Ventura board of supes moves to repeal campaign limit

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors in California has voted to repeal a local campaign finance ordinance that has been in place for 20 years. 

The ordinance placed a limit of $750 on contributions for candidates running for supervisor and countywide offices. With the ordinance now repealed, the county will follow state laws on contribution limits, which currently stands at $5,500 per election. 

The move has been met with opposition, with many urging the board to protect the current campaign finance rules to protect the voices of average voters instead of favoring special interests with deep pockets. 

The board will vote again on March 28 to adopt a new ordinance that repeals the current one.

Former top Ventura County official sues county

Former Ventura County Executive Officer Mike Powers has filed a lawsuit against the County of Ventura, claiming that he was forced out of his job without being given the chance to defend himself against a harassment accusation from one of his employees. 

Powers is seeking unspecified damages for invasion of privacy, wrongful termination, and other claims. He is also asking the court to force the county to defend him in the lawsuit brought by his accuser and to pay his legal costs. 

Powers had an employment contract as CEO that allowed the Board of Supervisors to remove him at any time with or without cause. Powers is denying all the allegations of harassment except one.

Camarillo eyes Days Inn for homeless housing

The City of Camarillo is considering using the Days Inn as a site for permanent and temporary housing for individuals who are homeless if the city receives Project Homekey funds. 

The proposed Homekey project involves renovating the building to create 62 units of permanent housing with wraparound services, a 20-bed navigation center for temporary housing and one unit for a resident manager. 

The city plans to submit a joint Homekey application with the County of Ventura and Jamboree Housing Corp., one of California’s largest nonprofit developers of affordable housing. The City Council will consider allocating $5.4 million of city funds toward the development and operation of the site at a future meeting. 

The state is expected to announce Homekey funding recipients in August, and city staff said the housing could open as early as December 2024.

OP-ED: Ventura County campaign limit change criticized

A state lawmaker and local leader of Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources urged residents to speak out against an intiative by two Ventura County Supervisors to raise political campaign limits.

Assemblyman Steve Bennett​​​​​ and Linda Parks, the Executive Director of SOAR and former Ventura County Supervisor, said in a joint op-ed that:

Ventura County has had a successful campaign reform law in place for the last two decades, which limits campaign contributions to $750 and has strict transparency and accountability requirements to prevent manipulations by big money donors. 

However, Supervisors Jeff Gorell and Janice Parvin are proposing to eliminate the county's campaign finance ordinance, which would increase contribution limits from $750 to the statewide limit of $5,500. This move would drown out the voices of average citizens and give big money donors more direct influence over supervisors.

The supervisors' argument that the local ordinance is no longer necessary because of state limits is unconvincing. In fact, 25 counties in California currently apply both state and local laws simultaneously to decrease the influence of big money in politics. Gorell and Parvin's claim that a new state law prohibiting voting on a project if a donation of more than $250 has been received in the past 12 months is also easily circumvented.

Florida governor speaks in Simi Valley

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California, discussing his new book, "The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival," but did not announce his candidacy for the White House.

He criticized leftist politicians and their policies, claiming that these led to a great American exodus from states governed by them. 

DeSantis also praised Florida's handling of COVID, taxes, public education, and other issues, stating that the state stood as a "refuge of sanity, a citadel of freedom." 

He criticized California's teachers unions for having a partisan agenda and discussed his opposition to critical race theory in Florida's education system. 

Around 100 protesters gathered outside the library, but the event remained peaceful, with the exception of vandalism to an entrance sign. Source: Thousand Oaks Acorn

Ventura supes approve homeless shelter support

The Board of Supervisors has approved a revenue sharing agreement with the City of Thousand Oaks to provide financial support for a permanent year-round shelter with 30 beds for homeless individuals and families. 

The agreement includes an initial capital funding of $2 million and an annual operations funding of $450,000. The shelter will be complementary to the new permanent housing project in the city, which received $26.7 million in Project Homekey Funds to convert the Quality Inn into 77 units of housing. 

