Signature gathering under way for Aaron Starr ballot initiatives for Oxnard

Aaron Starr is the author of five proposed ballot initiatives that could go before Oxnard voters in March.

Outside grocery stores and shopping centers, Oxnard residents have been stopped in recent weeks and asked for their signatures in support of myriad municipal proposals.

Former mayoral candidate and council critic Aaron Starr has until Oct. 29 to collect names of local voters supporting his five proposals. Starr is hoping to get the ballot initiatives on the November 2020 ballot. To qualify, he will need at least 8,401 qualified signatures for each initiative, or 10% of registered Oxnard voters.

The measures, which aim to set term limits on council members and change the responsibilities of the city treasurer among other things, don’t have the support of Starr’s political rival Mayor Tim Flynn, who said he can’t get behind any of the five proposals.

In a recent interview, City Manager Alex Nguyen called some of the initiatives, including the proposal to make the chief financial officer an elected position, “incredibly dangerous.”

“Ultimately, I question the motive of all this. When you do a full analysis, this just grinds government to a halt. Perhaps that’s his real motive, to chip away and dismantle local government,” Nguyen said of Starr. “That’s kind of what it feels like.”

In an emailed statement, Starr wrote, "It’s unfortunate the city manager feels compelled to impugn our motives. We previously met with Alex to review the first of five measures we wrote to make local government more efficient and accountable. We were very open to any suggestions he might have."

Starr and his wife Alicia Percell met with Nguyen in January before the paperwork was filed for the ballot initiatives.

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The ballot initiatives aim to significantly change how meetings are held, how long council members serve, how the finance and building departments are run and how tax dollars are spent.

City Council meetings

Regarding city meetings, one initiative directly addresses the change in City Council meetings brought on by Nguyen shortly after he was hired. In the past, council meetings typically start 6 p.m. on most Tuesdays of the month. Now council meetings are every other Tuesdays at 6 p.m. and council committees meet on alternate Tuesdays starting 9:30 a.m. and lasting into the evening.

The proposal calls for city meetings to take place no earlier than 5 p.m. because morning meetings conflict with many residents' work schedules. The proposal also requires staff to videotape their presentations in advance so the public can watch them ahead of time on the city's website. Finally, under the proposal, meetings are governed by Robert's Rules of Order and a certified parliamentarian will train council on these rules.

Percell is a registered parliamentarian.

Street paving

Measure O is the subject of the initiative that directs attention to the condition of the city's streets. 

In 2008, Oxnard voters approved a half-cent sales tax to go toward a range of municipal needs, including streets, public safety, youth recreation and other services. In the latest budget cycle, Measure O dollars were used to temporarily keep the Oxnard Performing Arts and Convention Center open and save a fire engine at a south Oxnard station that was once on the chopping block.

This initiative would require the city to improve the condition of the city streets. If the city improves the street conditions significantly, it can continue collecting Measure O after it is scheduled to sunset in 2029. If it does not, Measure O would sunset before it is originally scheduled.

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Nguyen said this would prioritize streets over public safety and could lead to a closure of a fire station.

"It’s one thing to say we have to figure out how to advance our streets paving schedule. It’s another thing to hold Measure O hostage," Nguyen said. "This is sort of a hostage scenario."

Starr pointed out that Camarillo and Thousand Oaks do not have a half-cent tax but still do a better job of street repair.

"Unfortunately, Oxnard City Hall has been a poor steward of taxpayer funds," Starr wrote. "They act as though they can save money by never changing the oil in the car. Because city management chooses to unduly delay street repairs, it becomes more expensive to fix them. Our initiative requires the city to maintain public streets and alleys at optimal levels, which will free up more resources for other services, including public safety.”

City treasurer duties

Starr proposes that the city treasurer, an elected position, also serve as the chief financial officer. Currently, the chief financial officer, who develops the city's budget, manages the city's debt and in general oversees financial accounting, is hired by the city manager.

The proposal would essentially make the chief financial officer an elected official, much like the position of the city clerk. The proposal also requires that one employee in the finance department must be a certified accountant.

Starr believes for such an important position, the head of finance should be held accountable to voters to ensure transparency. Nguyen is concerned that any Oxnard resident who is 18 years or older could be voted in and be in charge of the city's finances.

“Perhaps the city manager would also demand that members of the city council each have a master’s degree in public administration," Starr wrote.

Permitting system 

Complaints about the bureaucracy and headache involved in pulling permits from the city have been rampant. This week, the city approved the purchase of a new technology system that will make much of the permitting process trackable and online. The city has also hired new community development employees and changed the queue system so that applicants don't lose their place in line in each step of the review process.

Starr proposes a new program that would allow architects, civil engineers and other licensed professionals to go through a training program to self certify projects. The certification would be audited by the city and it would allow applicants to get their permits in one day. According to Starr, this system is modeled after one used in Phoenix and other cities.

Term limits

The city currently doesn't limit how many times a mayor or a council member can run for office. This initiative would limit officials to two consecutive four-year terms. Officials who term out can run again after a two-year break.

If passed, this initiative will not affect current officials who have served more than two terms.

According to Starr, this is especially needed now that the council is elected by geographic districts. In the past, Oxnard voters had a say over which five officials should represent the City Council. Now voters can only decide on the mayor and the council member in their neighborhood. Because voters don't have a say in selecting five of the seven members on the council, it's especially important that officials have term limits, according to Starr.

Nguyen is not sure that term limits are relevant. He said the state Legislature is under term limits but it's unclear whether that has made the body more effective. Nguyen said Starr's term limit initiative implies that voters can't be trusted to pick the best candidate.

Wendy Leung is a staff writer for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at wendy.leung@vcstar.com or 805-437-0339. You can also find her on Twitter @Leung__Wendy.