ELECTIONS / THOUSAND OAKS COUNCIL : Memo Warns of Attacks by Pro-Business Group

A Thousand Oaks pro-business group plans to do some behind-the-scenes “bad guy politicking” while backing City Council candidate Mike Markey in the June special election, according to a confidential memo.

Citizens to Save Our City will allow Markey, a Compton homicide detective, “to run a positive campaign” while it spends nearly $14,000 in negative advertising aimed at his opponents, according to a series of memos faxed anonymously Friday to Mayor Jaime Zukowski, who forwarded copies to The Times.

The group, headed by computer consultant Brian Collier, played an active role in the campaign last fall, directing frequent strident attacks at Councilwoman Elois Zeanah and her slate of candidates. It spent $7,000 in negative newspaper and radio advertising in the last days of the divisive November race.

“The bad guy-good guy thing is what they did in the last campaign,” Zeanah said. “They used Citizens to Save Our City to do the mudslinging and keep their candidates clean.”

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One of the memos outlines campaign strategies discussed during a Feb. 2 session, described as a “meeting of residents and businessmen interested in the political situation in Thousand Oaks.”

Collier confirmed that he attended that meeting, but said he did not write the memo. He acknowledged that he has seen parts of it and said it accurately reflects many details of the meeting.

“I’m not the author of it, no,” Collier said. “It’s somebody else’s interpretation of what went on at the meeting. It’s 99% accurate.”

But Collier said his group has not decided who to back in the special election to fill a seat vacated in December when Frank Schillo was elected to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors.

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Markey, the only candidate who has returned papers for the campaign, said Friday he has no knowledge of the memo or the meeting. He said he has had very little contact with the group and does not expect to work closely with the organization during the election.

“They are not part of my campaign,” Markey said. “I can’t control anybody from doing anything.

“If people are going to support me I appreciate that,” he added. “But as far as someone running a negative campaign, I don’t like negative campaigning. If that happens, I will probably call Brian Collier up and say, ‘Hey, what is going on?’ ”

Citizens to Save Our City backed Markey during the monthlong battle among council members over whether to hold a special election to fill the council vacancy or appoint the fourth-place finisher in November’s election. The group gathered 654 signatures in support of appointing Markey.

The council split 2 to 2 on the appointment and city law mandates a special election when the group is unable to reach a consensus.

Zeanah and Zukowski, who are referred to throughout the documents as the “Zs,” said Friday the memos confirmed their fears that the political process in Thousand Oaks is being run by special-interest groups.

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“This is the first time I have seen it all spelled out in writing,” Zukowski said. “It is entirely inappropriate that this could be so hidden and yet so effective in influencing the future of the city.”

Included among the memos is a letter from Collier to land-use attorney Chuck Cohen, outlining an estimated budget of $13,600 the group plans to spend on advertising during the spring campaign.

The strategy memo, which includes the reference to “bad guy politicking,” closes with the line: “CAC office offered administrative coordination.” Cohen’s law firm is Cohen, Alexander & Clayton.

Cohen did not return calls Friday.

According to the memo, one of the goals of Citizens to Save Our City is to expand the group beyond the business community.

“Committee is pro-city; no need to apologize or rationalize support for it,” it reads. “However, needs to be more than an organization of businessmen, auto dealers, realtors and developers.”

Fund-raising efforts for the group will include asking for donations of $5 to $100 from residents, one of the memos stated. Collier confirmed that strategy.

“Exactly,” Collier said. “We are business people and we would like to expand this. I’d love to get a bunch of $5 and $10 donations from residents.”

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Collier said his group will take an active approach in exposing the “dirty laundry” of candidates during the special election. So far, 10 potential candidates, including former county supervisorial candidate Trudi Loh, have taken out papers.

“If there is dirty laundry it should be brought out by people other than the candidates,” Collier said. “I brought out a lot of stuff on Elois Zeanah in the fall.”

The strategy memo links Loh with Zeanah and Zukowski. Although both councilwomen say they will not endorse any candidates in the June election, Collier said he believes they are aligned with Loh. He showed up with a camera at Loh’s press conference announcing her candidacy. He said he was hoping to catch the three women together, but the two councilwomen were not there.

“Do I go after Loh?” he added. “Most likely. I don’t care for what she stands for in a lot of ways. She and I do not see eye to eye in our politics.”

Word of the memos was greeted with resignation by some in the Thousand Oaks political community, and with outrage by others.

“We are getting to the point where groups overtly try to buy a seat on the council,” former Councilman Lee Laxdal said. “They are not just trying to influence the council, they are trying to put their people there. That is just dead wrong.”

Added Laxdal: “I’ve got to say for people that say they want to save our city, they have done about as much damage to the city as any group in the history of the city.”