The County is committed to funding operations on a 50/50 cost share with local communities committed to developing emergency shelters within their communities, subject to the constraints of the County's budget. The development cost per bed for the Thousand Oaks shelter is slightly higher than the other two projects, but the ongoing operations are lower. 

The County's share of development costs for the project is estimated at $2 million for development and ongoing operations of about $453,000 per year. The Board will receive annual status reports on the shelter's occupancy and success in placing people into permanent housing. 

The revenue sharing agreement passed unanimously.

Ventura County neighborhood gets tough on crime

Morrison Ranch Estates residents in Agoura Hills are taking action to combat a recent crime wave that has affected the community. 

A cul-de-sac summit on Meadowmist Way was organized by resident Shelley MacEwen to address safety concerns, such as protecting people and property, Los Angeles County Sheriff response procedures, and the use of license plate readers to thwart crime. 

Morrison Ranch has seen a dozen burglaries over the past few months, prompting the community to launch a more aggressive neighborhood patrol system. The homeowners' association has been criticized for a tepid response to residents' safety concerns, such as the installation of automatic license plate readers. 

Newspaper: Sexual harassment allegations unanswered from Moorpark College

Moorpark College and the Ventura County Community College District have been criticized for their lack of transparency in handling sexual harassment allegations on campus. 

After the [Camarillo] Acorn reached out to the college and district, both referred the paper to other representatives who provided stock responses and refused to answer policy-related questions. Public records requests also went unanswered, and officials declined to speak with reporters. 

The district has since hired an outside company to address student concerns, but the lack of transparency has raised concerns about accountability and public relations. Source: Camarillo Acorn

Camarillo bridge gets $4 million funding from feds

The city of Camarillo has received $4 million in federal funding for an $18 million bridge improvement project at Las Posas Road and Ventura Boulevard. 

The 465-foot bridge needs replacement as it deteriorates from about 32,000 vehicles passing over it daily. The federal funding will be added to the $12 million of city funds already allocated to the project. The new reinforced concrete bridge will bring the infrastructure up to current standards for pedestrian and bicycle use and prevent weight limitations and road closures. 

The city plans to begin construction in the summer of 2025, pending additional state and federal grants. Source: Camarillo Acorn

Oxnard finances get top marks

The Finance & Governance Committee in Oxnard received its 2021-2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, which was delivered by external financial auditors, Eadie & Payne. 

Eden Casareno from the auditing company said that Oxnard has received a clean opinion, which is the highest level of praise that can be given. A clean opinion means that the financial statements presented in the report are in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. 

One of the significant audit matters discussed was accounting estimates, which are made by management about financial statement items such as receivables or payables and capital assets. Source: TriCounty Sentry

Council committee to speed up Point Hueneme city manager search

The process to select a new City Manager for PH continues with a proposal to form a subcommittee panel consisting of two City Council members to assist in identifying the candidates that would move forward in the recruitment process. 

The panel will work closely with Human Resources/Risk Manager Nick Jones to finalize some of the decisions required for the process. The ideal candidate would have strong communication and budgeting skills, be adaptable and innovative, and possess a finance background to help increase revenue streams to achieve PH's goals. 

The shortlist meeting to identify potential candidates will take place on March 30, followed by a second in-person interview and a meet and greet with department heads scheduled for April 24. Source: TriCounty Sentry

Lawsuit puts Oxnard initiatives in question

The City of Oxnard's $30 million construction bond and $9 million Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) transition funding are at risk due to a lawsuit filed by Aaron Starr, according to City Manager Alex Nguyen. 

He also said that the City's future major capital and construction projects would be affected as well. The lawsuit has delayed the process, and it will take several months to resolve at the trial level, with an additional two years if there is an appeal. 

Council members expressed concern that the litigation would prevent the City from reaching its goals, especially regarding six existing parks projects, an aquatic center, and a sports park.