Oxnard Signature Drive to Repeal City’s Wastewater Rate Increase Off to a Rousing Start
symptoms arial, price sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;”>By Raven West
order arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;”>Scores of Oxnard city residents began lining up at 8 am to add their signatures and help circulate petitions to place an initiative on the November ballot that, if passed, would repeal the recent wastewater rate increase.
After the Oxnard City Council and City Attorney’s unsuccessful attempt to delay the process, including bringing a lawsuit against Oxnard resident Aaron Starr, the signature drive kicked off with enough time to make the May 20th deadline.
Starr, along with Francine Castanon and others gathered signatures in the front of Tomas Café in downtown Oxnard, while Alicia Percell instructed volunteers on the petition gathering process.
In the first hour alone, more than 25 individuals picked up over 100 petitions to circulate at various public locations throughout Oxnard, including the Vons at Seabridge and Walmart at Centerpoint Mall. Many volunteers will also be going door-to-door in their neighborhoods.
To qualify for the November ballot, the petition will need a total of 1,430 valid signatures.
See related story: Oxnard caves on Starr utility rate initiative ballot statement
For more information and to help with the petition drive visit: Moving Oxnard Forward volunteer
Raven West is a free-lance writer and published author who has lived in Ventura County for more than twenty years. She has an extensive knowledge of local wineries from Thousand Oaks to Ojai and will be covering special events which take place at the tasting rooms throughout the year.
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If The City Council had been making incremental adjustments to the cost of wastewater services, instead of one big increase, this might have been avoided.
Who knows, there may be justification for the increase, but Council Members were negligent in doing their due diligence in a timely manner.
In order for this increase to be justified, you’d think there would be paperwork to do so. No one really likes increases in services, but we aren’t stupid to proven facts either.