Oxnard committee backs overhaul of city purchasing code, sends ordinance to council

The Oxnard Finance and Governance Committee on Feb. 25 voted 3-0 to recommend the City Council approve the first reading by title only of an ordinance that would repeal and replace Chapter 4, articles 1 through 4, of the Oxnard City Code covering purchasing, contracting and public projects.

The ordinance is intended to modernize the city's purchasing system, align local thresholds and procedures with state law and clarify delegation of contracting authority and procurement methods. Committee members asked detailed questions about state-law cross-references, internal controls and how the ordinance would affect routine maintenance and small procurements.

City Attorney's Office and finance staff told the committee the draft borrows some language from state law and that the city should periodically review the ordinance to remain consistent with state changes. A city attorney's representative suggested a review cycle of about every five…