Meet the Candidates : Thousand Oaks Council

Nine candidates are running for two City Council seats Nov. 5. Among the key issues are how to preserve the city’s vaunted parks and open spaces and how to pay for more police officers. Incumbent Mike Markey, winner of a special election last year, is running for his first full term, while the second seat is vacant through the resignation of Councilwoman Jamie Zukowski, who moved to Colorado.

Dan Del Campo

Age: 48

Occupation: Marketing consultant

Education: Three years of business administration at Triton Junior College in Illinois and the University of Phoenix

Background: Del Campo, a 17-year Thousand Oaks resident, is a former two-time president of the Conejo Track Club.

Issues: Del Campo believes Thousand Oaks needs more regulations to ensure its parks and open spaces remain free from development. He is proposing an adopt-an-oak program whereby residents can help save endangered trees. Del Campo also believes Thousand Oaks is changing too fast and must make more effort to adhere to its existing guidelines for growth. He supports ordinances to protect small businesses from chain stores.

Marshall Dixon

Age: 71

Occupation: Retired auto dealership manager

Education: Two years of journalism at Northwestern University in Illinois

Background: Dixon, chairman of the Thousand Oaks Council on Aging, has been involved in more than a dozen local organizations since moving to the city eight years ago.

Issues: Dixon’s top priorities are improving police services, maintaining the city’s infrastructure and finding ways for Thousand Oaks to save money. He is proposing the formation of a public safety advisory commission to help ensure that Thousand Oaks remains one of the country’s safest large cities. Dixon supports more sports fields, hiking trails and equestrian facilities. He believes he can help unite a divided City Council.

Norman Jackson

Age: 41

Occupation: Retired mechanic

Education: A year and a half of business at Moorpark College

Background: Jackson, a former Navy yeoman, first ran for City Council in 1988.

Issues: Jackson wants Thousand Oaks to build a large sports complex at Conejo Creek Park, similar to the Sport X athletic complex recently proposed by a private developer for the same site. He believes the city could pay for the complex by selling bonds. Jackson wants to open more trails for horseback riding. He also wants to start a weekly question-and-answer program where Thousand Oaks residents could mail their opinions to the City Council.

Tom Lee

Age: 21

Occupation: Part-time computer consultant

Education: Undergraduate economics student at UCLA

Background: Lee, chairman of the Ventura County Young Republicans, has lived in Thousand Oaks his entire life.

Issues: Lee believes Thousand Oaks is spending too much money and raising too many fees and assessments. He wants to institute a merit-based incentive program for city employees who find ways to lower costs. Lee believes Thousand Oaks can bolster its police services without raising taxes, and he wants to examine whether forming a city police department would be cheaper than contracting with the county Sheriff’s Department.

Mike Markey

Age: 41

Occupation: City councilman, Compton homicide detective

Education: Studied public administration at Pepperdine University

Background: Markey, who joined the City Council last year after a special election, is a former board member of the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs.

Issues: Markey’s top priorities are expanding police services and adding more youth sports facilities. He supports the proposed expansion and upgrade of the city’s Hill Canyon Wastewater Treatment Plant. Markey believes Thousand Oaks must do more to attract high-tech employers. He also wants to make sure proposals to develop the private side of the Civic Arts Plaza and to build a city-owned golf course at Hill Canyon are reviewed properly.

Linda Parks

Age: 39

Occupation: City planning commissioner, former transportation consultant

Education: Bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, master’s in urban planning from the University of Washington

Background: Parks is president and co-founder of the committee to build the Ventura County Discovery Center, a proposed children’s science museum. She spearheaded a successful open space initiative last spring.

Issues: Parks believes Thousand Oaks is growing too fast and that the quality of life residents treasure is in jeopardy. She believes campaign finance reform is needed to limit what she sees as the pervasive influence of developers and other special interests on City Council decisions. Parks wants to beef up police resources. She believes Thousand Oaks is spending too much money and making financial decisions without considering the long-term effects.

Nick E. Quidwai

Age: 45

Occupation: Sales representative

Education: Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Karachi University in Pakistan, bachelor’s in business from Cal State Fullerton

Background: Quidwai, a 17-year Thousand Oaks resident, is an outspoken presence at seemingly every city, county and school district meeting.

Issues: Quidwai is proposing a moratorium on all development projects until officials can more thoroughly study their cumulative impact on quality of life. He wants to fire City Manager Grant Brimhall and City Atty. Mark Sellers. Quidwai supports a more thorough audit of city finances. He believes the bidding policies for city contracts are flawed and must be reexamined.

Ramaul Rush

Age: 47

Occupation: Children’s court investigator

Education: Bachelor’s degree in public administration and master’s degree in sociology from San Jose State University, law degree from Northrop University in Los Angeles

Background: Rush, a 14-year Thousand Oaks resident, is an advocate for the Conejo Valley Free Clinic.

Issues: Rush is concerned that growth may bring San Fernando Valley-like traffic and crime problems to Thousand Oaks. He proposes a master plan for public safety that would include more police substations and the hiring of more officers. Rush also believes the City Council must take a more active role in youth issues. He wants to build more sports facilities, and he supports a tough policy against teenage drinking and violence.

David Seagal

Age: 66

Occupation: Civil and structural engineer

Education: Bachelor’s degree in engineering from Fort Belvoir military school in Virginia, studied business administration at USC, also took continuing education courses in psychology and mathematics at UCLA

Background: Seagal, a five-year Thousand Oaks resident, worked on numerous seismic retrofitting projects after the Northridge earthquake.

Issues: Seagal believes Thousand Oaks government needs to be conducted more openly. He wants the city to issue detailed financial reports frequently and draft stricter guidelines for bidding on city contracts. Seagal believes the city manager position is too powerful and needs to be redefined. He believes the City Council is beholden to large companies and developers, and he wants it to be more receptive to small businesses and homeowners.