John Procter, Ginger Gherardi, Jenny Crosswhite

Procter, Gherardi, Crosswhite win
City Council seats

November 07, 2014
Santa Paula News

Voters turned a sharp corner in Tuesday's election, rejecting two City Council incumbents, returning a former councilman to the panel and filling a third empty seat.

John Procter, Ginger Gherardi and Jenny Crosswhite tapped into voters' frustration with a jump in crime, rising utility bills and an alleged lack of transparency that winning candidates said had only worsened in recent years.

Councilmen Robert Gonzales and Ralph Fernandez - each seeking third terms - finished in fourth and fifth places respectively, according to Ventura County Elections Office results that showed only two votes separating them. Rick Cook, now mayor, declined to run for reelection.

Procter, who had served on the City Council from 2000 to 2008, was the top vote-getter in Tuesday's council race, picking up 1,778 votes or 19.1 percent.

Ginger Gherardi, who retired after 17 years as executive director of the Ventura County Transportation Commission, came in second place, with 1,712 votes, or 18.4 percent. Newcomer Jenny Crosswhite placed third with 1,625 votes, or 17.5 percent.

Gonzales had 1,525 votes for 16.4 percent and Fernandez garnered 1,523 votes for 16.38 percent. John Demers, serving his first term on the council appointed Planning Commission, was in last place with 1,119 votes, 12 percent. Eighteen write in votes were also recorded in the race that saw a total of 9,300 votes cast.

There are still approximately 43,000 mail-in and 9,500 provisional votes left to be counted but there is no indication the results of the council race would change.

"I've been overwhelmed with congratulations and that's a great problem to have," said Procter who believes his victory "In part was because of the good impression I made on the council before."

It was obvious residents were dissatisfied and "We had good candidates and great support from Santa Paula Fire and city workers... it was so affirming that we did the right thing in running and that people want to move in a new direction."

Procter said his initial priorities would be "Goal setting and a salary survey to see where we have to go to pay all city workers fairly. I know we can't do everything but we have to try but first we have to know where we are and what to shoot for."

"I'm just overjoyed that I got in," and Gherardi said she is, "Looking forward to working with Jenny and John," as well as sitting Councilmen Martin Hernandez and Jim Tovias, especially on budget and funding issues.

"We had hoped it would be the three of us, although we all ran our own campaigns... "

Gherardi said the three victors shared the strong support of "fire and city employees who worked for us... I'm delighted we all got in!"

For a candidate that had scant name recognition when he announced he was running, "I think I did well, but obviously I would have liked to do better," said Demers. "It's too early to think about running again in the future, but it's possible, it's always possible."

Name recognition didn't turn the trick for Gonzales, whose political career began in the 1980s when he began with the elementary school board; later he was elected to the high school and community college district boards before he ran for council.

"I was fortunate to have eight campaigns and was the top vote getter in six of seven of them," said Gonzales, "... it's time for me to move on. I'm happy either way."

When asked, he said his defeat could probably be partially attributed to the "candidates pumping ideas of more salary for employees and public safety... also, it's easy to evaluate what the incumbents are doing," and the "old adages of transparency" resonated with the community.

Gonzales said he called all the winners and congratulated them, although "I question where some of their comments and issues," came from.

"I can't comment but I thought I was on the inside and knew what was going on," he noted, "... but maybe they knew better."

Crosswhite spent the day following the election removing campaign signs.

"I'm exhausted," but excited about becoming a councilmember.

"We need to get the council together and determine what we are going to tackle first, what our goals are going to be for the first year if not the first couple of years."

And for Crosswhite, "A big piece of that is communication," from community groups to city employees.

"Now," she noted, "the real work begins, the hard work."

Fernandez was not available for comment.

The new council will be sworn in at the December 1 meeting.





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