ELECTIONS / OXNARD CITY COUNCIL : 13 Candidates Run for New Mayor’s Old Seat

Months after a hard-fought campaign that forged a historic shift of power at Oxnard City Hall, voters will return to the polls next week to fill a fifth and final vacancy on the City Council.

Oxnard voters will be asked March 2 to choose among 13 candidates who are competing in a special election to fill the council seat left empty by Manuel Lopez’s election as mayor.

The cast of candidates includes a self-appointed City Council watchdog, an anti-abortion activist once jailed for blocking the entrance to a medical clinic, a manager of an aerospace company about to pull out of Oxnard and a former mayor who once pleaded no contest to stealing barbecue utensils.

Candidates, campaign workers and political consultants agree that the fifth council member probably will serve to solidify a new council bloc created when Lopez was promoted to mayor and political novices Andres Herrera and Bedford Pinkard unseated two incumbents.

“What has always slowed Oxnard’s progress is a history of petty personality bickering on the City Council,” said Santa Barbara-based political consultant John Davies. “These days I see everyone trying hard to get along and get things done. I think this election will only serve to extend the honeymoon period.”

As the new political season speeds to a climax, Ventura County election officials are predicting an extremely low voter turnout--less than 20% of Oxnard’s 53,000 registered voters.

If the prediction holds true, campaign managers said it could take less than 3,000 votes to win the election. After the vote is split 13 ways, the top candidates may be separated by fewer than 100 votes.

“This election comes down to one thing,” Davies said. “Do you know who your voters are and are you going to get them out to the polls on election day?”

According to campaign finance statements, only six of 13 candidates reported raising or spending more than $1,000 during their campaigns.

Candidate Thomas E. Holden has taken the fund-raising lead, listing contributions of $20,828 and expenditures of $18,670.

Holden, a third-generation Oxnard businessman, has been involved in community groups for years but is a newcomer to the political scene. Even consultants and volunteers for other campaigns name Holden as one of the top three candidates.

The Oxnard optometrist has built a diverse coalition, and has recruited many of the same volunteers who helped run Herrera’s successful bid for council.

“Probably one of the most powerful things in this campaign is that a lot of people see me as a candidate they can support,” Holden said. “There is great opportunity for new direction. There is now an opportunity to get to work and make some progress.”

With contributions of $19,097 and expenditures of $18,120, candidate Tony V. Grey trails Holden in fund raising.

Grey, a naval employee and executive director of the Filipino-American Council of Ventura County, said he wants to continue the political change started in November.

“In the past, people have complained that they just couldn’t talk to the council,” Grey said. “I’m here to listen to the people.”

By contributing more than $15,000 to his own campaign, Roy Lockwood has the third best-financed campaign so far. Lockwood, a self-appointed government watchdog and well-known council gadfly who has run in every council election since 1972, finished fifth in the November election.

His platform has remained largely unchanged over the years. He wants to cut government waste, erect manufactured housing for low-income residents and impose a 9 p.m. curfew on teen-agers. But he has gathered more support every election year, culminating in a 7,000-ballot showing in November.

Supporters and opponents agree that the special election probably represents Lockwood’s best chance to win.

In fact, candidate John Quigley dropped out of the race at a political forum Friday night and threw his support behind Lockwood.

“He supports my ideas and offers the best chance for an independent to represent all the people of Oxnard,” said Quigley, conceding that he had little chance of winning.

Sensing the potential for victory, Lockwood for the first time has hired a political consultant to guide his campaign. And perhaps because opponents sense it too, they have been grilling Lockwood on a variety of issues, including raising doubts about the validity of his claim to be a law school graduate.

“During this race the opposition is gambling on every tactic they can to defeat me,” said Lockwood, after a supporter faxed copies of his law degree to local newspapers. “My opponents have resorted to Pearl Harbor, sneak-type dirty politics to undermine and destroy my candidacy.”

Council candidate Ralph Schumacher, chairman of the Oxnard Planning Commission, has raised the fourth largest sum of campaign cash: $9,946.

The Abex Aerospace executive said his top priority is to continue developing the city’s aggressive economic development program. The parent company of Abex has announced that it will close its Oxnard plant later this year. Schumacher is not transferring to the company’s other facilities.

Al Limon, Schumacher’s campaign manager, said his client will benefit from the low voter turnout anticipated on election day.

“It’s going to be the traditional, more conservative voters who determine the winner,” Limon said. “The voters will elect someone who is established and I think that gives the nod to my client.”

Although former mayor and councilman Tsujio Kato only has raised $3,000 in contributions, political consultants and campaign workers agree that he still has name recognition that rivals any other candidate’s.

