District 1 candidates speak to Cabrillo Neighborhood Council

The three candidates vying to represent Oxnard's City Council District 1 made their final joint appearance of the campaign season on Oct. 21, appearing together at the Cabrillo Neighborhood Council in the run-up to the Nov. 3 election.

The forum, moderated by Cabrillo Neighborhood Council Chairperson Juan Carrillo, gave residents of one of Oxnard's most established neighborhoods a last chance to hear directly from incumbent Councilmember Bert Perello and challengers John Barrick and Eduardo Huerta before ballots are counted. As Vida Newspaper reported, the meeting marked the last time the candidates would face off against each other before Election Day.

The contest carries real weight for South Oxnard neighborhoods like Cabrillo, where residents have long pushed for attention to traffic calming, park improvements and airport noise concerns — issues that took center stage at the forum.

Barrick pledges fiscal discipline and street-level fixes

John Barrick, a Ventura County prosecutor, opened his remarks by framing his campaign around "three principles" — fiscal responsibility, transparency and accountability.

For Cabrillo specifically, Barrick pointed to concrete neighborhood concerns. He said he would push to enforce a flight pattern he said the airport hasn't been following, an issue that resonates with residents living under aircraft traffic. He also called for speed bumps and traffic circles to slow cut-through traffic, along with better landscape maintenance along the neighborhood's streets and medians.

Barrick also pushed back on suggestions that the city lacks resources for neighborhood-level improvements.

"I grow a little tired when I hear people say we don't have money for certain things, or we don't have time for certain things," Barrick said, according to Vida Newspaper. "In my experience when you prioritize things, especially things important to the community, suddenly the money appears and things get done."

Perello defends city finances and Measure E

Incumbent Bert Perello, a longtime familiar face in Oxnard politics, used the forum to make the case for continuity — and for the city's fiscal trajectory. He emphasized his support for Measure E, the city's sales tax measure on the ballot, warning that if voters do not approve its extension, the city would take a "$20 million per year hit" beginning in 2029.

Perello pointed to the city's current financial cushion as evidence of sound stewardship, telling the audience the city is sitting on a $60 million surplus — and suggesting some of his opponents would spend it down.

"You know what happened in the years we didn't have the money, they went through the reserves like crazy and the city faced insolvency," Perello said, alluding to Oxnard's well-documented budget struggles in prior years.

When an audience member asked how parks would be prioritized, Perello assured her that the city has funding and plans in place for parks, though he could not say specifically when changes would take effect.

Huerta offers legislative experience and neighborhood empowerment

Challenger Eduardo Huerta staked out his own lane, highlighting his background as a former State Assembly staff member and the legislative know-how he said that experience brings to the council dais.

Huerta pledged to "advocate for each family in the neighborhood," and proposed a structural change aimed at giving residents more direct power: giving neighborhood councils like Cabrillo's greater input over how funding is spent in their communities.

On the ballot's biggest fiscal question, Huerta aligned himself with the incumbent, describing himself as a strong supporter of Measure E.

What's at stake for Cabrillo and District 1

The forum underscored the everyday issues driving the District 1 race: airport flight paths, speeding traffic on residential streets, park upkeep and how the city spends its money.

While all three candidates pledged attention to neighborhood concerns, they differed on whether City Hall is already delivering. Perello defended the city's planning and reserves; Barrick questioned whether the city is prioritizing what the community actually values; and Huerta argued the solution is structural — pushing funding decisions closer to the neighborhoods themselves.

The Nov. 3 election will also decide the fate of Measure E, which Perello and Huerta support and which could shape Oxnard's budget picture for years to come. Perello's warning of a $20 million annual shortfall starting in 2029 if the measure fails gives the sales tax question particular stakes for city services — including the parks and street maintenance Cabrillo residents asked about.

District 1 voters can find polling and ballot information through the Ventura County Elections Division. Results of the council race and Measure E will determine not just who represents Cabrillo and surrounding neighborhoods, but how much money the next council has to work with.