Bert Perello | Candidate for Oxnard City Council
Neighborhood/voting district: District 1 / Oxnard City Council
By Peter K. Godinez, Community Ambassador for Xerox Corporation
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Bert E. Perello, in his many years as a voice for the community has spoken out for more accountability and transparency in local government, lobbied in favor of Spanish translation at city council meetings,and advocated for the public’s right to be informedfully and openly during the 2010 District Attorney’s investigation of several former city officials.
“It’s the People’s Money, not the City’s…Every dollar of the people’s money needs to be spentwisely, accounted for accurately, with performance results measured honestly, and reported publicly in a timely manner… Period!”–Bert E. Perello
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Candidate’s Biography
Bert Perello was born on November 5, 1950 in Santa Barbara, California. His parents, Eugene and Lena, moved the family to Oxnard in 1959; where together with his Grandparents and Sister, they successfully operated a family lemon ranch business located on the outskirts of town for 30 years. It was around this time when a young Bert was introduced to the world of politics. Bert’s father, Eugene, got involved in politics as a youth shortly after WWII. Later in life he continued his service to his community, first by being appointed to the El Rio Municipal Advisory Council (MAC), and then by being elected to the board of the United Water Conservation District.
Eugene always reminded Bert that key components to any successful community were health, safety and welfare. He once told Bert something that has stayed with him to this day—if an elected leader doesn’t stand up for the rights of the people he represents, nobody will.
Bert graduated from Rio Mesa High School in 1968. He continued his education at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where he studied farm management at the school of agriculture.
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Family
In 1990, Bert married Susan Miller, a girl he went to high school with and the one he credits for his direct involvement with neighborhood politics.
Bert’s initial foray into neighborhood politics occurred in 1998, when at the urging of his beloved wife Susan, he led critical neighborhood research and organizing efforts required to combat a serious public health and safety issue in the Southbank Neighborhood; which had been woefully neglected for far too long by the City of Oxnard.
It was there that Bert got his start as an advocate and fighter for the people, and he hasn’t stopped since.
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Committees
Over the next 15–years, Bert served as a member and then Chair, of the South Bank Neighborhood Council, Chair, Oxnard Inter–Neighborhood Council Forum (now Organization), and President, Flood Zone Justice Association (FZJA).
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Accomplishments
In 2009, as FZJA President, Bert successfully led community organizing efforts that resulted in FEMA’s withdrawal of a fatally–flawed flood insurance rate map from taking effect in January of 2010; thereby saving millions of dollars in premature insurance costs for North Oxnard residents.
Recently, after nearly ten years of hard work, including lobbying successfully for well over $5 Million in State grant funding, and working cooperatively and effectively with officials from the Ventura County Watershed Protection District, the first phase of the SCR–3 Levee Rehabilitation project was completed successfully in March of 2018.
Bert always does his Council meeting preparation homework before the meeting and is proactive in representing and fighting for the public health, safety, and welfare of ALL of Oxnard’s 200,000+ residents in ALL of Oxnard’s 50 neighborhoods, rich or poor, North and South, and East and West.
Previous Offices Held
Bert was initially elected to the City Council during a Special Election in June 2013. He was re–elected to his first full four–year term in 2014. And in May of 2018, Bert beat back an expensive and unnecessary Recall election, garnering the highest No Recall votes of ALL Council members targeted.
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Why are You Running?
During my five years on the Oxnard City Council, I have demonstrated a proven track record of fighting for the Peoples’ interest NOTSpecial Interests. And I have the political scars to prove it.
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Relevant Leadership Experience
- I successfully led the Council efforts to CLAW BACK $68,000 in illegal Supplemental Retirement Benefit Perks exclusively and selectively gifted to Senior Executives.
- I helped save millions of Oxnard City Taxpayers’ dollars in 2014 by casting a decisive third– vote OPPOSING an ill–advised proposed outrageously expensive City settlement of a scurrilous BOGUS lawsuit filed by former City Manager Ed Sotelo.
- I SPEARHEADED the Council’s adoption of a first–ever “Whistleblower Policy” in the City’s history in 2017.
- And currently I am SHEPHERDING the Council’s efforts to develop the first–ever job description for our new City Manager, and after that the City Attorney, along with clear, cogent, and crisp measures to evaluate their performance in these two critical City Senior Executive positions.
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What Are Your Top Three Priorities?
- Public safety, health, and welfare of ALL Oxnard residents in ALL Oxnard neighborhoods
- Accuracy, Accountability, Credibility, Solvency, and Transparency in the City’s Finances
- Preserve, Protect, and Enhance the Peaceful Enjoyment of the Channel Islands Harbor Public Waterways
What Do You Plan to Accomplish?
- Fight hard for the Council’s adoption of the first ever job description, performance standards, and evaluation metrics for the City Manager and City Attorney positions; the only two city staff that the Council oversees directly.
- Advance Council adoption of a Strategic Asset Management Plan; one that embraces the optimization of the City’s physical and human capital assets for the public’s benefit.
- Work closely with our new City Manager to develop an effective and accountable organizational development and performance management system for ALL city employees.
Relevant Leadership Experience
- Member, Oxnard City Council (2013–Present)
- Member of the Council’s Channel Islands Harbor Task Force (2014–18)
- Member of the Council’s Policy and Procedures Committee (2013–18)
- Member of the Council’s Utility Task Force (2017–Present)
- Past Member of the Council’s Fiscal Policy Task Force (2015–17)
- Council Representative to the Ventura County Airport Authority, and Past Chair (2013–18)
- Council Representative to the Big Cities Joint Powers Insurance Authority (BICEP) (2013–18)
- Council Representative to the Performing Arts Center Commission (2014–18)
- Council Representative to the Ventura Regional Sanitation District, and Past President (2013–18)
- Council Representative Alternate to the Clean Power Alliance JPA Board of Directors (2018–Present)
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I will remain steadfast in my continuing commitment to fight hard for OPEN, HONEST, ACCOUNTABLE and EFFECTIVE public–service decision–making by the Oxnard City Council.
Peter K. Godinez is a longtime document management professional in the information services industry, as well as a Citizen of Oxnard who desires to see this community thrive to the best of its abilities and potential.
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petergodinez
| Peter K. Godinez Education & Public Sector Account Executive |
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| [email protected] Cell: (818) 430-6945 |
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| M a k i n g B u s i n e s s E a s i e r | |||
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