After holding public office for 10 years, the Oxnard dentist was recalled from office in 1984 in part for supporting an unpopular ballot measure calling for a utility tax.

But opponents and campaign strategists also suggest that Kato’s recall stemmed from his conviction for shoplifting $22 worth of barbecue utensils from a Sears, Roebuck & Co. store on Christmas Eve in 1982.

Security guards at the Esplanade mall in Oxnard caught Kato taking the utensils. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor petty theft, paid a $300 fine and was placed on probation.

“It’s hard to tell how much he has been hurt by that,” said Davies, who is familiar with Oxnard politics as the campaign manager for former Oxnard Mayor Nao Takasugi. “He didn’t leave town, he faced up to it, and now he’s asking for a second chance.”

Kato said he decided to jump back into the political fray because there is a lot more that he wants to accomplish.

“I’ve paid a very high price,” he said. “I’ve been humiliated and embarrassed. But I think I have a lot to offer with my past experience. My purpose will be to help our mayor and council members make the best and wisest decisions based on the need of our citizens.”

Of the six candidates who have filed campaign finance reports, Lee Casey-Telles has amassed the smallest amount. She reported collecting $2,011 for her first council campaign.

Casey-Telles, a registered nurse who said she entered the race to protect the poor and needy from unfair cuts in city services, has become known recently for her battles with city staff members to save the lives of coots routinely shot to death at River Ridge Golf Course.

But Casey-Telles also is a former member of the Ventura County Republican Central Committee and an anti-abortion activist who spent two days in jail and pleaded no contest to charges of blocking a Los Angeles family planning clinic in 1990.

Casey-Telles’ detractors have accused her of wanting to hold the council seat to push her anti-abortion agenda. Casey-Telles denied the accusations.

“Abortion has nothing to do with it,” the candidate said. “I don’t see that it has any role in this election. I care about what’s going on in the city.”

Oxnard City Council

Thirteen candidates are running in a March 2 special election to fill a vacancy on the City Council created when Manuel Lopez was elected mayor.

Deborah L. DeMoss

Age: 38

Occupation: Homemaker and part-time receptionist.

Education: Graduate of Loara High School in Anaheim; two semesters of nursing education at Fullerton and Cypress community colleges.

Background: Former nurse’s aide and volunteer food distribution worker.

Issues: DeMoss 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. She wants to house the homeless in vacant city buildings.

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Tony V. Grey

Age: 55

Occupation: Logistics management specialist for the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Port Hueneme.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of LaVerne campus in Oxnard. Associate of arts degree in business management from Southwestern College in San Diego.

Background: Past member of the Oxnard Planning Commission; executive director of the Filipino-American Council of Ventura County, president of the Oxnard Lions Club and member of the board of directors of the United Way of Ventura County.

Issues: Grey supports expanding the police force and the creation of a police commission to review law enforcement policies. He wants to stimulate the city’s economic base by revitalizing downtown and recruiting new industries to Oxnard. He supports the conversion and expansion of Oxnard’s municipal airport to a regional facility.

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Thomas Edward Holden

Age: 38

Occupation: Optometrist

Education: Doctorate in optometry, Southern California College of Optometry in Fullerton.

Background: Third generation Oxnard business owner; president of the Tri-county Optometric Society; serves on the executive board of directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Oxnard. Received this year’s Young Man of the Year Award from the Oxnard Peace Officers Assn.

Issues: Holden wants to explore ways to make city government more efficient, such as forging partnerships that encourage private sector management and operation of social service programs. He wants to expand police services and spur community involvement in city government.

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Alice Rivera Howe

Age: 42

Occupation: Co-owner of a landscaping business.

Education: Associate of science degrees in accounting and business management from Oxnard College.

Background: Volunteer translator at St. Johns Regional Medical Center and former religious education teacher at St. Anthony’s Catholic School in Oxnard.

Issues: She supports the expansion of economic development programs but wants to earmark income from those programs for reinvestment in Oxnard’s downtown. She would strive for more residential development to balance the city’s booming commercial growth, and supports programs aimed at retaining and creating jobs.

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Tsujio Kato

Age: 54

Occupation: Oxnard dentist

Education: Doctorate in dental surgery from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey; associate’s degree from Ventura College.

Background: Former mayor and councilman; chairman of the California Strawberry Festival since its inception in 1983. During his 10 years on council, he served as chairman of the Ventura County Assn. of Governments, the Local Agency Formation Commission and the Ventura County Regional Sanitation District.

Issues: Kato’s top priority is to hire more police officers and firefighters by dipping into reserve funds and, if necessary, reducing other municipal services. He would provide city employees with at least a cost-of-living raise and would re-examine the city’s Mobile Home Rent Control ordinance to ensure fairness to tenants.

