupation: Oxnard councilwoman for four years; retired city treasurer.
Education: One year of business classes at the University of Oklahoma.
Background: Past president of the California Municipal Treasurers Assn.; past president of the women’s division of the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce and the Oxnard Girls Club.
Issues: She supports the expansion of the police force to combat gangs and drugs, and favors continuing economic development programs to generate city revenue independent of state money.
Andres Herrera
Age: 46
Occupation: Small business owner.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in linguistics from UCLA.
Background: Member Oxnard Chamber of Commerce, Oxnard-Ocotlan Sister City Committee; board of directors, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and El Concilio del Condado de Ventura County.
Issues: He supports retention and creation of new job opportunities, and wants to establish levels of service and a priority spending plan for police and fire protection, and youth and senior services.
Roy Lockwood
Age: 72
Occupation: Retired federal fire chief.
Education: Declined to state.
Background: Declined to state.
Issues: Declined to state.
Dorothy S. Maron
Age: 62
Occupation: Oxnard councilwoman for 12 years. Retired public service television director.
Education: Three years Brooklyn College, majored in economics.
Background: Past chairwoman of the Oxnard Democratic Club; past chairwoman of the Ventura County Democratic Women; chairwoman of the 1982 Statue of Liberty Restoration project.
Issues: Maron wants to hire more police officers as money becomes available and wants to craft a new mobile home park law that would be fairer to park residents. She also supports the development of affordable housing for senior citizens.
Bedford Pinkard
Age: 61
Occupation: Retired recreation supervisor for Oxnard.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in recreation from Cal State Northridge.
Background: Served on the 1970 grand jury; served five terms on the Oxnard Union High School District board of trustees; founder of the Oxnard Youth Employment Service and the Colonia Youth Boxing Club.
Issues: Pinkard wants an audit of the city’s spending practices. He supports the development of affordable housing. He also favors developing an industry retention program and recruitment of “clean” industry to spur job creation.
Fred J. Schwartz
Age: 68
Occupation: Retired aerospace engineer.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from UCLA; master’s degree in business from UCLA.
Background: Actor in local theater group; member of the over-50 ballroom dancing club.
Issues: Schwartz supports the formation of a police unit to act as a surrogate family for youth gang members and supports the creation of a program that would provide land, tents and farm equipment for the homeless.
Lawrence Stein
Age: 39
Occupation: Self-employed accountant who installs business computer systems.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Ohio University. Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Cal State Los Angeles.
Background: Member of the church council at Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church; member of Toastmasters.
Issues: Stein wants better accountability of city spending by reviewing the budget once a year instead of the current two-year review. He supports reducing employee raises to balance the budget and favors long-range planning for water recycling, waste management and farmland preservation.
William C. Winter
Age: 36
Occupation: Columnist for San Diego-based newspaper on Filipino-American issues.
Education: Associate of arts degree in graphic arts, University of Maine; bachelor’s degree in communication from San Francisco State University.
Background: Member of the Valley Baptist Church in Oxnard; past member of the American Legion; member of the Ventura County Writers Club.
Issues: He supports agricultural preservation and opposes new development. He wants to establish an age limit for the purchase of spray paint and markers commonly used for graffiti, and supports enlisting high school students for graffiti cleanup.
Oxnard Clerk
The clerk, elected to a four-year term with an annual base pay of $57,154, is responsible for the custody of city records, compiling the City Council agenda and preparing meeting minutes. The clerk also administers municipal elections.
Daniel Martinez
Age: 34
Occupation: Records management consultant; mail processor U. S. Postal Service.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cal State Northridge.
Background: Member of the International Assn. of Records Managers and Administrators; member of the Society of California Archivists.
Issues: He wants to develop his own citywide records management program and opposes the hiring last month of a consultant to develop such a program. He wants to help other departments manage their records and vows to take a pay cut if he is elected.
Mabi Covarrubias Plisky
Age: 38
Occupation: Oxnard city clerk.
Education: Legal secretarial certificate, Sawyer College; certified municipal clerk certificate, International Institute of Municipal Clerks.
