With the purchase of almost 60,000 square feet of space in Carpinteria, Lynda.com has become one of the biggest technology firms headquartered on the South Coast.

The $17.3 million proposed merger of Thousand Oaks-based California Oaks State Bank and a larger San Fernando Valley bank may hint at what the community banking world will look like in the aftermath of financial overhaul.

Lompoc City Administrator Laurel Barcelona and Moorpark City Manager Steve Kueny run cities of about the same size, but their paychecks are in different weight classes. Barcelona took home $166,557 in pay and benefits last year, while Kueny’s compensation was 73 percent higher, at $288,583.

The city of Ventura seems to have it all: beaches, a burgeoning arts scene, a revitalized downtown, some of the region’s largest retail centers and relatively affordable housing. But if there’s one thing the city lacks, it’s corporate headquarters.