Facts Matter: What I Told District 1 Voters
On September 30, the League of Women Voters and INCO hosted a candidate forum for the District 1 City Council race. Thank you to the organizers and everyone who came out to hear from the candidates.
The questions covered some of the biggest issues facing Oxnard, including the city budget, homelessness and the Carnegie. My answers reflected what has guided my 13 years on the City Council: knowing the facts, understanding the details and making decisions based on what is best for our city.
For those who could not attend, here is what I shared with District 1 voters and why it matters.
Budgets Put Officers on the Street
When the discussion turned to the budget, I started with where Oxnard stood when I joined the council. The city was near bankruptcy, and that was not public knowledge. I never want another council member to take office and discover that kind of financial situation the hard way.
We made difficult decisions to turn things around. Today, Oxnard has balanced, on-time budgets, more than $60 million in reserves and 11 Standard and Poor’s bond rating upgrades since 2021, and the city’s own credit rating has risen twice. We have also directed funding toward public safety. I voted for about $8 million to rebuild police staffing and fund fire equipment, including a ladder truck, two fire engines and a paramedic squad.
As I said in my closing remarks at the forum, promises do not put officers on the street. Budgets do.
That is also why Measure E matters. Measure E extends Measure O, which Oxnard voters approved. If Measure E does not pass, $20 million a year would come out of the city budget, and public safety makes up the largest part of that budget. I have said the cuts would likely affect seniors, youth programs and libraries as well.
Public safety is my highest priority, and I want to keep our police and fire departments strong. I will be voting yes on Measure E.
At the forum, Mr. Barrick, who doesn’t want to extend the existing sales tax, said, “I haven’t examined the Oxnard budget.” Well, I have. I have spent 13 years working with that budget. I know what a $20 million annual cut could affect, and I believe voters deserve to understand what is at stake.
Knowing the Details
The forum also showed why it matters for a council member to understand the details behind the issues facing our city. Mr. Barrick said he did not know what the metrics are behind the drop in homelessness, what the delay is at the Carnegie or why the Strawberry Festival left. Here is what I know.
Homelessness has dropped 15 percent two years in a row, a decline verified by independent sources, including Ventura County, and the city donated land for a navigation center. Tracking those numbers matters because they help us understand whether our investments are working.
The Carnegie’s closure involves more than simply deciding to reopen a building. The nonprofits that last ran it struggled to manage it, and the collection includes sacred Native American items whose ownership is still being disputed among tribal groups. The city can’t responsibly reopen it until those questions are resolved and funding is secured.
The Strawberry Festival left because its promoters wanted to move to a different area. I do not believe the city should fund a return and simply hope it works financially.
These are different issues, but they have something in common: decisions about Oxnard’s future should be grounded in an understanding of the facts, the challenges and the financial implications.
Ask Every Candidate
In his opening statement, Mr. Barrick said he was running for Council because he felt he was treated poorly after identifying what he thought was an error at a 2024 council meeting.
My reasons for running are the future of our city and our residents: reducing homelessness even further, keeping crime down, water quality and keeping the city’s finances sound.
As you decide who to vote for this November, I encourage you to ask every candidate one question: What have you actually done?
I can show you my answer on almost every street in District 1. My record reflects 13 years of work on the City Council, and I am asking for the opportunity to continue that work for one final term.
— Bert
If you are not registered yet, take care of that first, and if you want to keep the work moving forward in District 1, here is how you can get involved:
