Oxnard officials consider resolution opposing proposed federal offshore leasing

Assistant City Attorney Jason Zaragoza told the Oxnard City Council that, on Nov. 20, 2025, the Trump administration released a proposed offshore oil-and-gas leasing program that would reopen Southern Californias coastal waters to offshore drilling.

"On 11/20/2025, the Trump administration released a new offshore oil and gas leasing program," Zaragoza said, summarizing the federal proposal and its local implications. Zaragoza said Council member Perez requested on Dec. 2, 2025, that the council consider adopting a resolution opposing new offshore leasing off the Central Coast.

The proposed resolution, Zaragoza said, "aligns with the city council's adopted legislative program and policy priorities." He added that if the council adopts the resolution it would be shared with federal agencies, elected officials and the citys lobbyists. Zaragoza emphasized the public comment period with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) closes on Jan. 23, 2026, making timely council action important to ensure Oxnards opposition is on record.

No formal motion or vote is recorded in the transcript for this meeting. The item before the council, as presented by Zaragoza, is whether to consider a resolution opposing new federal offshore oil-and-gas leasing affecting the Central Coast; Council member Perez is the councilmember who requested that consideration. If the council moves forward, the resolution would be transmitted to federal agencies and others named by city staff.

Next steps described in the presentation were procedural: council consideration of the proposed resolution, and the need to act before BOEMs public comment deadline on Jan. 23, 2026. The transcript does not record a vote, a formal motion, or further debate in this excerpt.