Last Roll Call

After 16 years on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, Maggie Kildee bid an emotional farewell to her colleagues and county staff during her final board meeting Tuesday.

“It’s very hard to say goodbye,” said Kildee, who made history in 1980 when she and Supervisor Susan Lacey became the first women elected to the board. “But it’s time for me to do something else.”

Board Chairman Frank Schillo called Kildee “a legend” in her sprawling 3rd District, which includes Camarillo, Fillmore, Ojai, Santa Paula and portions of Thousand Oaks.

“She really threw herself into the job and went to bat for her constituents,” Schillo said. “She did what is asked of all elected officials.”

Supervisor John Flynn, who often clashed with Kildee over the years on different issues, apologized to her publicly for past statements in which he questioned her character. He also commended her for her dedication and for fighting for causes she felt most strongly about.

Earlier, Flynn said one of the things he believed Kildee would best be remembered for was her desire to help the underprivileged as an avid supporter of the Ventura County Medical Center.

“She has a good spot in her heart for people in need,” he said. “I think she is a good person.”

Supervisors Judy Mikels and Lacey also complimented Kildee for her years of service.

“She will not only be remembered for her leadership, but for the grace she has shown in the last 16 years,” Lacey said.

Afterward, a tearful Kildee said she was moved by her colleagues’ comments. “It’s kind of like going to your own funeral,” she said.

Kildee, 64, stunned local officials and even her own staff when she announced in June 1995 that she would not seek reelection. She said she wanted to spend more time with her husband, Bob.

As she packed up mementos from her office last week, the supervisor said she had no regrets about her decision and was looking forward to retirement. She plans to take sculpting class beginning next month at Ventura College.

“It’s time to do other things,” she said.

Looking back on her years as a supervisor, Kildee said one of the things she is most proud of is her efforts to preserve farmland and to keep agriculture as the county’s main industry.

“I hope the legacy is that we have maintained our agricultural land,” Kildee said. “The Santa Clara Valley is just about as pristine as it was when I first took office.”

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Born in Glendale, Kildee moved from her home in South Pasadena to Camarillo in 1966 and immediately became active in the community. She taught elementary school in the Pleasant Valley School District for eight years and eventually went on to serve on the Pleasant Valley Park and Recreation District.

It was during her time on the park district board that Kildee discovered that she had “some ability to get people to do what I thought was right.”

So when a reporter called up one day to ask if she was going to run for an open county supervisor seat, Kildee, who had not considered it, said she thought to herself, “Why not?” Besides, she said, “there had never been a woman elected to the board.”

Kildee plunged into the race, knocking on more than 18,000 doors from Camarillo to Fillmore. In the end, both she and Susan Lacey were elected.

Although she has enjoyed her time on the board, Kildee said there are a few things that she will not miss, including what she called “the hardball” side of politics.

The worst of it came when Kildee found herself in recent years at odds with Sheriff Larry Carpenter, who lived in her district and had supported her in the past, over budgetary issues.

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Kildee says much of the problem was miscommunication. She said if she had it to do over she would have sat down and talked with Carpenter to try and work out their disagreements.

“Things never should have happened the way they did,” Kildee said.

Tensions have since eased between the two. Carpenter endorsed Kathy Long, Kildee’s top aide, in her successful bid for the supervisor’s job last month. And recently, the sheriff attended a going-away party for Kildee.

“The sheriff, myself and certainly Kathy are all saying now what’s been done is done, it’s history, and now we’re going to move forward,” Kildee said.

Meanwhile, Kildee said she plans to accept $43,000 in bonus pay upon leaving office--a sum she could have rejected.

The money, which is equivalent to three weeks’ pay for every year served on the board, is part of a benefits package approved by the supervisors in 1989 for elected officials. It was designed to bring the supervisors’ salaries in line with the county’s senior managers and department heads.

The controversial perk was abolished in 1992. But Kildee is still eligible to receive the money accrued before the bonus pay was eliminated.

Since the money was earned in prior years, Kildee said she believed she was entitled to it. Supervisors Lacey and Flynn also are entitled to receive bonus pay when they leave office, but Flynn has signed a waiver saying he will not take the money.