Kildee’s Stepson to Run for Council Seat

Small businessman Kevin Kildee, a lifetime Camarillo resident, announced Wednesday that he plans to run for one of the two City Council seats that are available this fall.

Kildee, 39, is the stepson of Ventura County Supervisor Maggie Kildee. She announced last year that she would not seek a fifth term in November.

Kevin Kildee said he wants to serve on the council to help forge his hometown’s future. “We’re at a crossroads in Camarillo,” he said. “I want to be part of the changes that are going on here as we move into the next century.”

Kildee operates a men’s clothing store with his father, Bob Kildee, who opened the shop in 1954. Two years ago, Kevin Kildee was elected to a four-year term on the board of the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District, a seat he said he is willing to trade for a stint on the City Council.

He said he supports preserving the greenbelt that divides Camarillo and Oxnard and would be careful about approving development applications.

“We have to try to manage the growth that we have,” he said. “We’ve done a good job with that, but we have to be vigilant and try to improve it, too.”

Kildee becomes the third candidate to announce his or her intention to seek a council seat. Earlier this month, Planning Commissioner William Q. Liebmann and Chamber of Commerce board member Sherry Cole said they would run. Mayor David M. Smith has said he would not seek an additional term.

Councilman Mike Morgan, meanwhile, is in a runoff campaign with Kathy Long for the Board of Supervisors seat being vacated by Maggie Kildee.