VC 2020 ELECTION
vcreporter.com
Ventura City Council Candidates EL
Races in three districts
by Kimberly Rivers
EC
kimberly@vcreporter.com
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REGISTER TO VOTE
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You can register to vote through election day on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Call the Ventura County Clerk-Recorder’s office at 805-654-2664 or visit recorder.countyofventura.org/ elections/elections/voter-information/voter-registration/.
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hree seats are up for grabs on the Ventura City Council this election year. Incumbent Christy Weir is being challenged in District 2 while the District 3 seat opens up with Mayor Matt LaVere now elected to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. District 7’s Cheryl Heitmann will not be running for reelection, allowing for new representation there as well.
H H H H H H Doug Halter doughalter.com
Christy Weir: A current Ventura City Councilmember and former mayor, with a bachelor’s degree from Cal State University, Channel Islands. It has been my honor to represent the people of Ventura as a mayor and city councilmember. I am running for reelection in Dist. 2 to make sure our Christy Weir residents are heard as we make christyweir.com decisions that will shape Ventura’s future. My husband and I raised our children here, and now their families live in this community. Four generations of my family have been fortunate to call this beautiful community our home, and I am committed to enhancing Ventura’s livability for all ages. As we recover from the economic and cultural impacts of COVID-19, it will be important to have councilmembers in place who are experienced, knowledgeable and creative. In the next four years, my priorities will be environmental and fiscal sustainability, and quality-of-life improvements for all Ventura residents, including children and seniors. As a centuries-old town, we have challenges with aging infrastructure, but also enjoy the unique character of our historic buildings and cultural heritage. Our spectacular geographic location, bounded by the ocean, two rivers and hillsides, is truly our “good fortune,” to be celebrated and protected.
H H H H H H Dougie Michie dougie4district2.com
Ventura City Council, District 2
District 2 includes the foothills and downtown area from California St., stretching east to Lemon Grove and Dunning St. Two candidates are challenging incumbent Christy Weir. Candidate history and background Doug Halter: I am 60 years old, and have been in business 29 years as the owner of Halter-Encinas Landscape Inc. (plus three retail businesses over the years). I have a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from UC Santa Barbara and have sat on dozens of boards, presided over many, and helped to found many more. Skills: Problem solving/thinking out of the box. Building bridges and relationships with others. Always have several viable paths to achieve a goal. Ventura is the best of old California. Never take no for an answer. Say what you are thinking because others are most likely thinking the same thing. Question authority. Respect all people and find that commonality. Each day, each friendship, each memory is a gift that becomes a part of who we are. Always be humble, know we all have a unique gift. Share yours and strive to help others find what their gift is so that we all can benefit together. Doug “Dougie” Michie: I am a 65-year-old financial advisor/lawyer, and hold a PhD in urban planning from Texas A&M University and a law degree from Pepperdine. I retired in 1999 from the U.S. Air Force, National Guard. When I was 30, I did what the Australians call a “walk about” for one and a half years, spending half that time traveling through nearly half the countries in Africa. I saw firsthand what poor governance can do to a city, and how residents can hunger for good government. I entered Uganda right after the National Resistance Army ousted general Tito Okello, ending a year’s long civil war, and establishing a new government. That government was in shambles, and the cities lacked local government with experience and knowledge in finance and city planning. I visited cities without operating electricity, running water and with no functioning sanitary system. This experience is one that led to my passion for city planning and my desire to understand the relationship between the fixed environment and the urban quality of life. As a result, years later, I returned to school and earned a PhD in urban planning.
Why are you running for this office now? If you are serving in office now, or have run before, what made you seek elected office? Doug Halter: We need change. The challenges of today require bold, innovative leadership with vision. I have proven many times over the years my ability to take an idea, plan out several possible paths, and make it a reality. I problem solve all day long in my daily business and nonprofit work. We need this skillset on the city council to look at new ways of doing business and finding the best solutions for the challenges of today. Dougie Michie: I am not a long-time Ventura politician like the other candidates. I have never served in a political office, and I am seeking this political office for the first time. I have taken no funds from PACs or their members, labor unions or their members or special interest groups or their members. As a result, I am not obligated to vote in the interests of any special interest group. I have given a great deal of time to our community. For a decade I coached, and refereed the games of our young boys in the AYSO organization. I gave to our youth, as I felt it was important to help them learn teamwork and to develop leadership skills. I was on the site council of my son’s elementary school for several years. I spent several years as an ambassador for our chamber of commerce, attending ribbon cuttings and helping small businesses establish themselves in Ventura.
My youngest son is now a junior at Ventura High School, and I have reduced my hours of work. This has freed up the time to commit to contribute the time that a position on the city council requires. Christy Weir: When I first ran for city council, I was concerned about land use decision making, because each development has long-term impacts on our residents’ quality of life. It is crucial that these decisions are made with transparency, welcoming community input, and considering neighborhood compatibility, traffic and water constraints, and safety. Prosperity and livability are not a result of unlimited, unsustainable growth. To ensure our community is prosperous and livable in the future, we need to focus on the preservation of Ventura’s historical character and natural environment, prioritize enhancements to our public spaces and support our local businesses and nonprofits. The state is attempting to take away local control by preempting our land use decision-making authority. This is not good for Ventura or California. There are water supply constraints, emergency evacuation constraints, and limits on our traffic, infrastructure maintenance and public safety capacity. A well-planned city needs to take all of these into account when approving new development. I support a public process in which neighborhood concerns are heard and respected, and quality of life is protected for our residents, as we grow responsibly. What is one issue in Ventura that is a priority for you? Why is that a priority and what is one of the first things you would do if elected to start to address that issue? Doug Halter: The one issue that affects all others is economic vitality. I know what it takes to have a business here and where the issues are that prevent others from staying or becoming a part of our community. I would work to simplify and clarify our process and provide more certainty for property owners and businesses. That’s not to compromise public input, but ensure it happens at the most effective time to help incorporate concerns and ideas. Being an ambassador for our city and encouraging those who can help us reach our goals to participate and encourage our citizens to work together, believe in themselves and their importance to our community, and help be a part of the solutions that we need. Look for the many “win win” opportunities and ways to encourage behavior and activity that benefit our community, as well as provide barriers to those things that harm our community. Educate and dedicate environmental and historically important aspects of our community. Seek ways to better use staff resources and financial resources while we plan for improved revenue that vitality will bring. Dougie Michie: The state has begun making zoning changes for cities like ours, because the cities have placed obstacles in the path of adding low-income and moderate-income housing. And the changes the state is making are not pretty. October 8, 2020 —
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