THOUSAND OAKS : Markey Announces Candidacy Early

A Newbury Park resident, Mike Markey, has announced his campaign for the Thousand Oaks City Council--13 months before the election.

Markey, who ran for the council unsuccessfully in 1990, will vie for one of three open seats. Incumbents Judy Lazar and Elois Zeanah have already said they will run for reelection, and longtime Councilman Alex Fiore plans to retire.

Although he has established an election committee, Markey declined to comment about his candidacy. His campaign manager, Paul Radomski, said Markey did not have a specific platform but would listen to community groups and represent the majority opinion.

Markey noted in a press release that he would focus on maintaining police and fire services, planning growth “intelligently” and cultivating a “responsible” relationship between business and government. A five-year resident of Newbury Park, Markey, 38, works as a detective for the Compton Police Department in Los Angeles County.

In his 1990 campaign, Markey won endorsements from some of the groups that backed Zeanah. He also raised the largest campaign fund among nine candidates--more than $10,500, most of it from his own pocket.

City Clerk Nancy Dillon said she could not remember a candidate announcing so early.

Markey cannot officially file candidacy papers until next summer, but he has established a campaign committee and a separate bank account for contributions. His manager said Markey needs to start his campaign now in order to have enough time to visit community groups and formulate positions on major issues.

Councilman Frank Schillo said he was glad to see such interest in the City Council. He added: “Maybe it’s because the mayor has promised to keep our meetings short.”