Forum for Oxnard District 2

The two candidates vying for Oxnard City Council's District 2 seat traded sharp contrasts on Oct. 7 at a candidate forum sponsored by the city's Inter-Neighborhood Council Organization (INCO), offering voters a clear choice between an incumbent touting progress and a longtime resident arguing the city has lost its way.

Incumbent Councilmember Gabe Teran and challenger Lizanne Nañez, the only two candidates in the race, covered ground ranging from dysfunction on the council to parking shortages in River Park and homelessness — issues that District 2 residents along Oxnard's fast-growing eastern corridor say are top of mind heading into the November election. The forum, reported by Vida Newspaper, was moderated through Oxnard's neighborhood council system, a civic infrastructure both candidates have deep ties to.

Two Very Different Opening Pitches

Nañez, making her first run for the council, leaned heavily on longevity and financial credentials in her opening statement.

"I've lived in Oxnard for 65-plus years," Nañez said, noting she has lived in five of the city's six districts. "I have a pretty good canvas of what Oxnard looks like."

Nañez said she has lived in District 2 itself for more than 40 years, graduating from Channel Islands High School and attending Ventura College before launching a 42-year career at Procter & Gamble. That job, she said, gave her roughly three decades of financial experience while she earned an accounting degree from UC Santa Barbara, along with experience working alongside community leaders.

She framed her campaign around three core values: "public safety, financial accountability and stability, and transparency and communication — because every resident should know where their hard-earned money is being spent."

Teran, in contrast, ran on his record in office. He opened by thanking INCO for organizing the forum, noting he has been on the planning side of such events and knows the work involved. A nearly lifelong Oxnard resident, Teran recounted his path through the neighborhood council system and service as a Parks and Recreation commissioner before joining the council.

He cited a master's degree in management and leadership, along with experience overseeing large budgets at the Ventura County County Office of Education and, more recently, Oxnard's $750 million city budget.

"Over this past term we have made some real strides strengthening our neighborhoods, improving our city services and actually moving Oxnard forward," Teran said. "I'm running for reelection because of my unwavering advocacy, to continue our progress and protect our working families and neighbors, and ensure a vibrant, transparent future for every resident in our community."

Sparks Fly Over Council Dysfunction and City Manager's Power

The sharpest exchanges came when candidates were asked about the biggest challenge facing the council.

"I feel like the biggest challenge is collaborating with each other," Nañez said. "It doesn't seem like a lot of decisions get made without a lot of arguments."

Beyond the bickering, Nañez argued too much authority has drifted to City Manager Alex Nguyen. "It seems to me that when the city council wants something approved, it's not going to be approved unless the city manager approves it," she said. She added that many decisions don't reflect what residents actually want — a refrain she said she's heard repeatedly while campaigning door to door.

Teran didn't shy away from assigning blame for council conflict, singling out Councilmember Aaron Starr.

"Regarding interpersonal conflict and issues on the council, I think one councilmember, Mr. Starr, is just not used to being held accountable for his words," Teran said. He added that he has specifically asked fellow councilmembers to call out his own contradictions, noting Councilmember Bert Perello has done so on multiple occasions.

Growth, Parking and Public Safety Divide the Candidates

Asked whether rapid growth in the River Park and Wagon Wheel neighborhoods is a concern, the candidates split sharply.

Teran welcomed the growth while acknowledging crowding and affordability pressures tied to a shortage of housing units. "I think it's great that people are choosing to move to Oxnard," he said, adding that he hopes newcomers' first generation in the city "will one day be the third or fourth generation like my family is."

Nañez said areas like The Collection, Wagon Wheel and River Park are welcome amenities — but that parking was never properly planned. "There's not enough parking for River Park, that's one of the biggest items from door to door that I've heard," she said. She praised the police presence at The Collection but pointed to recent shootings at The Collection and Wagon Wheel, asking, "What are we doing with our youth, why are they out there at that time shooting people?"

On homelessness, Nañez said it was the second-most common concern she hears after parking. While the city has cited a 16 percent drop in homelessness, she said she disagrees with that figure: "They are walking the streets, they're in my neighborhood and they're looking in the cars."

Teran said his door-to-door experience has been the opposite — that residents have told him "things are good" — though he acknowledged ongoing complaints about parking, alleys and Campus Park, which is currently under construction.

What's Next for District 2 Voters

The forum underscored the stakes in District 2, the east Oxnard district encompassing much of the city's newest growth. Voters there will decide whether to extend Teran's tenure — with his emphasis on continuity, budget experience and neighborhood investment — or hand the seat to Nañez, whose campaign centers on financial transparency, skepticism of city hall's power structure and bread-and-butter complaints about parking and street safety.

With ballots going out to Oxnard voters ahead of the November election, residents who missed the forum can review candidate statements through the Ventura County Elections Office. The District 2 outcome will help shape how the council navigates housing growth, homelessness services and — if Nañez has her way — the balance of power between elected officials and the city manager's office.