Background: Oxnard city clerk for 12 years; member and past president of Oxnard Chamber of Commerce, women’s division; member of Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Ventura County; member of the Oxnard-Ocotlan Sister City Committee; 1987 Outstanding Young Woman of the Year.
Issues: She wants to maintain an efficient, cost-effective office. She supports efforts to streamline the workload of city clerk’s office and supports the continuation of a citywide records management program.
Oxnard Treasurer
The city treasurer, elected to a four-year term at an annual base pay of $55,710, has the primary duties of investing and safeguarding taxpayer dollars and is responsible for the receipt and timely deposit of all revenues.
Dale V. Belcher
Age: 53
Occupation: Oxnard treasurer
Education: Graduate, Lincoln High School in Seattle. Classes at Ventura and Oxnard community colleges.
Background: City treasurer for four years. Vice president and branch manager of Valley Federal Savings and Loan in Canoga Park; retail audit experience; past president and current treasurer of Soroptimist International; member of the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce.
Issues: She wants to continue conservative investments to safeguard taxpayer dollars, and plans to diversify the city’s financial portfolio whenever appropriate.
Paul J. Kowalski
Age: 30
Occupation: director of Interactive Educational Technologies.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in behavioral science and management, Lewis University in Illinois; master’s degree in business administration, University of La Verne.
Background: Member of the Ventura County Economic Development Assn.; member of the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce; member of the International Interactive Communication Society.
Issues: He wants to look at alternative investment schemes to maximize the return on the investment of city funds at this time of low interest rates.
Port Hueneme Council
The city’s plan to develop a recreational vehicle resort on 10 acres of beachfront property has divided the city and drawn eight contestants into Port Hueneme’s City Council race. Two seats are up for election, with only one incumbent seeking another four-year term.
Terry L. Bruno
Age: 43
Occupation: Civil engineer at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Point Mugu.
Education: Associate of arts degree in nursing from Ricks College, Ida.
Background: Experience in manufacturing, medical instrument design, business management, lecturing and writing; registered nurse; volunteer for the Hueneme Elementary School District Science Fair and PTA; volunteer for Boy Scouts; active in church functions.
Issues: Bruno supports maintaining the existing level of city services and would approve a tax increase only if necessary. He supports increased funding for the Police Department and is in favor of the RV park because it would create new revenue and add to the city’s tourist base. Bruno favors installing a hot line at City Hall to answer citizens’ questions 24 hours a day.
Orvene S. Carpenter
Age: 67
Occupation: Incumbent; retired postmaster for Oxnard and Port Hueneme.
Education: Graduated high school; four years of college without earning a degree.
Background: Elected to the City Council from 1964 to 1980; elected again in 1984 and has been mayor since 1990; Port Hueneme Redevelopment Agency board member; chairman, Ventura Regional Sanitation District; active Mason and Shriner; past Scoutmaster; member, Gideons International.
Issues: Carpenter supports the RV park as a way to raise revenue and lists as a priority maintaining existing levels of police protection. He believes the city must continue to support entrepreneurial projects because of the recession and the state’s raid of city revenues. Carpenter favors raising taxes, if necessary, to maintain city services.
Alvah E. Ingersoll Jr.
Age: 62
Occupation: Retired U.S. Marine Corps major.
Education: High school graduate and two years of college; officer’s training at the Marine Corps School, Quantico, Va.
Background: Served 30 years in the U.S. Marine Corps; executive director, Port Hueneme Chamber of Commerce; board member of the Ventura County Retired Military Officers Club; member of Citizens to Protect the Future of Port Hueneme; past president of the Port Hueneme Boys & Girls Club, Port Hueneme Rotary Club, Ventura County Navy League and Oxnard-Port Hueneme Salvation Army.
Issues: Ingersoll’s priority is to keep the city safe; he advocates forming roaming citizen patrols that would report suspicious activity to police. He would reduce police costs by creating a regional dispatch center with other cities. He supports using reclaimed water for landscaping and wants to improve drinking-water quality by building a desalination plant with the Navy base. He supports the RV park and would raise taxes as a last resort to maintain city services.
