Oxnard council votes to keep committee system after heated debate over process and public access

Councilmember Aaron Starr on Jan. 7 asked the Oxnard City Council to consider repealing the city's standing council-committee structure, arguing the committees add duplication and create legal complexity under the Brown Act.

"I eventually realized that this creates a Brown Act minefield," Starr said during the meeting, describing how committee majorities could inadvertently limit public access and complicate inter-member communications.

Why it matters: The committees were created in 2018 and formalized in a 2019 bylaw. Supporters say committees provide extra public touchpoints and let council members vet complex items before they reach the full council; critics argue they add unnecessary meetings and procedural risk and can reduce transparency if matters die at committee level.

Public comment: The council heard scores of callers and dozens of residents who urged keeping the committee system, saying committees provide important opportunities for public input and staff review. "Committees allow for more review, for more participation, for more efficiency," called Barbara Macriortis, a longtime housing and advocacy observer. Several residents also criticized the meeting's tone and warned that eliminating committees would reduce early public engagement.

Council debate: Supporters of retaining committees — including Councilmember Gabriela Basuah and Councilmember Juan Perillo — said committees help manage agenda length and permit more detailed public and staff exchanges outside the main council meeting. "This is a good example of why we should stay in committees," Basuah said. Others said committees can be improved by updating bylaws and clarifying term language.

The vote: The council voted 6-1 to decline Starr's request to direct staff to draft and return an ordinance repealing the code section establishing committees. Councilwoman Jessica Perez moved that the council not direct staff to bring back an ordinance to repeal Oxnard Municipal Code section 2-1.1; the motion passed 6-1. Starr cast the lone dissent.

What it means: Councilmembers also instructed staff to review committee bylaws and procedural language so the council and public have a clearer sense of term lengths, membership rules and how committees interact with full-council agenda practice. The mayor later announced committee assignments and an adjusted meeting sequence.

Ending: The result preserves the council's committee structure but renews focus on bylaws and scheduling, and sets the stage for a follow-up review of rules and public-notice practices.