Former Oxnard Official Back in Fray

When La Colonia-born Councilman Andres Herrera was booted from office after one term in 1996, some former supporters accused him of arrogance and of losing touch with the community.

But the onetime political up-and-comer, who acknowledged he saw a successful council tenure as a path to higher office, vowed to return, saying, “You are going to see me sooner than you think.”

True to his word, Herrera is back two years later in the midst of local politics.

But rather than trying to recapture one of two available council seats this fall--occupied by political allies Tom Holden and Dean Maulhardt, both of whom are seeking reelection--Herrera is taking aim at the mayor’s post, held by Oxnard institution Manuel Lopez.

The matchup initially had some observers predicting a contentious and hard-fought campaign. For the most part, however, the affair has been relatively quiet.

Two-time unsuccessful City Council candidate Bill Winter, who works in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Ventura office, is the outsider in what most observers see as a two-man race.

“From what I hear in the community, the mayor is a shoo-in for reelection,” said Rabbi John Sherwood, an Oxnard community activist.

Even Herrera concedes he faces a difficult task in unseating Lopez.

The 71-year-old optometrist is seeking his fourth two-year term as mayor and is running his 10th political campaign. He is considered a moderate politician in the mold of Assemblyman Nao Takasugi, whom he succeeded as mayor.

And that makes him a tough target for the abrasive Herrera, who is seen as a wild card who doesn’t engender comfortable feelings among some voters.

Indeed, the political alliance of Herrera, Maulhardt and Holden ushered in a turbulent period on the council, mainly because of a series of controversial reforms shepherded by then-City Manager Tom Frutchey.

Frutchey was fired after Herrera left the council and a new council majority led by Lopez regained control.

“Manny, generally speaking, is a good guy and he wants to win his last campaign, naturally, and I think he will,” former Councilwoman Dorothy Maron said.

“There are many people I have spoken to that have the concern that if Andres came in as mayor and had the three votes again, they would bring back Frutchey,” she said.

But Lopez isn’t willing to say this is his final campaign, especially with the city in a relatively healthy financial position. And while he said he is taking Herrera’s challenge seriously, he expects to win reelection.

“I don’t know what you can point to that is so bad,” he said. “So I don’t know what the basis of any change would be.”

Herrera, who became only the fourth Latino councilman in Oxnard’s 90-year history, was also only the third incumbent in the past 30 years to lose a second council term.

He rejects the notion his challenge points up an arrogant attitude.

“I’ve always been a person that has been passionate,” he said. “That’s not an issue of arrogance. That’s an issue of self-respect. I like myself.

“Most people think I’m an enemy of Dr. Lopez,” he added. “I’m not. . . . But we need greater advocacy for the city of Oxnard.”

Indeed, Herrera has avoided directly attacking the mayor’s political record during his 20-year council career--a difficult task given that career’s longevity and Lopez’s solid reputation as a middle-of-the-road political survivor in politicized Oxnard.

Instead, Herrera has continually suggested in interviews and public forums that Oxnard suffers from a “void of leadership.”

Herrera said the theme, calculated to suggest a need for positive change rather than strident dissatisfaction, is aimed at convincing voters that he will be a more dynamic and inspirational than Lopez.

Lopez understands the tactic. He doesn’t think it will work.

“People always criticize me because I’m not loud enough or I don’t speak forcefully enough, but I don’t think that is necessary,” he said. “You can be a leader without trying to force people to do things. . . . [Herrera is] defining himself. It’s up to the voters to define whether you’re a leader or not and they defined him as not a leader two years ago even though he thinks he is.”

Perhaps another reason Herrera has shied away from picking apart Lopez’s public persona is that Herrera has accrued plenty of political baggage during his brief council career. Herrera positioned himself as a spokesman for the Latino community, and then in one 1994 attack publicly berated farm worker representatives for asking why they didn’t “get off your collective butts and do your job for a change.”

In 1996 he amassed a $53,000 war chest en route to running what was believed to be the best-financed council campaign in county history. In the process, Herrera created a sense of unease among voters who thought too much of his money came from developers.