David Kanter
Age: 36
Occupation: Owner of a direct-mail business.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science and history from UCLA.
Background: Volunteer for Uncap International; member of the Port Hueneme and Malibu chambers of commerce; vice president of the Malibu Canyon Village Homeowners Assn.; vice president, Surfside III Condominium Owners Assn.; co-founder of the Hueneme Homeowners Coalition.
Issues: Kanter supports a two-term limit on council members. He thinks the city should spend less money on consultants and lawyers, instead using citizen committees to study proposals. He is opposed to the RV park and thinks the city should raise revenue by holding Saturday matinees at the Dorill B. Wright Cultural Center and arts and crafts fairs. He would support raising taxes as a last resort in order to maintain city services.
Henry M. Knowles
Age: 67
Occupation: Maintenance director at Naval Air Weapons Station, Point Mugu.
Education: High school graduate; three years of college.
Background: Thirty-one-year naval career; member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Fleet Services Assn.; active Shriner.
Issues: Knowles supports developing the south end of Hueneme Beach into an RV park and believes the city should participate in development of the northern end of the beach as well. He wants to develop other open spaces in the city to increase the tax base. Knowles would also like to see more affordable housing built to accommodate military personnel at nearby bases. If necessary, he would raise taxes to avoid cutting city services.
Valorie J. Morrison
Age: 51
Occupation: Owner of bait and tackle shop at Hueneme Pier.
Education: Graduate of high school.
Background: Chairwoman of the Port Hueneme Recreation and Fine Arts Commission; board member of the Anacapa View Condominiums Homeowners Assn.; member of Port Hueneme Chamber of Commerce; board member of Hueneme High School PTA; treasurer of Bible Study Fellowship.
Issues: Morrison’s top issue is to maintain city services and staff at existing levels, and she supports raising taxes if necessary to pay for them. She supports the RV park because of the revenue it would bring. She believes the beach assessment district should be citywide instead of limited to homeowners south of Hueneme Road.
Gary L. Songer
Age: 49
Occupation: Civilian accountant at Naval Surface Warfare Center in Port Hueneme.
Education: High school graduate and three years of college.
Background: Board member of the Port Hueneme Planning Commission, 1977 to 1992; past board member of Port Hueneme Housing Commission; active in Port Hueneme Lions Club and the Shriners.
Issues: Songer would like to see the city and the Navy engage in a joint project to improve water quality for city and base residents. He wants the city to work with the Oxnard Harbor District to minimize traffic from the port. Songer supports the RV park to raise money and would like to see other projects near the beach, including a restaurant to attract tourists.
Toni Young
Age: 40
Occupation: Realtor
Education: High school graduate and two years of college.
Background: President of the Port Hueneme Optimist Club; member of Women Coming Together, Oxnard Harbor Board of Realtors, Sunkist School PTA, Hueneme High School PTSA and the Chapel Congregation at the Port Hueneme naval base.
Issues: Young opposes the RV park project on environmental grounds. She would like to see the city raise revenues in other ways, such as building and being landlord of an apartment complex. She thinks the city needs to be more accessible to citizens and should avoid creating assessment districts or raising taxes.
Santa Paula Council
Five candidates are running at large for two seats on the City Council in the Nov. 3 election. Concern over the city’s struggling economy and gang violence has dominated a low-key campaign, with two long-term incumbents being challenged by two businesswomen and a former defense consultant.
Mark T. Florio
Age: 42
Occupation: Auto restorer, former defense consultant.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in history from UC Santa Barbara.
Background: Former program manager at Naval Ship Weapons Systems Engineering Station in Port Hueneme; active in Ventura County Toastmasters; member of Ventura County Mental Health Advisory Committee.
Issues: Florio supports job growth by bringing clean industry to the city and encouraging local start-up companies. He wants more vocational training for youth and supports the idea of a pedestrian mall like Olvera Street for Latino businesses. He backs Measure P for mobile home park rent caps and calls for more affordable housing.
Leslie H. Maland
Age: 71
Occupation: Incumbent councilman, retired engineer.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in engineering from UC Berkeley, Master’s degree in engineering from UCLA.