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Roy Lockwood

Age: 71

Occupation: Retired federal fire chief

Education: Bachelor’s degree in law from La Salle Extension University in Chicago, Ill. Degree in American Law and Procedure from La Salle Extension University.

Background: Founder and member of the Oxnard Madder Than Hell Watchdog Committee, frequently attending city meetings as a self-appointed council critic. Member of the International Organization of Fire Chiefs, the California Fire Chiefs Assn. and the National Assn. of Fire Investigators.

Issues: Lockwood wants to erect prefabricated housing in Oxnard for low-income residents and wants to develop programs to aid the homeless. He said he would help settle prolonged lawsuits against the city and would seek to make government more responsive to residents.

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John Patton Sr.

Age: 41

Occupation: Pump operator for a private water agency.

Education: Pursuing business administration and water science degrees at Oxnard and Ventura colleges.

Background: President of the Utilities Workers Union of America, Local 508A; member of the Parent Teachers and Students Assn. at E. O. Green Junior High School; former member of the board of directors of the American Youth Soccer Organization in Oxnard.

Issues: Patton wants the city to encourage developers to build affordable housing and help arrange housing for low- and middle-income residents. He wants to re-examine Oxnard’s spending practices with an eye toward budget savings. He also wants to cut down on the use of consultants and redirect that savings toward job training programs for young people.

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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. Advance waste water treatment extension courses, California State University at Sacramento.

Background: Served in the U. S. Coast Guard reserve, 1968 to 1974. Member of the American Waterworks Assn., Water Pollution Control Federation and National Wildlife Federation.

Issues: Quigley wants to make city government more efficient by encouraging departments to share staff and equipment. With the shortfall in revenue from the state, Quigley wants to pressure state and county officials to allow cities to use welfare recipients to work for the city and provide municipal services including graffiti removal, day care and library staffing.

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Patrick J. Sammon

Age: 44

Occupation: Retired aviation administrator for the U. S. Navy.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of LaVerne campus in Oxnard and associate’s degree in physical science from Mohegan Community College in Connecticut.

Background: Chairman of the Sea View Estates Neighborhood Council; member of the Fleet Reserve Assn. and the Disabled American Veterans.

Issues: He supports a recruitment program to attract industry and jobs to the city, and he wants to create housing that is affordable to middle-class residents. He also wants to spur the resurrection of dormant neighborhood councils and establish programs for young people.

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Ralph C. Schumacher

Age: 62

Occupation: Facilities manager, Abex Aerospace in Oxnard.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of LaVerne in Oxnard.

Background: Chairman of the Oxnard Planning Commission and member of the city’s Economic Development Commission. Past chairman of Oxnard’s 2020 General Plan Advisory Committee. Named Oxnard’s Distinguished Citizen of the Year in 1988.

Issues: Schumacher envisions an aggressive Economic Development program that will stimulate job opportunities and provide money to adequately fund public safety programs and programs for youths and seniors.

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Juan Soria

Age: 60

Occupation: Retired business owner.

Education: Two year business administration degree from D-Q University in Davis, Calif.

Background: Former president of the Mexican-American Chamber of Commerce. Served as executive director of the National Chicano Health Organization in Los Angeles and as education director for community programs for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund in San Francisco. Filed a lawsuit that forced the desegregation of the Oxnard Elementary School District in 1972 and an unsuccessful lawsuit in 1990 to elect council members by district rather than at large.

Issues: Soria opposes any new taxes and wants to make it easier for manufacturers to relocate or start up in Oxnard, thus creating more jobs. He wants to review the city budget and set spending priorities so that a bigger share goes toward housing for low-income residents.

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Lawrence Stein

Age: 39

Occupation: Self-employed systems accountant

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ohio University and 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 and financial secretary for the Ventura County lodge of the Sons of Italy.

Issues: Stein supports handing out only modest employee raises to help balance the budget and favors long-range planning for water recycling, waste management and farmland preservation. He supports the construction of high-rise buildings along the Ventura Freeway for low-income housing.

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Lee Casey-Telles

Age: 51

Occupation: Business owner and registered nurse

Education: Nursing license and associate of arts degree in nursing from Los Angeles City College.

Background: Former member of the Ventura County Republican Central Committee; member of California Nurses for Ethical Standards, the League of Women Voters, Concerned Women for America and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Anti-abortion activist.

Issues: Casey-Telles opposes all new taxes and the further reduction of municipal services, especially to the poor and needy. She wants to achieve a balance between business interests and environmental concerns.