This time around, however, Herrera has raised about $16,200 to date, compared with Lopez’s $25,400.

Herrera’s conduct provoked another stir when it was revealed he had never graduated from UCLA as touted on campaign literature. To this day Herrera insists he was unaware he did not have a degree.

Even after leaving office Herrera continued to make news.

Last year the Ventura County Grand Jury launched an investigation into the legality of free golfing privileges Herrera and other former and current city officials enjoyed at the municipal course.

The grand jury also examined the allocation of public funds used to subsidize performances at the city’s performing arts center by the cultural group Herrera co-founded.

While the grand jury concluded no wrongdoing had occurred, the investigation led to the council abolishing the golfing perk and indirectly led to an overhaul of the operation of the debt-ridden arts center.

“There was no abuse,” Herrera said of the accusations. “People know me. . . . Sometimes dirty politics works.”

The overhaul of city government initiated by Herrera and the others also produced a rougher than usual brand of politics to Oxnard.

The reforms ranged from elimination of the city’s Planning Commission to a wide-ranging reorganization of municipal government that included consolidation of fire and police services.

The tactics ignited vociferous debate at City Hall and beyond.

And they may have contributed to the ouster of the brash Herrera, whose sometime scolding of speakers at public meetings was seen as symptomatic of a council majority bent on change, never mind the opposition.

“There was never an intent to reduce public debate,” Herrera said. “People didn’t understand.

“We were moving so fast we forgot one thing--we did not involve the public,” he added. “That was our undoing.”

To some extent Lopez said he sees the election as a battle for control of the council.

He suggests a vote for Herrera would be a step back for the city. Not surprisingly, Herrera insists the opposite is true, though he also distances himself from the idea he is part of a slate with Holden and Maulhardt.

On the whole, the campaign has been an understated affair.

Lopez stresses his ability to work with all segments of the community in a city that is predominantly Latino in numbers, if not in terms of political influence.

Herrera, the owner of a human resources consulting firm, emphasizes his ties to the business sector that would help Oxnard expand its economic base.

On most issues the pair differ little, talking about the need to support police, reduce crime and improve city-sponsored community and recreation programs.

The most marked divergence between Lopez and Herrera is on the Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources initiative, which seeks to curb urban sprawl.

Herrera noted at a recent forum that he subscribes to the “tenets of SOAR” and signed the petition to place it on the ballot. He did not, however, add that in actuality he opposes SOAR and plans to vote against the measure at the ballot box.

“I firmly believe the existing systems that we have, have been working up to this point,” he said in an interview. “I’m not going to pussyfoot around and say it’s a panacea for our problems. We already have urban boundaries within our General Plan.”

Similarly, Lopez at the same forum said he believes SOAR will pass, but refrained from adding he is in favor of the initiative.

Critics were alarmed that Lopez appeared slow to embrace the idea initially, even attempting at one council meeting to put a similar competing measure on the ballot.

But Lopez said the resolution of questions he had about SOAR and modifications made to the Oxnard version of the initiative prompted him to support the proposal.

And, ever the savvy politician who knows not to swim against the tide of public opinion, Lopez said his position has also been influenced by the public’s support for SOAR.

“It’s partly a reaction to what the public wants,” he concedes. “I have to be responsive to what the public wants.

“I think we’re going to utilize our land better than we did,” he added. “I think we can have economic development and not have urban sprawl--it’s a matter of planning.”

The 42-year-old Winter is most enthusiastic on supporting SOAR and farmers who may be affected by it.

Winter, who is spending a minimal amount on his campaign and said he can’t solicit contributions because of his status as a federal employee, also favors not developing Ormond Beach and working toward ending the run-ins with such neighboring cities as Ventura over lucrative sales tax revenue.

“I’d like to put a stop to some of the development I’ve seen,” he said. “They call [Oxnard] a developers’ playground. I’d like to change that image.

“But I’d also like to see tax incentives given to the farmers to allow them to continue their agriculture,” he added.