Fate of Pest-Control District Discussed

In their first round-table discussion of the Moorpark Mosquito Abatement District, district trustees and city and county officials agreed Wednesday to work together to decide the district’s future.

Ventura County Supervisor Judy Mikels also used the occasion to ask that district trustees refrain from making any significant financial decisions until questions about the district’s fate are settled. Trustees had been considering a proposal to reduce the amount of property tax the district receives.

Wednesday’s meeting marked the first time that Mikels, who has called for the district to be abolished, met with trustees and Moorpark City Council members to review the district’s finances and mission. Mikels has criticized the district, which is responsible for controlling problem insects in and around Moorpark, for amassing a $1.4-million reserve and outliving its usefulness.

The meeting’s participants agreed that someone--either the district, the county or the city--needs to provide the same quality of pest-control service Moorpark residents currently receive. Mikels said the meeting’s participants must now decide the most efficient way to provide those services.

Those attending Wednesday’s meeting, however, said they still lacked key information needed for such a decision. Mikels said she wants an opinion from the county counsel on the district proposal to reduce its tax income. And district trustee Jim Hartley requested a flow chart on how the dissolution of the district would work.