Employees and callers allege harassment at Ventura County APCD; board approves 6% merit raise for executive officer

At a public meeting of the Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board, multiple current and former employees and community members raised allegations of mistreatment, harassment and retaliation inside the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (APCD), and urged the board to investigate before approving personnel and pay actions.

The concerns surfaced during the board's public comment period and recurred when the board considered a merit increase for the district's executive officer. Commenters described a pattern of low morale and personnel decisions they say amounted to retaliation. Spencer Noren, a community member, urged the board to postpone two personnel actions and "extend decision" so staff complaints could be verified. Christine Dow, a resident, asked the board to "delay any decision on mister Gossimi's raise until these ongoing issues are thoroughly considered" and to make the justification for any merit increase public.

Why it matters: Commenters said workplace culture and alleged management practices are already affecting staff retention and could undermine district operations. The merit increase vote affects taxpayer-funded compensation and drew direct public scrutiny because…