City Backs Recount of Disputed Names

To eliminate any appearance of impropriety, the Oxnard City Council has asked its staff to request a recount of disputed signatures contained in a petition that sought to reinstate the city’s Planning Commission.

City Manager Thomas Frutchey agreed to make the request at Tuesday night’s council meeting, but City Clerk Daniel Martinez, who is also Oxnard’s elections officer, said he must review state regulations before that can occur.

“I’m going to check with the Secretary of State to see if this has ever come up before,” Martinez said.

Only the city can ask for a recount of the disputed signatures. Councilman Tom Holden said he doesn’t want it to appear that the city is trying to stall the petition drive.

“My only desire is to make sure that what we do for the legal requirement of any petition is appropriate, whether we are for it or against it,” he said.

Supporters of the proposed initiative, which if passed would restore the city’s five-member Planning Commission, earlier threatened legal action and have campaigned to get the city to ask for the recount.

Those behind the initiative drive contend that seven signatures that Ventura County election officials ruled invalid are actually good. If so, the signatures in question would have been enough to force a full recount of the 6,135 signatures collected.

Bruce Bradley, the assistant county registrar or voters, had earlier offered to recount the signatures at no charge to the city.