Background: Councilman for 24 years; led drive for a veterans memorial; pushed for community center; left family-run engineering firm in Santa Paula for career as civilian engineer at Point Mugu’s Pacific Missile Test Center.
Issues: Maland supports creating a youth commission and teen center to reduce gang activity, and wants a city ombudsman to resolve disputes. He wants to use redevelopment dollars to attract job-producing industry and retail stores. He proposes a facility to compost yard waste to reduce waste sent to landfills. He has taken no position on Measure P.
Robin S. Sullivan
Age: 43
Occupation: Attorney, businesswoman.
Education: Law degree from Ventura College of Law.
Background: Two-term president of Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce; board member of Santa Paula Boys & Girls Club; partner in law firm with her husband, Sullivan & Sullivan, practicing estate planning and real estate law.
Issues: Sullivan identifies business revitalization as the city’s top need and wants the business community to have say in redevelopment issues that come before the council. She supports Measure P’s mobile home rent cap and wants the city staff to get more than in-house training.
Alfonso C. Urias
Age: 68
Occupation: Incumbent councilman, retired educator.
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Cal State Sacramento.
Background: Councilman for 16 years, four years as mayor; pushed for community center and veteran’s memorial; helped secure purchase of fire station and police station; former Ventura city police lieutenant; former community college administrator.
Issues: Urias supports using redevelopment funds to help boost businesses, encourage new industry and provide housing for overcrowded residents. He believes controlling gangs is a priority and wants to represent the needs of the Latino community. He has not taken a stance on Measure P’s mobile home rent cap.
Flo Zakrajshek
Age: 62
Occupation: Owner of Flo-Air Heating & Air Conditioning.
Education: Diploma from Cuyahoga Heights High School, Ohio.; attended John Carroll University in Ohio for three years.
Background: Chairwoman of Santa Paula Housing Authority; has been a member of the Kiwanis Club, Soroptimists, Ventura County Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board, Ventura County Professional Women’s Network and elementary school district’s Steering Committee 2000.
Issues: Zakrajshek believes City Hall is not responsive to the needs of residents and wants to institute long-range planning. She favors building a new post office downtown and supports expanding the city’s sphere of influence. She believes gangs should be top issue and the city has not provided sufficient affordable housing.
Simi Valley Mayor
Four candidates are running for Simi Valley mayor, a two-year position. Incumbent Mayor Greg Stratton, seeking his fourth term, faces three challengers waging aggressive campaigns to replace him as leader of the city of nearly 102,000 people.
Kenneth L. Ashton
Age: 61
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management from Brigham Young University.
Occupation: Retired banker; spent 28 years with Security Pacific Bank, rising to vice president.
Background: Simi Valley resident for 24 years; Simi Valley Unified School Board member for 21 years; active leader in Boy Scouts, United Way and Simi Valley Historical Society’s Centennial Committee.
Issues: Ashton wants the city to develop a closer working relationship with the school district and Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District. He believes redevelopment funds need to be distributed more equitably and thinks the city should not spend so freely in luring new businesses.
Steve Frank
Age: 45
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business from University of Redlands.
Occupation: Public affairs consultant
Background: Simi Valley resident for four years, former president of the California Republican Assembly; Ventura County Republican Central Committee alternate member; co-developer of POW-MIA bracelet; served in U.S. Army in Vietnam; president of Travelers’ Aid Society of Los Angeles; former chairman of Neighborhood Council No. 2.
Issues: Frank vows to end the City Council’s adversarial attitude toward the Simi Valley Unified School District and the Rancho Simi Recreation and Parks District. He wants to hold council meetings on Saturday once each month. He vows to create a more reliable reserve fund for emergencies.
Robert L. Plunkett
Age: 40
Education: Bachelor’s degree at UC Santa Cruz; law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
Occupation: Attorney; author of a novel and nonfiction articles.
Background: Simi Valley resident for seven years; former head of Ventura County EXCEL, which wants the state to give $2,500 vouchers to parents who send children to private or religious school; president of Simi Valley Friends of the Library; organizer of an Irish Constitution celebration to benefit Make a Wish Foundation.
