ELECTIONS / COUNTY SUPERVISORS : Mikels, Montgomery Split on Plans to Establish Commercial Airport

Ventura County supervisorial candidate Judy Mikels says establishing a commercial airport at Point Mugu Naval Air Station would go a long way toward promoting business growth in the county.

But opponent Scott Montgomery says a commercial airport could spark runaway development of surrounding farmland. He adds that he does not believe the county’s economic future depends on whether it has an airport.

“There are a lot of counties, and Ventura County is one of them, that can survive if they don’t have a commercial airport,” said the Moorpark councilman.

This is one of the primary issues of debate between the two candidates in their race for the seat being vacated by Supervisor Vicky Howard. Her 4th District covers Simi Valley, Moorpark and the Santa Rosa Valley.

Both Mikels, a Simi Valley councilwoman, and Montgomery said they support efforts to keep Point Mugu operating as a military base.

Threatened with closure because of continuing defense cutbacks, the Navy has offered to share the base’s 11,000-foot runway with the county to reduce operating costs.

But while many county officials have jumped on the bandwagon in support of the idea, Montgomery said he believes it could send the wrong message to the federal government and actually speed up the base’s closure.

“I don’t want them to get the impression that it’s OK to close it down” because the county has found another use for it, said Montgomery, 41.

Although acknowledging that an airport would offer some economic advantages to the county, Montgomery said his main concern is that it would also lead to large-scale development on surrounding farmland in eastern Camarillo. Camarillo Mayor Ken Gose, who has endorsed Montgomery, has expressed similar concerns.

“I don’t think the economic vitality of the county is integrally linked to a commercial airport,” Montgomery said. “Sure it would be nice. But for every benefit, there’s a price to be paid.”

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But Mikels said that the county must act now to protect its options with the Navy, even if it means that a commercial airport would not be developed for several years.

“We need to be more farsighted,” said Mikels, 49, a trained pilot. “We need to face the fact that in the future we’re going to need an airport. And if this goes away, what are we going to do? In this day and age, I don’t think we’re going to have an opportunity to site another airport.”

The candidates also take opposing views over a proposal to train county firefighters as paramedics. The county is now served by three private ambulance companies, which provide emergency care.

Montgomery said he supports starting a pilot firefighter paramedic program in the city of Moorpark, which has set aside $110,000 to cover the cost of a one-year program. Eventually, he said, all county firefighters would be trained to provide paramedic service.

The result would be greatly improved emergency response times because there are more fire stations around the county than there are ambulance stations, said Montgomery, who has received the endorsement and $1,800 in campaign contributions from the county firefighters’ union.

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Moreover, Montgomery said the program would not cost taxpayers any additional money. He said some money from Proposition 172, a half-cent sales tax, could be used to help underwrite the paramedic service. The county, he said, would also generate revenues by billing those who use the service.

Ideally, he said, the county’s private ambulance companies would only be responsible for transporting patients, thus eliminating the need for these companies to hire and train paramedics.

“In those areas where private industry can provide a more effective way to perform a service, then I’m all for it,” he said. “But in this area, it has been proven that the more effective way to provide the service is for a public entity to do it.”

Mikels disagreed.

“I have never seen a report that proves to me that we need county firefighter paramedics,” said Mikels, who has received $1,000 in campaign contributions from Pruner Health Services, the county’s largest ambulance company. “I believe if private industry can do the job, let them do it.”

If there are problems with response times, Mikels said the county should take steps to improve private ambulance service.

“Just because it’s our job to provide emergency services, it doesn’t mean we have to operate it or pay for it,” Mikels said, adding that a county firefighter paramedic program would cost taxpayers money in the long run.

Another issue the candidates disagree on is who is more qualified to serve as supervisor.

Mikels, who operates her own picture frame business, was elected to the Simi Valley City Council in 1992 and is a member of several county organizations that deal with everything from freeway improvements to economic issues. She has been endorsed by Supervisor Howard, Simi Valley Mayor Greg Stratton and Ventura County’s top law enforcement officials.

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Montgomery has served on the Moorpark City Council since 1986 and is also chairman of the Ventura County Waste Commission. He has received support from the county employees’ union and the county firefighters’ union.

Before the June primary, when four candidates were competing for the supervisor’s job, Montgomery described himself as an underdog because he was the only candidate from Moorpark.

A city of 26,000, Moorpark is one-fourth the size of Simi Valley, the political base of Montgomery’s three rivals in the primary. But Montgomery finished first in the primary with 33.9% of the vote to qualify for the November runoff, while his rivals split the Simi Valley vote.

Mikels’ supporters say that with the other Simi Valley candidates out of the race, her chances of cornering the Simi Valley vote are much greater. They also say her experience on the Simi Valley council has better prepared her for the job of county supervisor. They point out that she has had to deal with an annual budget of $28 million, twice the size of Moorpark’s, and a full-time staff of 549 city employees, compared to 38 in Moorpark.

“I don’t think that Scott has really had the experience of managing a large government organization,” Stratton said. “We need someone who can hit the ground running.”

Moorpark Mayor Paul Lawrason said he believes Montgomery’s experience on the council is no different than that of Mikels.

“The problems are the same and the pressures are the same,” he said. “I think the size and scale of the (two cities) is really a moot point in differentiating them.”

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Lawrason said Montgomery’s background as a financial consultant who worked closely with numerous government agencies has been a great asset to the city.

“He’s head and shoulders above anyone else I’ve worked with in dealing with public financing,” Lawrason said.

No longer a financial consultant, Montgomery designs and sells computer software out of his home. He also delivers newspapers for the Ventura Star-Free Press, a job he said allows him to spend more time on his council duties.

Although both candidates describe themselves as conservative Republicans, Montgomery criticized Mikels for voting to approve assessment fees for various city services and to increase Simi Valley’s hotel occupancy tax.

“What we need is not more taxes, but less government,” Montgomery said. “I say we already collect enough in taxes. What we need to do is spend what we collect more wisely.”

Mikels acknowledged that she has voted for increased assessment fees in the past, but that those fees were intended to cover the increased costs of providing certain services, not to pad city coffers.

“If someone charges us more for our water, then we raise our rates,” she said. “I believe in people paying for what they’re getting. I don’t believe in subsidizing.”

Mikels said she also had supported a 2% increase in the city’s hotel occupancy tax, money she said goes to promote tourism in the city. She noted that the tax is charged to guests of local hotels, not residents.

“I don’t consider raising the tax from 8% to 10% either threatening business or unfair taxation,” she said.

While Montgomery vows not to support any tax increase if elected, Mikels said, “I’m not going to make promises I can’t keep.”

There are some issues on which the candidates agree. Both support the development of a new west county landfill and both support granting the Ahmanson Land Co. a three-year extension on its development agreement with the county.

The agreement calls for the developer to turn over two mountain properties owned by Bob Hope to park agencies before moving forward with its plans to build a $1-billion golf course community near the Los Angeles County line.

4th Supervisorial District

Simi Valley Councilwoman Judy Mikels and Moorpark Councilman Scott Montgomery are running for the supervisorial seat being vacated by Vicky Howard, who is retiring after one term. The 4th Supervisorial District covers Simi Valley, Moorpark and the Santa Rosa Valley.

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Judy Mikels

Age: 49

Residence: Simi Valley

Occupation: Simi Valley city councilwoman; operates her own picture frame business

Education: studied nursing for one year at Contra Costa College in Northern California

Background: Councilwoman since 1990; planning commissioner from 1986 to 1990; member of the Southern California Assn. of Governments, the Ventura / San Fernando Valley Freeway Improvement Committee and the Ventura County Council on Economic Vitality.

Issues: Mikels supports establishment of a commercial airport at Point Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station, supports development of a landfill at Weldon Canyon near Ojai, promises to protect funding for law enforcement services.

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Scott Montgomery

Age: 41

Residence: Moorpark

Occupation: Moorpark city councilman; self-employed designer and marketer of computer software; newspaper deliveryman

Education: Bachelor’s degree in management from Pepperdine University, attended the United States Military Academy at West Point for one year

Background: Councilman since 1988; planning commissioner from 1986 to 1988; 13 years experience as a municipal finance consultant, eight with his own business and eight as vice president and director of municipal programs with Great Western Bank; chairman of the Ventura County Waste Commission.

Issues: Montgomery wants to establish a county firefighter paramedic program, wants the county to contract with cities to provide better and more efficient government services, supports development of a new landfill in the west county.