Camarillo Mayor Mike Morgan visited Santa Paula Saturday to formally announce his candidacy for the Ventura County Board of Supervisors where he plans to keep a careful watch on farming and water issues and responsiveness to public concerns.
Morgan and five other challengers are hoping to take over District 3 of Kathy Long, who is retiring after serving 20 years as supervisor.
Morgan, a member of the Camarillo City Council since 1980, cited his service on a number of county boards as well as his long relationships with people in the entire district as giving him valuable insights to issues of concern.
In Santa Paula said Morgan that means public safety.
“Santa Paula needs help badly now and they have some options,” including passing a local sales tax measure to benefit public safety.
A retired probation officer, Morgan said the county could assist with more of a presence to keep an eye on those prone to commit more crime as well as a continued working relationship with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
“We need to look at how the county can spread that safety element,” including the possibility of a VCSO Substation closer to Santa Paula.
“The ones in Fillmore and Ojai are too far away,” but he noted such an addition would have to be based on “reasoning and budget...”
Morgan supports homes, a hotel and golf course in Adams Canyon and other carefully examined growth options.
“Fillmore is growing and as they grow you grow. Adams Canyon could benefit from recycled water,” which itself could benefit from a supervisor that would work with the state to supplement funding for such projects.
“There is a bill being prepared right now,” that Morgan said addresses recycling water as well as desalination that would benefit Santa Paula, an opportunity he made sure the city was aware of.
Morgan would also have a strong presence in Santa Paula: “I would like to have office hours here twice a month, a mobile office that I could park at City Hall,” offering mutual access as well as constituent contacts.
Morgan said a mobile office would also make it possible to attend council meetings to see firsthand what issues are concerning Santa Paulans.
The explosions and fire at Santa Clara Waste Water in November 2014 just west of Santa Paula greatly concerns Morgan who said, “Someone at the county must be asked why something like this could happen, especially as planning was receiving complaints,” about the facility subject to heavy night traffic and toxic odors.
“The county will check a special event’s food pretty quick so I can’t understand how Santa Clara Waste Water happened…the company and any similar type companies should be subject to surprise inspections.”
“I’ve always been an altruistic supporter of Santa Paula,” said Morgan, a booster of youth activities and programs through the Boys & Girls Clubs and has supported numerous fundraisers for the Santa Clara River Valley clubs.
Santa Paula he believes needs more entertainment: “It’s the one thing that’s missing…Santa Paula can be setup for entertainment, festivals and other events but you don’t have enough hotel space,” that would provide the city revenue.
Morgan was a founder and organizer of the Camarillo Fiesta and concerts in the park, which he believes Santa Paula should emulate.
“You have the airport where you could have a big air show and might explore drawing the Confederate Air Force…people would come out and stay for that.”
A hotel in Adams Canyon could have a conference center that would bring visitors and the community should explore an outdoor theater that would also be a draw.
“I built the outdoor pavilion in Camarillo with no cost to the taxpayer,” a community effort that included businesses, service clubs and organizations, individuals and others who donated cash, goods, services and labor.
Morgan also believes Santa Paula could “dovetail” off the large businesses now moving to or exploring locating in Fillmore.
Overall, he noted, “One of the last areas to grow in Ventura County is here…Camarillo is probably about six years away,” from build out.
A project underway in Camarillo is the 1,200-unit Springville planned community that includes market rate and affordable apartments, single-family homes, parks, walking trails and other amenities Morgan said communities and their councils should insist on.
A native of Texas, Morgan moved to California when he was 12 years old, winding up in Camarillo where he graduated from high school.
“What I like about Santa Paula is when I was a kid when we got Chinese food we went to Lin’s,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve been coming to Santa Paula since way back. It reminds me of my hometown of Vernon, Texas,” with its historic downtown where Morgan remembers riding in the fire engine with his friend’s father, the fire chief.
“Santa Paula has many aspects,” he noted, “that reminds me of that…”
Morgan is now serving his sixth term as mayor of Camarillo a city that decades ago was threatened with bankruptcy due to embezzlement and other factors.
“The council worked with staff and it was corrected and Camarillo came back stronger than ever,” and Morgan noted the city has a unique reserve program for each department.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree from CSU Long Beach, Morgan earned a master’s degree in public administration from University of Southern California. Following his 1998 retirement as an officer for the U.S. Probation Department, he was president of M&M Worldwide Investments for 13 years.
Morgan, who has run against Long three times in the past, joins five other candidates for the open seat. They are Carla Castilla, an aide to state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson; Martin Hernandez, the mayor of Santa Paula and chief aide to Long; Camarillo Councilman Kevin Kildee; Kelly Long, president of the Pleasant Valley School District board; and businessman Jesus Torres. Except for Santa Paula resident Hernandez all the candidates live in Camarillo.
The 3rd District runs from Port Hueneme through part of Oxnard, all of Camarillo, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru and the Lockwood Valley.
In addition to serving on numerous boards and commissions as a city representative, Morgan has been involved in numerous nonprofit and civic organizations including Camarillo Arts Council, American Cancer Society, Pleasant Valley Lions Club and Camarillo Dons.
He and his wife, Donna, have been married for 43 years and have two children, Ryan, owner of Rocket Fizz Corp., and Angela, a schoolteacher and business manager at Rocket Fizz.
