College Board Votes to Retain Lobbyist

The Ventura County Community College board voted this week to continue its $25,200-per-year Sacramento lobbying contract, despite concerns from some board members that the fees should be reduced or the services canceled in such fiscally tight times.

“I think we need to scale back on some of this,” board member Timothy Hirschberg said. “I would like to see some of this money go to classes.”

The board voted 4 to 1 to continue the contract, with Hirschberg opposed.

The district contracted last year with School Services of California to be its legislative liaison in Sacramento. The district hires the firm to lobby if board members and legislators cannot when an important bill or issue arises in the Legislature, Chancellor Thomas Lakin said.

“If you compared the number of dollars that Arnold (Bray, the firm’s main lobbyist) has brought to this district to (Bray’s) salary, he is probably the most inexpensive employee--if he is an employee--that this district has,” Lakin said. “He’s always there, and he’s always giving us the information that we need.”

Lakin said that when school bonds are issued, Bray always manages to secure a sum for the district that is as large or larger than its share.

“Arnold focuses on the issues that are important to us,” Lakin said.

But board member Allan Jacobs was skeptical, saying that if Bray was really accomplishing something, the board members should be notified of it.

“I trust what (Lakin) said is true,” Jacobs said, “but every time I see this contract, all I see is a big allocation and nothing to show for it.”