By David Courtland
Measure O, homelessness and the city manager’s performance were topics tackled by several candidates for Oxnard City Council District 3 at Wednesday night’s District 3 forum.
Incumbent Oscar Madrigal and challengers Victor Rasmussen and Aaron Starr answered questions from moderator Ronald Arruejo. Another candidate, Fernando Lopez, did not attend the debate.
“Since 2008 the city has benefited from Measure O in some way, shape or form,” Madrigal said when asked about the tax used to fund city services.
“Either with the fire department, the police department or other departments throughout the city that half cent sales tax has been put to use,” Madrigal said, adding that he would support extending the tax beyond 2028, when the tax terminates. “But ultimately that would be up to the voters.”
Rasmussen had mixed feelings about the tax and its uses, though he ultimately was against it.
“There are some good things and bad things, some projects are good, some are not,” Rasmussen said, noting the economy is still recovering from the covid pandemic. “I don’t agree with a sales tax, our spending needs to be more controlled.”
But Starr was critical of taxes in general and opposed to extending the tax beyond 2028, saying that the city lagged in finding ways to become more efficient because it counted on taxes.
“That’s the attitude this city has, it doesn’t find ways to become more efficient because it thinks it can always raise taxes,” Starr said. “Having the highest tax rate in the county while getting some of the worst service levels in the county is just not acceptable.”
Asked whether Oxnard should repeal its ban on public camping or begin arresting and fining the homeless, Madrigal cited the city’s efforts working with other cities, the county and state.
“The topic of homelessness takes a whole team approach,” Madrigal said. “There will be no one solution just coming from the City of Oxnard.”
Madrigal pointed out the city will have a permanent year-round homeless shelter, currently under construction, within another year. “We are working to get people off the streets,” he concluded.
Starr suggested the threat of arrest or fines could be used as leverage to get the homeless to take advantage of help being offered them.
“I’m very much in favor of an anti-camping ordinance, not so that we can arrest people, but so that we can have leverage over the decisions they make,” Starr said.
Starr noted that for various reasons the homeless often refuse help offered to them, and the prospect of being arrested or fined could be used as part of a carrot-and-stick approach.
Rasmussen said flatly that prosecuting the homeless simply wasn’t practical and jailing them would just cost more money.
“Arresting them and fining them is not going to help, because basically they don’t have any money to pay fine,” Rasmussen said. “And throwing them in jail, that’s just going to cost more tax money for us.”
Only one candidate was satisfied with City Manager Alex Nguyen’s performance, with Rasmussen making less than flattering comments about the decisions Nguyen has led the city council to make.
Asked if Nguyen was doing a good job or if he has any criticism of him, Rasmussen said he disagreed with decisions to close the Carnegie Museum and lay off parks and recreation staff.
“That affected a large part of our community,” said Rasmussen. “I can’t point to something that he’s done well, because I haven’t seen anything that he’s done well.”
Starr was reluctant to criticize Nguyen directly but nonetheless made an observation about the turnover among staff since Nguyen was hired in 2018.
“I’m not inclined to judge the city manager because I’ve not had an opportunity to work with him,” Starr said. “But when I look at any city manager, I ask what is the turnover among people that he hires?
“The turnover at City Hall at the upper levels is really, really high, and that tells you something about the quality of the leadership there,” Starr said.
Only Madrigal, who has worked with Nguyen since he was hired, came to the city manager’s defense.
“Working with the city manager over the last six years, at times other city council members and I were a little pessimistic that his plans and ideas would work,” Madrigal said, adding, “He has proven me wrong a couple of times, he came in with a plan and he made it work. He’s done a great job for the city.”