Issues: Plunkett opposes new city taxes or fees. He wants to cut red tape and bureaucracy at City Hall. He believes the city is too restrictive of small businesses and too generous to big businesses. He objects to using city funds to turn the Old Methodist Church into a community theater.
Gregory Stratton
Age: 46
Education: Bachelor’s degree in physics from UCLA; master’s degree in business administration from Cal Lutheran University.
Occupation: Incumbent mayor; director of software engineering at Teledyne Systems in Northridge.
Background: Simi Valley resident for 24 years; elected to City Council in 1979; elected mayor in 1986, 1988 and 1990; a founder of the Boys & Girls Club of Simi Valley; former chairman of the Assn. of Ventura County Cities; board member of Simi Valley Hospital.
Issues: He vows to bring more high-paying jobs to the city. He wants to continue to expand the Police Department to prevent gangs gaining a foothold. He takes credit for balanced business and residential development. He helped place a 1986 growth control measure on the ballot.
Simi Valley Council
Thirteen candidates are running for two Simi Valley City Council seats, many of them motivated by a desire to bring new viewpoints to city government. Only one incumbent, Bill Davis is seeking reelection. Councilman Michael W. Piper, appointed to his position last December, chose not to run.
Cheryl Carrillo
Age: 48
Education: Graduated from California College of Paralegal Studies, equivalent of two years college education.
Occupation: Licensed respiratory therapist; licensed real estate broker; co-owner of Castle Realtors in Simi Valley.
Background: Political advocate for Simi Valley-Moorpark Assn. of Realtors; member of the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce board of directors; active in Simi Valley Athletic Assn. and Girl Scout Leader Assn. of Los Angeles County; member of the Countywide Citizens Advisory Committee.
Issues: Carrillo advocates the creation of more youth programs, including help for latch-key children, without spending more tax dollars. She wants to improve communication between the community and the City Council and says, if elected, she will listen to all sides.
Bill Davis
Age: 65
Occupation: Incumbent councilman; retired owner of an electronics repair business.
Education: High school graduate.
Background: Simi Valley city councilman for six years; Simi Valley Neighborhood Council for four years; city planning commissioner for one year; active member of 17 city and county commissions; Ventura County’s representative to Southern California Regional Rail Authority.
Issues: Davis vows to preserve existing businesses and create new jobs. He advocates the use of treated waste water to irrigate golf courses and landscaping. He wants to continue developing affordable housing in Simi Valley for senior citizens and less affluent families.
Larry B. Dennert
Age: 43
Education: Associate’s degree in business at Los Angeles City College; attended classes at Moorpark College.
Occupation: Owner of a garage door sales and installation business in Simi Valley.
Background: Executive board member of two neighborhood councils for six years; board member of the Ventura County Chapter of American Heart Assn.; former coach and youth sports sponsor; former Scoutmaster.
Issues: Dennert believes the city should publish a weekly rundown on City Council members’ votes. He favors more youth programs. He wants to create more local jobs. He is not accepting contributions from developers or special interest groups.
Harold Lawrence Fick
Age: 55
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix.
Occupation: Retired manager for General Motors.
Background: Administrative manager at General Motors for 27 years; active in Simi Valley campaigns for Republican presidential candidates; elected five terms to Ventura County Republican Central Committee; former member of state GOP Central Committee; served in Marine Corps.
Issues: Fick believes the city needs leaders with business experience to handle budgets and finance. He seeks more youth programs to educate youngsters to avoid gangs and drugs. He wants the city to make government property available to developers willing to build affordable housing.
Ernest W. Federer
Age: 26
Education: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from Lael University in Missouri.
Occupation: Staff psychotherapist at Simi Valley Hospital; private practice therapist, counseling families and adolescents.
Background: Served as Marine Corps intelligence specialist during Persian Gulf War; organized citywide association to represent residents of five mobile home parks; has proposed a new program to resolve mobile home rent increase disputes.
Issues: Federer wants to change the city mobile home rent mediation process. He says the City Council has not been responsive to neighborhood concerns. He opposes a regional shopping mall, saying it could put some existing stores out of business.
