By David Courtland and Carlos Garcia
Candidates for Oxnard’s City Council District 1 attended the Oct. 21 Cabrillo Neighborhood Council meeting, the last time they would face off against each other before the Nov. 3 election.
“The three principles of my campaign are fiscal responsibility, transparency and accountability,” said John Barrick, a Ventura County prosecutor, in his opening statement.
Barrick said specific ways he would help Cabrillo were enforcing a flight pattern he said the airport hasn’t been following, speed bumps and traffic circles to reduce speeding and landscape maintenance.
Incumbent Bert Perello emphasized his support for Measure E and the city’s continued financial health, explaining that if the extension of the city’s sales tax were not approved there would be a “$20 million per year hit to the city” beginning in 2029.
“There’s a $60 million surplus; some of my opponents want to use that up,” Perello said. “You know what happened in the years we didn’t have the money, they went through the reserves like crazy and the city faced insolvency.”
Challenger Eduardo Huerta said he brought to the table experience with legislative issues – he is a former State Assembly staff member – and said he would advocate for each family in the neighborhood.
Huerta suggested giving neighborhood councils more input over how funding is spent and said that he is a strong supporter of Measure E.
Perello assured a woman who asked how parks are going to be prioritized that the city has funding and plans for parks, although he couldn’t say specifically when changes would take place.
But Barrick said he wasn’t sure the city was prioritizing the things that mattered to the community.
“I grow a little tired when I hear people say we don’t have money for certain things, or we don’t have time for certain things,” Barrick said. “In my experience when you prioritize things, especially things important to the community, suddenly the money appears and things get done.”
Cabrillo Neighborhood Council Chairperson Juan Carrillo moderated the meeting.