Andrews ran and won a seat on the city council in 2001.
by Richard Lieberman
Neal Andrews long term Ventura councilman and past mayor has died. Neal died on Sunday, August 4, 2019 following a protracted illness. He served his last year on the council as mayor a position he coveted.
Andrews ran and won a seat on the city council in 2001. His election changed the dynamics of the council at that time. His election and subsequent actions led to the changing of city managers in 2004. Neal was a conservative and used his conservative voice for what he believed to be a fiscally conservative approach to city government.
He was a minority on the council but was still able to implement requirements for individual water meters on multi-family housing projects. He also was an ardent supporter of the WAV artist housing project and he sponsored and supported the use of “seed” money for incubator businesses directly leading to the establishment of the Trade Desk.
Neal was instrumental in bringing the Highland Games to the city in 2003. He was a tireless advocate for the homeless and worked to get a permanent shelter established in the city. He was successful in this effort and saw his efforts rewarded shortly after leaving office when the council approved a year-round shelter(which will be coming soon). During his term in office he also was responsible for dealing with and managing the devastation after the Thomas fire. He also hosted a weekly show on CAPS-TV “Conversations with Neal Andrews.”
Andrews was elected mayor on the night the Thomas Fire started in December 2017.
Funeral services were held at the Ted Mayr Funeral Home.
