Countywide : Board Puts Landfill Proposal on Ballot
Saying they had no choice, Ventura County supervisors voted Tuesday to place a proposal to build a landfill at Weldon Canyon before county voters on the March 26 ballot.
A majority of the supervisors have long opposed the dump proposal, which is being pursued by Taconic Resources, a San Diego investment firm.
Seeking to bypass the board, Taconic collected nearly 22,000 voter signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot.
Before the board’s vote Tuesday, supervisors noted that Taconic had paid professional signature-gatherers to help its campaign. They also maintained that some of Taconic’s workers had provided misleading information to voters about the proposed landfill project.
Taconic wants to build the dump in a rugged canyon between Ventura and Ojai to replace Bailard Landfill in Oxnard after it closes next July.
Supervisors warned Tuesday that Taconic’s initiative would not subject the landfill to county rate controls or prevent the dump operator from importing trash from Los Angeles County and other areas.
The board also voted Tuesday to draft a rebuttal against the dump. But Supervisor Judy Mikels voted against writing a counter argument, saying that she was uncomfortable with the county trying to influence voters.
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