Tim Hodge
Age: 36
Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science from Cal State Northridge; law degree from Southwestern University School of Law.
Occupation: Attorney and college instructor.
Background: Teaches law at Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar; challenged Griffin Greenbriar Assessment District fees; objected to city’s plans for outdoor police shooting range; has been working to establish countywide firefighter paramedic program.
Issues: Hodge wants to place more attention on essential services such as police protection and roadway improvements. He opposes city funding for community theater at the Old Methodist Church. He says the city’s planning process should be overhauled to aid businesses.
Vickey Howard
Age: 45
Education: High school graduate. Has attended real estate classes at Pierce and Moorpark colleges.
Occupation: Real estate agent.
Background: Membership committee of Simi Valley-Moorpark Board of Realtors; worked with Ventura County Indian Consortium to set up and monitor a Simi Valley schools program to help American Indian students; Simi Valley resident for more than 10 years. (Not related to Ventura County Supervisor Vicky Howard, the former councilwoman.)
Issues: Howard wants to attract new large and small businesses to Simi Valley. She supports programs to deter graffiti. She believes the city should buy more goods and services in Simi Valley. She favors construction of a regional mall in the city.
Michal Thomas Moore
Age: 29
Education: High school graduate. Attended Pierce College for two years.
Occupation: Partner in five telecommunications and security businesses.
Background: Longtime Simi Valley resident; former coach of West Valley Eagles, a Pop Warner youth football team; former assistant director of drama classes at Hale Junior High School in Woodland Hills.
Issues: Moore wants to get away from “politics as usual” and is not accepting campaign donations from developers. He favors term limits for council members. He opposes construction of a regional mall in Simi Valley because of the high vacancy rates in existing shopping centers.
Christopher Corliss McGrath
Age: 40
Education: Not available.
Occupation: Graphic artist.
Background: A leader of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Party in Simi Valley.
Issues: McGrath opposes development of the Whiteface property in the canyon areas that are being annexed by Simi Valley.
Dick Satterlee
Age: 45
Education: Received his law degree at Woodland University Mid-Valley College of Law in Van Nuys.
Occupation: Lawyer
Background: Served two years on Simi Valley’s neighborhood councils; is a volunteer Ventura County Municipal Court judge pro tem; is a volunteer at the Free Clinic of Simi Valley; served as Simi Valley planning commissioner for two years.
Issues: He believes the city should find new ways to fund the maintenance of city streets and other public amenities. He is not posting any election signs in order to avoid contributing to “visual pollution.” He wants to expedite and streamline the city’s development approval process.
Dennis Serbick
Age: 53
Education: Completed courses at Phoenix College in business administration and police science.
Occupation: Owner of Valley Tire and Auto Center in Simi Valley.
Background: Simi Valley business owner for 14 years; former Goodyear Tire and Rubber district manager; Phoenix police officer for five years; U.S. Army for three years.
Issues: Serbick wants the city to do much more to curb residential burglaries, and believes the city must improve its street repair programs. He is not accepting campaign contributions from developers, political action committees or special interest groups.
Steve Silveri
Age: 36
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Pepperdine University.
Occupation: Computer programmer and analyst.
Background: Volunteer at the Crisis Pregnancy Center in Simi Valley, which advises women against having abortions; member of Citizens Against Government Waste, a national organization aimed at uncovering wasteful programs and legislation.
Issues: Silveri believes current regulations on businesses are too onerous. He says the city should ease these rules instead of offering large sums to attract new businesses to the city. He believes some council members lack integrity.
Barbara Williamson
Age: 47
Education: Attended Yakima Valley College in Washington for one year; completed USC courses in marketing and advertising.
Occupation: Vice president of Simi Valley Bank.
Background: Simi Valley resident for 20 years; Simi Valley planning commissioner for two years; served on the Ventura County Parks and Harbor Commission; was chairwoman of Neighborhood Council No. 2; was president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Simi Valley.
