Friedman and Di Guilio Reelected in Ventura

In a contest that drew moderate voter interest, Ventura Mayor Jim Friedman and retired college administrator Ray Di Guilio retained their seats on the Ventura City Council on Tuesday, while county planner Carl Morehouse narrowly captured the third seat in a crowded field.

The city’s electorate also approved by 9,087 to 7,581 votes a Pentecostal church’s bid to expand onto farmland in east Ventura.

The project by the First Assembly of God at Montgomery Avenue and North Bank Drive was the first test of the SOAR growth-control law designed to protect farmland from suburban sprawl.

In the city’s school district, incumbent Debbie Golden cruised to easy victory with 10,128 votes, or 35.6%, while fellow trustee Jim Wells fended off a stiff challenge by retired teacher John Gennaro for a second seat. Wells received 9,232 votes, or 32.5%, while Gennaro had 9,033 votes.

And in Santa Paula, a $2.5-million school bond measure won--by two votes--the two-thirds majority it needed for passage, 225 votes to 110, in the final unofficial vote count.

“Thank goodness my daughter and I voted,” said an exuberant Karen MacConell, a trustee in the Briggs School District.

Balloting was light across Ventura in the off-year election, with an estimated 31% of registered voters turning out, election officials said.

Friedman polled 7,549 votes, or 15.9%, while Di Guilio drew 5,988, for 12.6%. Morehouse came in third with 5,549 votes, or 11.7%, 314 votes ahead of pediatrician Bob Ryan. Despite receiving several key endorsements, downtown business leader Doug Halter managed only a fifth-place finish, with 5,053.

Friedman celebrated his victory.

“I hope this will come across as a real mandate that the city is on the right track,” he said. “This shows that the voters are very satisfied with this city.”

There were 12 candidates vying for three seats on the City Council. Di Guilio and Friedman were seeking second terms; a third seat is being vacated by Councilman Jack Tingstrom.

Besides Morehouse, Ryan and Halter, challenging the incumbents were activist Brian Lee Rencher, retired engineer Roger Jewett, cafe owner Charlie Gartman, California Highway Patrol Officer Paul Thompson, businessman Ed Ryan, and small business owners Lynn Doyle Cogdill and Diane Underhill.

Thompson received 4,621 votes, or 9.7%; Underhill, 3,895 votes, or 8.2%; Jewett, 3,182, or 6.7%; Gartman, 2,193, or 4.6%; Rencher, 2,177, or 4.6%; Cogdill, 1,250, or 2.6%, and Ed Ryan, 671, or 1.4%.

The low-key campaign centered on whether the city should form redevelopment districts to spruce up aging neighborhoods, how it should deal with an entrenched homeless population and how to fix sagging employee morale at City Hall.

Controversy flared briefly when the Chamber of Commerce refused to endorse Friedman, a former chamber president. The business organization’s nod went to Di Guilio, Halter and Morehouse.

The district attorney’s office later launched an investigation into whether some council members tried to influence chamber members to recommend Friedman, a charge that the mayor has characterized as a last-minute attempt to smear him.

Measure C also became an issue in the City Council race. Candidates carefully spelled out their positions on whether First Assembly of God should be allowed to build on SOAR-protected land. Under the SOAR initiative passed by voters in 1995, any proposal to build on agricultural land must first be approved by voters.

Measure C marks the first time that voters have been asked to approve a construction project. The church’s plans to build an auditorium, classrooms and playing fields on 25 acres have received tentative support from a majority of candidates, including Friedman, Halter and Di Guilio.

Morehouse said he dislikes “ballot-box” planning, but will respect whatever voters decide.

Richard Francis, an author of the growth-control initiative, opposed Measure C because he believed that it did not give enough details on what the church planned to build on its property. Church officials have since signed a promise not to build housing without voter approval.

That was enough to get Don Dudley’s vote. The Ventura man voted yes on Measure C, but said he will skeptically view any other proposal that intrudes onto protected farmland.

“No home developments, no veterans hospital, nothing,” he said after casting his ballot at Junipero Serra School. “A ballpark’s OK with me, but I don’t want to see anything else getting built around here.”

Morris Friedell, a retired sociology professor, voted no on the measure, saying he is concerned that the church will restrict public use of the sports fields. And despite the church’s promise not to build houses, he worries that the parcel could be sold to developers.

“A yes vote would weaken the spirit of the SOAR initiative,” he said.

In Ventura’s school board race, Golden was going for a second four-year term and Wells was trying for a third term.

Gennaro, also a former union leader, said new blood is needed to revive a district he contends has grown complacent about improving academic performance.

But he suffered a blow when he failed to win a key endorsement from the Chamber of Commerce. The chamber said the incumbents have done a good job seeing the district through lean financial times, including passage of an $81-million bond measure to build three schools and modernize others.

In Santa Paula, voters were asked to decide whether to tax themselves to build a new elementary school.

Times Community News reporter Tony Lystra and Times photographer Spencer Weiner contributed to this story.

* ON THE WEB

Final results are posted on The Times Web site at: https://www.latimes.com/editions/ventura