Ventura County supervisors plan search for successor after CEO Mike Powers retires abruptly
NOTE: This article was posted March 10 and updated March 11 with comments from members of the Board of Supervisors. Ventura County Executive Officer Mike Powers suddenly retired on March 10 after nearly 11 years as the county government’s top executive. Ashley Bautista, the county’s public information officer, said Powers told the Ventura County Board Read More →
Ventura County CEO praises county’s vaccine efforts, business grants
As mass vaccinations have helped California alleviate some of the stress brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ventura County’s leaders took a step back on Sept. 30 and reflected on the past year. Ventura County Executive Officer Mike Powers, who is in his 10th year as the county government’s top executive, delivered the annual State Read More →
Tri-Counties will ask state to form separate region for shutdown rules
In a show of rising frustration over Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Southern California-wide “stay-at-home” order, the counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo are jointly petitioning the state to loosen the rules for some 1.5 million residents. In a draft statement reviewed by the Business Times, the three counties said they will shortly be Read More →
Editorial: Ventura County rolls up its sleeves on job creation
Ventura County has taken some first steps toward setting an economic vitality framework into place. A plan presented to the Board of Supervisors on Aug. 7 brings the issue of economic vitality to center stage in a county that’s experienced a very slow recovery from the Great Recession. The plan, presented by the office of Read More →
Powers: Ventura County keeping close watch on portfolio
Ventura County will closely monitor returns on its investment portfolio to make sure an 8 percent gain is reasonable, county CEO Mike Powers said in a March 15 talk. Speaking in Ventura at the quarterly California Lutheran University Corporate Leaders Breakfast, Powers said that while 8 percent has been a historically accurate return, constant monitoring Read More →
Editorial: Taxpayers Association a model for reform
The Ventura County Taxpayers Association plays an extremely constructive role in steering one of California’s largest counties toward the safe harbor of fiscal sanity.
VC taxpayers tackle public pensions
Ventura County CEO Mike Powers told a taxpayer group that Ventura’s pension system reforms have spurred similar actions around the state. But he faced tough questions from the group about retired public safety officers with six-figure pensions and the 22 officials who are bringing in more than $200,000 a year in retirement. Powers spoke at Read More →
