Be prepared for long meetings when dealing with controversial agenda items.
The Ventura City Council election is months away, but potential candidates who reside in Districts 1, 4, 5 and 6 can start getting ready for the seats up for grabs in the November election by attending a Candidate Orientation Meeting. The meetings will kick-off the Nomination Period of July 16 through August 10, 2018 and will be hosted by the City Clerk’s Office. Two meetings will be held on Monday, July 16, 2018 at City Hall, the first will be at 8:30 am in Council Chambers and the second meeting will be at 4pm in the Community Meeting Room. Candidates only need to attend one meeting, the same information being presented at both meetings.
Eligible candidates running for Ventura City Council must be at least 18 years of age, a registered voter and a resident of their respective District.
One of the first steps for potential candidates is paperwork. Citizens wanting to run for office must pull nominations papers and then return them to the City Clerk’s Office for verification and signature during the nomination period, or by August 10th. Pulling nomination papers can be completed during the Candidates Orientation Meeting. Other required forms include Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement, and Campaign Finance Disclosure Statements (to track campaign contributions, or your own funds, spent for your campaign as established by the Fair Political Practices Commission).
As a reminder, the City of Ventura transitioned to district-based elections in January 2018 after broad outreach and citizen input. Changing to district-based elections resulted in the City being divided into seven geographic districts. Each District will have one City Councilmember who resides in the district and is chosen only by the voters residing in that district. Residents in Districts 1, 4, 5, and 6 will be voting for a Councilmember in their district in the November 6, 2018 election; and residents in Districts 2, 3, and 7 will be voting for a Councilmember in their district in the November 2020 election. All registered voters will vote on all local, state and federal ballot measures and candidates for county, state, federal and special districts.
Serving as a Councilmember provides the opportunity to make a real difference in our community. Individuals interested in becoming a candidate are highly encouraged to attend the Orientation Meeting or schedule a one-hour appointment with the City Clerk’s Office by calling 805-658-4787.
Several candidates have already announced that they are running.
