by Councilmember Matt La Vere
It was an honor and a privilege to recently be elected my hometown Ventura’s newest city council member. I ran against 9 other highly-qualified candidates, all who shared a genuine passion for improving Ventura. With the support of my wife Alicia and numerous friends and supporters, my campaign prevailed. My status as the top vote-getter says less about me personally, and more about the vision of my campaign. Ventura truly is one of the most unique, diverse and wonderful cities in California. And while we must respect Ventura’s past, we must also start charting a course for its future. The Ventura I envision in 20 years is a safe and prosperous city, with ample jobs for its residents and housing that average Venturans can afford.
It is a city with clean parks, beaches and numerous outdoor activities. It is a family-friendly city that provides the opportunities and quality of life that we as Venturans all desire. But none of this is possible by simply waving a magic wand. Instead, we must start planning and making the hard decisions today which will create this future for Ventura . Every decision I make as your council member will be with an eye towards making Ventura a town our kids and grandkids will be excited to call home. When my grandparents came to Ventura nearly 70 years ago, they recognized a bright future that lay ahead. I cannot wait to be part of the team that works to fulfill Ventura’s incredible potential.”