Issues: Williamson wants to create local jobs and economic growth, alleviate traffic problems and preserve the scenic hillside areas. She says she can bring a banker’s scrutiny to the city’s budget process. She favors construction of a regional mall.
Thousand Oaks Council
Nine candidates are competing for two seats in a hotly contested race that pits two incumbents against seven challengers. One challenger led a campaign to recall two councilmen earlier this year because of their support of the city’s Jungleland civic center project.
Ken Bauer
Age: 43
Occupation: Arco human resources manager.
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, master’s degree in business administration from USC.
Background: Served on Thousand Oaks committees reviewing of the city General Plan and open space requirements; led unsuccessful recall drive against Councilmen Frank Schillo and Alex Fiore; past president of Foxmoor Property Owners Assn.
Issues: Bauer opposes more spending on the Jungleland civic center project. If elected, he would work to establish guaranteed levels of spending on police, fire, anti-drug programs and libraries. He favors reserving more land for open space.
Paul Herzog
Age: 24
Occupation: Community projects coordinator.
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Cal State Northridge.
Background: Member of the Green Party; worked on Conejo Open Space Trails and city recycling committees.
Issues: Herzog supports full-time pay for council members and a computerized telephone service so residents can track City Council activities. He supports more affordable housing and a community development corporation to help to locally owned and operated businesses.
Bob Hughes
Age: 54
Occupation: Real estate agent.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in communications from Cal State Northridge.
Background: Four years as U. S. Navy communications technician; former radio announcer at KNJO, KVEN and KACY.
Issues: Hughes opposes city spending on the Jungleland civic arts center and would support increasing the allocation for police services and libraries.
Bob Lewis
Age: 48
Occupation: Business attorney.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting and law degree from UCLA.
Background: Councilman since 1988, planning commissioner for nine years; co-authored the city’s growth-control and ridgeline-protection ordinances; spearheaded the acquisition of nearly 300 acres of open space; eight years in the U. S. Army.
Issues: Lewis supports the construction of the Jungleland civic arts center and wants to increase growth in jobs through the city’s economic development committee. He also advocates funding for purchase of undeveloped land.
David Naegeli
Age: 32
Occupation: Record store clerk.
Education: Thousand Oaks High School diploma.
Background: Artist and punk-rock musician.
Issues: Naegeli said his campaign focuses on improving community outreach programs for younger residents and other disenfranchised citizens.
Hagop Jay Sagherian
Age: 21
Occupation: Sales clerk and college student.
Education: Thousand Oaks High School diploma; attending Cal State Northridge.
Background: A Thousand Oaks native; May Co. sales clerk for four years; pursuing electrical engineering degree at CSUN.
Issues: Sagherian calls for the formation of new task force to crack down on gangs and crimes. He also favors increased protection of ridgelines and open space.
Frank Schillo
Age: 58
Occupation: Financial consultant.
Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, master’s degree in business administration from the University of Dayton.
Background: Councilman since 1984; helped start citywide recycling, substance abuse and library programs; co-founder of the Tri-Valley Environmental Committee, chairman of the city affordable housing committee; three years in U. S. Army Signal Corps.
Issues: Schillo supports construction of the Jungleland center and a balanced city budget. He believes the city should have more influence in surrounding areas through the fledgling Ventura County Council of Governments.
Ellyn H. Wilkins
Age: 55
Occupation: Insurance saleswoman.
Education: High school graduate.
Background: Member of the Conejo Valley Unified School District board for six years, two years as president; past president of Thousand Oaks Republican Women’s Club.
Issues: Wilkins supports term limits for City Council members and has called for a review of the city budget to examine spending priorities. She favors a crackdown on gang activities and increased police presence in high crime areas.
Jaime Zukowski
Age: 35
Occupation: Unemployed teacher.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in anthropology and sociology from University of Arizona.
Background: Three years as corporate personnel administrator for Cochise Airlines in Tucson; worked a year as cultural enrichment specialist for the Conejo Valley Unified School District.
Issues: Zukowski favors increased funding for crime prevention and wants to create a city department to help small businesses. She proposes starting neighborhood councils and a citizens appeal process to encourage greater representation in city government.
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