Moving Oxnard Forward

Last week, the court decided on two lawsuits between us and Oxnard City Hall.

In the first case – the one that was more substantive – we petitioned the court over the false and misleading language the City Council adopted for the ballot titles and questions destined to appear on November’s ballot.  We had warned the council that this was a problem before they adopted the language on July 17.  They didn't listen.

Many voters do not read more than the ballot title and question when making a decision on how to vote ... so it is especially critical that the language be concise, accurate and impartial. Otherwise, the City is abusing its power by placing its thumb on the scale of democracy.

In this lawsuit, WE were the prevailing party. Here are just a few snippets of what Judge Borrell wrote in deciding this case:

You may remember that last year we collected enough signatures to qualify five Oxnard initiatives for the ballot.

In response, the Oxnard City Council only followed the law on one of those five initiatives, placing our Permit Simplicity measure on the November ballot.

For three others, the Oxnard City Council refused to comply with the law and instead filed a lawsuit against us to keep those measures off the ballot.

They lost!

On Wednesday, July 15, the Ventura County Superior Court ordered the Oxnard City Council to follow the law and put three of our initiatives onto the November election ballot to let voters decide.

Ventura County Superior Courts are finally re-opening following the COVID-19 closures, and we're finally able to act to reverse the city council's illegal move with our term limits initiative.  We previously told you part of that story, but we have more to share now!

Watch what politicians DO … not what they SAY.

Do you remember how we were told by Oxnard officials that high wastewater rate increases were absolutely urgently needed for repairs at the wastewater plant?

Well … on tonight’s city council meeting (Agenda Item L-1) ... City Hall plans to borrow up to $30 million dollars in cash from the three city-owned utilities – including $10 million from the wastewater utility! – to bail out the general fund.

The Oxnard City Council thinks they’re playing a clever game with voters … but they actually broke the law yet again!

Way back in 1973 the Oxnard electorate voted to separately elect the mayor with a two-year term –– after residents gathered signatures to place the matter on the ballot.

Stay with me. You’ll see why this is important in a moment.

On October 15, 2019, when the council voted to place Measure B on the March 2020 ballot, the city manager and city attorney advised the council that MOST of Measure B’s provisions could be enacted into law with a simple vote of the council …

… But because Measure B also extends the mayor’s term from two to four years –– and the voters had already decided on two years in 1973 –– it would take a public vote to modify that.

Fun Fact:  Oxnard Measure B’s “transparency” provisions include veto clauses.  

Yes, you read that correctly.  Copied straight from the text of Measure B:

“All agreements requiring City Council approval must be posted on the City’s website and made available to the public prior to City Council action unless determined otherwise by the city attorney."

Imagine if City Hall hosted a voter forum and invited only one side to the debate. You'd think something so corrupt could never happen …

… but we’re talking about Oxnard City Hall.

On Wednesday, February 5 the Inter-Neighborhood Council Organization (INCO) –– an organization chartered by the Oxnard City Council –– hosted in City Council chambers what was advertised on printed flyers as an “Oxnard Voters’ Forum.”

Measure B, the so called “Government Accountability and Ethics Act”, is a defective incumbent protection scheme written at the direction of City Manager Alexander Nguyen, and placed on the March 2020 primary ballot by the Oxnard City Council. 

It is designed to extend city council terms, handcuff the council’s political challengers and kneecap several citizen-sponsored initiatives qualified for the November 2020 ballot.

To lure you into voting for it, Measure B includes false promises of reform on topics that the City’s taxpayer-funded polling said the voters would like to hear. And the City Manager is also using your tax money for a marketing campaign that includes glossy mail pieces.

What Oxnard City Hall attempted in court yesterday was sad, though not surprising.

Believing they'd have a better chance to defend a pattern of illegal utility revenue transfers if the opposing side wasn't allowed to present evidence, they asked a judge to disallow the evidence we have collected.

During its January 21, 2020 meeting, the City Council did something dastardly -- they adopted strict term limits not because they want them to be the law, but they did it as a political tactic to kill strict term limits.

Yes, you read that correctly! Let me explain...