Financial Planner Nominated for Panel

City Councilman Andy Fox has nominated a local financial planner to serve on the city’s Planning Commission.

Jim Bruno is a veteran of some key city commissions, including the Campaign Finance Reform Committee, which he co-chaired. He also served as an original member of the Citizens Budget Task Force and now chairs its Investment Advisory Committee.

“Political philosophy is not the rationale behind my appointment,” Fox said of Bruno, who has never made a campaign donation to Fox nor worked on the councilman’s campaigns. “What I look for first and foremost is independence. He’s got a high level of integrity and hard work, and that’s what the city needs.”

Fox interviewed four prospective commissioners before arriving at his decision Sunday night. While all were outstanding choices, he said, Bruno’s personality set him apart.

“I’ve known and respected him to be an independent thinker, thoughtful and hard-working,” Fox said.

Bruno, a 23-year resident of Thousand Oaks, said his experience in watching the town grow during the past two decades gives him a key perspective on planning issues. But he said city planners need to look past construction projects and toward the people who live in the city.

“I think there’s a natural propensity for nostalgia, and I very much embrace the feeling that we don’t want to be like Los Angeles, that we’re unique and we want to maintain the character of the community,” Bruno said. “But my real passion is for the values of the people, not just the bricks and mortar.”