Election Forum for Oxnard District 1

The race for Oxnard City Council District 1 got sharp-edased this month, as incumbent Bert Perello and challenger John Barrick traded pointed critiques at an Oct. 7 candidate forum, while a third candidate, Eduardo Huerta, positioned himself as a consensus-oriented alternative focused on infrastructure and community oversight.

The forum, sponsored by the city's Inter-Neighborhood Council Organization (INCO), was moderated by Tim Allison and covered a wide stretch of local ground — from the sales-tax Measure E on the November ballot to downtown revitalization, homelessness, housing affordability and traffic safety. The Vida Newspaper, which reported on the event, described an evening in which Perello, the current District 1 council member, stood firmly on his record while Barrick, an assistant district attorney for the County of Ventura, worked to puncture it.

Perello Defends 13 Years on the Council

Perello opened with a direct attack on his opponent's preparation, pointing back to a Sept. 30 League of Women Voters forum.

"At the League of Women Voters forum (Barrick) said, and I quote, 'I haven't examined the budget,' end quote," Perello said, according to Vida. He added that Barrick "didn't know why the Carnegie Museum reopening is delayed and he didn't know why the Strawberry Festival left."

"I know these answers because I have been doing the work for 13 years," Perello continued. "If you're running for council you should know them too."

The longevity argument is a familiar one for Perello, who has long made the city's fiscal recovery and institutional knowledge the backbone of his campaigns. But it also handed Barrick an opening on the question voters will decide this fall: whether Measure E, which would make the city's temporary sales tax permanent, should pass.

Measure E Emerges as the Flashpoint

Barrick's most pointed exchange of the night came when he turned Perello's own talking points against him, arguing the incumbent can't simultaneously tout Oxnard's improved finances and argue the city needs a permanent tax.

"If the city is so financially stable, as Mr. Perello keeps claiming, then why do we need the tax increase?" Barrick asked. "Because you can't argue it both ways, you can't say the city is financially stable, but then argue, if you don't approve this tax increase, good luck getting a cop to come to your house."

Barrick said he would prefer to see the sales tax lowered, telling the audience he had spoken with residents who deliberately avoid shopping in Oxnard because of it.

Perello and Huerta both voiced support for Measure E, splitting the field two-to-one on one of the most consequential local questions on the ballot. For District 1 voters, the divide is more than rhetorical — sales tax revenue flows directly into the city services and infrastructure projects the candidates spent much of the evening debating.

Where the Candidates Diverge on Neighborhoods and Infrastructure

Huerta, the third candidate on the dais, staked out ground as a pragmatist focused on taking stock of what the city already has. He called for reexamining ongoing projects — pointing to the Oxnard Performing Arts Center as an example — and said the city needs "a reassessment of organizations to see where we can revamp our community."

"There's a lot of infrastructure that needs to be fixed, but there's not a lot of money coming in," Huerta said.

The candidates also split on INCO itself, the very organization hosting the forum. Huerta credited the group with bringing grassroots concerns to the council, while Barrick argued that having INCO answer to the city manager hindered direct communication with elected officials.

On coastal protection, Huerta and Perello found common ground: both said repairing the aging seawall along Mandalay Bay and Channel Islands Harbor should remain a priority in the coming years — one of the few moments of alignment in an otherwise combative evening.

Downtown, Traffic and Housing

Asked how to make downtown Oxnard more attractive, all three candidates endorsed more bike paths, though Barrick emphasized the need for dedicated paths separated from vehicle traffic. He also called for more speed bumps, tying the issue to pedestrian safety rather than crime.

"A lot of people are afraid to walk around the city not because of crime or anything like that, but because the traffic goes too fast," Barrick said, referencing a recent multi-car crash at Victoria Avenue and Doris Street.

On whether downtown has been adequately managed, Barrick was blunt: no. He pointed to The Collection as an example of successful investment and asked why similar energy hadn't reached the city's core. Perello countered that "tremendous development" is coming downtown, with the council having approved plans for multi-story buildings.

Housing affordability drew the widest range of responses. Perello was characteristically blunt, saying that absent major concessions from developers, prices "aren't going to get much cheaper." "If you have a home already you're blessed, if you're looking to start, you have problems," he said.

Barrick placed responsibility on Sacramento rather than City Hall, arguing state regulations have made it "impossible" to build enough housing and blaming state policy for feeding both the housing and homelessness crises. Huerta, on homelessness, said the city should provide stronger oversight to ensure people experiencing homelessness can access programs and, eventually, housing.

What's Next for District 1

The forum offered District 1 voters one of the clearest side-by-side comparisons of the cycle: an incumbent arguing experience and institutional knowledge matter, a prosecutor arguing the city's fiscal narrative doesn't add up, and a community-focused challenger arguing the city needs to reassess its priorities before spending more.

With Measure E on the same ballot, the District 1 outcome could carry significance beyond a single council seat. Voters head to the polls this November to decide both.