There are 7 members of the Ventura City Council. Each member must be a registered voter in the City. In the past they were elected at-large. Starting with the 2018 Election, four Councilmembers were elected by Districts with the remaining three Councilmembers to be elected by Districts in 2020. Until a City Councilmember is elected by Districts, they remain “at-large”.
Elections to select Councilmembers are held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November of the even numbered years. The newly elected Councilmembers will assume their seat on the City Council in December and serve for a term of four years.
At the same time, the Council is reorganized and one of its members is selected to be Mayor by the members of the Council. The Mayor serves a term of 2 years and is the presiding officer of the Council. The Mayor has been delegated the responsibility to act as the City Council’s ceremonial representative at public events and functions. The Deputy Mayor is also selected in the same manner and serves a 2-year term.
City Councilmembers serve a term of 4 years with the terms being staggered on a 2-year basis with three (3) members being elected at one election and four (4) at the next. The terms commence the day of the first regular meeting in December following the election.
