It takes deep pockets to run for City Council

Tomorrow, Aug. 8, is the last day to sign up to run for a seat on the City Council. To do this, a prospective candidate must go to the city clerk's office, fill out the paperwork, have a minimum of 20 registered voters sign the nomination form and file for a seat. There's no cost to sign up.

Running is another matter. It costs a lot of money to get a job that pays $19,091.90 annually.

Mayor Jacqui Irwin, who's again a candidate, puts the amount needed for a serious campaign at about $100,000.

Councilmember Tom Glancy, also running in this election, estimates he'll need at least $85,000. Glancy was appointed by the council to finish out three years of the late Councilmember Ed Masry's term.

"Other cities are amazed at what our elections cost," said Councilmember Dennis Gillette, who's not up for reelection until 2010.

Gillette, the council member with the most years of public service, said it can cost a successful candidate for the Thousand Oaks City Council more than $150,000 to reach the approximately 70,000 voters in the city.

Gillette compared that to estimates he's heard about in nearby cities. A successful campaign in Camarillo costs about $2,000 to $3,000; a Simi Valley campaign costs less than $15,000, he said.

"One multicolored brochure that goes out to the entire city costs about $17,000. Sometimes a candidate will send out two or three a week," Gillette said.

The "childish act" of tearing down or stealing an opponent's signs in predawn hours can be expensive for those who must replace them, Gillette said.

Al Adam, a 31-year resident of Thousand Oaks and currently a planning commissioner appointed by Councilmember Claudia Billde la Peña, intends to run for a seat on the fivemember council despite the obstacles of cost and running against two incumbents.

Adam, Glancy and Irwin all said one reason it was important to run was because of the financial issues that will face the city in the years to come.

Glancy and Irwin both noted how important it was to stay with the course the City Council has been taking.

"My main reason for running is to maintain the quality of life, keep the focus on public safety and make sure our schools are safe for kids," Irwin said.

She wants to continue with promoting environmental alternative energy, she said. Many issues need to be addressed regarding Home Depot, Irwin added, and five-story buildings along Thousand Oaks Boulevard wouldn't meet her approval.

"One of the most important issues is the finances of the city," Glancy said. "We've already had to trim off $4 million from the budget because of sales tax revenues being lower than expected."

Glancy, a dentist, said he wants to continue with the purchase of open space and maintain public safety. As far as future proposed developments such as Home Depot and Thousand Oaks Boulevard, he said he plans to look at them and be reasonable.

"I'm really not a blackandwhite guy. I look at it and figure it out with reason," he said.

Adam, a financial adviser for 29 years, said he's ready to face the budgetary issues of the city. His experience on the planning commission has helped him learn to be more sensitive to overdevelopment, with developers cutting into slopes and encroaching on oak trees, to mansionization and to those trying to shoehorn projects into a city at build-out, he said.

He questions the current council's priorities and said he's concerned about certain budget projections, such as the plan to spend $13 million on improvements at the Civic Arts Plaza and only $1.8 million on open space acquisition.

He's still waiting to see the specific Thousand Oaks Boulevard Association proposal but said he's wary of a plan that would ask for buildings over the 35-foot legal height in Thousand Oaks or that would impact traffic, increase air pollution or change the character of the city.

Gillette, a 45-year resident of Thousand Oaks, hopes the face of the City Council doesn't change after the election, he said.

"I've watched closely since the city was incorporated, and the city is probably as stable as it's ever been, with the council functioning very well," he said.