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Oxnard city clerk outlines office duties, elections, records, bid procedures and plans to improve online access
Summary
City Clerk Julie Lopez told the Oxnard City Council the clerk's office of three employees manages elections, maintains the municipal code and records, oversees advisory board appointments and public bid processing, and will work with IT to expand online access to scanned records.
Julie Lopez, Oxnard city clerk, gave the City Council a concise overview of the City Clerk's Office on the council dais, describing staffing, core duties, election administration and public-records responsibilities.
"The city clerk's office has 3 employees and provides services to the community and to our internal departments," Lopez said, laying out the office's role as custodian of official records, preparer of agendas and minutes, administrator of oaths and coordinator of municipal elections every two years. She said the office maintains the municipal code and certifies city documents, and serves as the city's service agent for claims, subpoenas and summons.
Lopez reviewed statutory and administrative requirements the office follows, saying agendas are published in advance under the city's sunshine rules and citing the Maddy Act's requirement to publish an annual list of boards and committees. She told the council that appointed members of citizen advisory groups must file Form 700 disclosures and complete ethics and harassment trainings that are valid for two years, and that designated filers must file Form 700 by April 1 each year.
On elections and campaign filings, Lopez said potential candidates file nomination papers, statements of economic interest and campaign-disclosure forms with the clerk's office and that those filings are posted on the city's elections webpage. She also said committee applicants remain on file for four years and that appointees receive the oath of office and a copy of Robert's Rules of Order.
Lopez described the clerk's role in procurement: the office accepts and date-stamps public project bids (deadline 2 p.m.), conducts public bid openings with Public Works Contract Administration in council chambers, and secures bid, performance and labor and material bonds until projects reach the release point. She said the clerk coordinates with Community Development on bond release and safeguards those instruments.
Lopez provided recent claims statistics: "In 2024, we accepted 285 claims, and in 2025, we accepted 229 claim forms." She reiterated that the clerk is the official custodian of the city's agendas, minutes, ordinances, resolutions and legal publications and said records have been maintained since the city's incorporation in 1903.
Addressing public access, Lopez said the records are already scanned and that the clerk's office will work with the information technology department to improve online availability so residents can research documents from home. "This concludes my presentation. Thank you for your time," she said.
The presentation concluded with no formal action taken; Lopez identified an internal follow-up to coordinate records availability with IT as the next step.
