SIMI VALLEY : Mayor Files Appeal as Auditor Candidate

Simi Valley Mayor Greg Stratton on Tuesday appealed a judge’s decision to disqualify him from running for county auditor-controller.

“I think the judge raised more questions than he gave answers,” Stratton said.

Superior Court Judge William L. Peck ruled Monday that Stratton’s master’s degree in business administration from Cal Lutheran University does not qualify him for the auditor because it was not earned at a school of accountancy. The hearing was the result of a lawsuit filed by William Baker, a certified public accountant and one of five other candidates for the auditor’s job.

To qualify for county auditor, state law dictates that a candidate must either be a certified public accountant, have served as county auditor controller or deputy auditor controller 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 argued that his master’s degree in business administration--including 14 units in accounting--qualified him for the position. But Peck did not agree.

Stratton’s lawyer, Tom Wise, asked the appeals court to render a decision as soon as possible so that county officials can continue to prepare for the election. Stratton said he did not know when the 2nd District Court of Appeal would hear his case but that it would probably be before the end of the week.

County election officials are worried that a delay may cause problems in printing sample ballots on Monday in order to meet a state-mandated deadline for mailing samples to voters. The election will be June 7.

“It’s very frustrating,” Stratton said. “I’ve got a fund-raiser on Friday, and I don’t know if I’m in the race or not.”