ELECTIONS : Rivals Question Mayor’s Ability to Be Auditor

Two candidates in the Ventura County auditor-controller’s race challenged whether Simi Valley Mayor Greg Stratton had enough accounting experience to legally qualify for the job of managing the county’s $836-million budget.

But County Clerk and Recorder Richard Dean, after receiving advice from the county counsel on Thursday, said Stratton’s name would be on the ballot in June unless someone files a legal challenge over his qualifications.

“If a candidate swears he meets the qualifications of office in his declaration of candidacy, then we accept that,” Dean said.

In other elections:

* Democrat Dorothy Maron, a former Oxnard city councilwoman, and Republican Christopher Merriam-Leith have filed nomination papers to challenge Assemblyman Nao Takasugi (R-Oxnard) for his seat in the 37th Assembly District that stretches from Thousand Oaks to Oxnard.

* Ventura County Superior Court Judge Edwin M. Osborne announced that he will not seek a sixth term and may, in fact, step down within the next few weeks. Dean said Thursday that he is still researching whether Osborne’s successor would be elected or appointed by Gov. Pete Wilson. Osborne’s decision not to run extends the deadline for candidates to file nomination papers to run for his seat until Monday.

* In the 38th Assembly District, Democrat Donald Allan Cocquyt, a Simi Valley attorney, declared his candidacy against Assemblywoman Paula L. Boland (R-Granada Hills) in the race to represent a district that encompasses Simi Valley, Fillmore and portions of the western San Fernando Valley.

In the challenge to Stratton’s qualifications, Dean said he began looking into the matter after questions were raised about Stratton’s accounting background by his two campaign rivals--appointed Auditor-Controller Thomas O. Mahon and Ventura accountant Scott Weiss.

Although Mahon said Thursday he had no plans to pursue the matter further, Weiss said he is considering challenging Stratton in court.

“I’m looking at all my options, and I wouldn’t rule that out,” said Weiss, a certified public accountant.

Stratton said he believes he is more than qualified for the job and is prepared to stand up to a legal fight.

“I guess there’s some people who don’t want to meet me on the playing field,” he said. “So they’re trying to find another way to beat me.”

To qualify for the county auditor-controller’s position, a candidate must either be a certified public accountant; have served as county auditor or deputy auditor for at least three years; or possess a certificate or diploma from a school of accountancy.

Because there are no more schools of accountancy in California, Stratton said he believed his master’s degree in business administration--including 10 units in accounting--from Cal Lutheran University qualifies him for the job.

“I believe what they’re looking for is somebody who either is a CPA or someone who has the education to be a CPA,” he said. “I believe I have the education to be a CPA.”

Stratton accused Mahon of misleading voters by sending out a campaign letter that claims he has “a master’s degree in accounting and marketing from New York University.”

In fact, Mahon has a master’s degree in business administration with an “emphasis on accounting.”

When questioned about the discrepancy, Mahon said he did not realize a mistake was made in the letter. “Is it precisely correct, no,” Mahon said. “Should it be corrected, yes.”

Mahon said he qualified for the office because he has served as assistant deputy auditor-controller for more than 20 years before being appointed to the top job last year.

Candidates for the 18th State Senate District seat being vacated by Santa Barbara Democrat Gary Hart and the 35th Assembly District seat now held by Assemblyman Jack O’Connell, a Democratic candidate for Hart’s Senate post, have until Monday to file their nomination papers.

So far, O’Connell of Carpinteria and Republican Steve Decker, a Santa Barbara businessman, are the only declared candidates for Hart’s 18th District seat that represents Ventura, Santa Paula, Ojai and all of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

Republican Brooks Firestone, Democrats Mindy Lorenz and Robert Ream and Libertarian candidate Chris Blunt are the four candidates competing to replace O’Connell’s in the 35th Assembly District, which encompasses Ventura, Santa Paula, Ojai and most of Santa Barbara County. All of the candidates who have declared so far are from Santa Barbara, except for Lorenz, who is from Summerland.