Building an Oxnard That Works
Nobody wins an election promising to fix a storm drain. But ask most people what they actually want from City Hall, and they'll say things like this: streets that aren’t falling apart, a protected coastline, and drains that work when it rains. That’s where I’ve focused much of my work on the City Council: making sure the basic infrastructure people rely on gets the attention and funding it needs.
Protecting Our Harbor
In 2020, I voted to affirm the city’s commitment to split Mandalay Bay seawall repair and replacement costs 50/50 with the property owners who benefit from them. The city has since committed $8.7 million to a phased repair of those seawalls, which were built between 1969 and 1971. About $4.4 million has already been invested, with construction funded through 2031. In 2021, I backed the City-County Cooperation Agreement that finally brought Ventura County to the table on Channel Islands Harbor infrastructure and water quality. That’s real partnership instead of leaving Oxnard to shoulder it alone. In 2026, the Council approved Phase 1 of the Harbor water quality plan, funded by about $3.1 million in state and federal grants. I’ve served on the Harbor’s Task Force since 2018, and I’ll keep pushing to bring in outside funding so homeowners aren’t left footing the whole bill.
District 1 Wins You Can See
Some of this work is already done or underway right here in District 1. We completed the resurfacing of Gonzales Road, with a second contract awarded in May 2026 to resurface Oxnard Boulevard, Ventura Road, Fifth Street and Saviers Road. The Council also adopted a five-phase paving program, and Cabrillo and Sea Air are already done. On Ventura Road itself, we secured $1.07 million, mostly from state and local grants, for new bike lanes, high-visibility crosswalks, and safer traffic signals, now funded and in design.
Beyond streets, we also funded new playground equipment at Dunkirk Park and secured $2.2 million in developer-paid park funds, not General Fund dollars, for a new Seaview Park . Seaview will include an all-inclusive play area for kids ages 2 to 12, a walking path and track, LED lighting, and new restrooms. We also funded a $1.2 million restoration of the River Ridge Clubhouse through the Golf Course fund, its first major upgrade since 1986.
There is more on the way too: $4.24 million for protected bike lanes on Wooley Road from Victoria Boulevard to Oxnard Boulevard, $1.64 million for a new traffic signal with protected left turns at Ventura Road, 2nd Street and Teal Club Road, $1.23 million to renovate Via Marina Park, and a senior center planned for Fifth and Patterson.
What’s Still Ahead
Our city has identified $1.3 billion in infrastructure work needed over the next five years, and I know all of it can’t happen at once. My job is fighting for what gets funded first, and making sure the money keeps moving once it is approved, not just sitting in a five-year plan. That is the same principle behind everything above: get ahead of the small stuff before it becomes an expensive emergency. Measure O already helps pay for this work, including $2.5 million for the Mandalay Bay seawalls and more than $3.3 million for street resurfacing. Measure E continues Measure O, so that work does not stop.
Keeping the Work Moving
District 1 residents don’t have to take my word for it. The record is there in the votes, the partnerships and the projects that are already underway. But infrastructure work doesn’t stop when one project is finished. There is still a lot to do, and I intend to keep pushing for the investments District 1 needs.
— Bert
If you want to help keep that work going, here’s how you can get involved:
