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Public commenters urge 'In God We Trust' in chambers and raise ICE and election concerns
Summary
Three public commenters used the public-comment period to urge adding 'In God We Trust' to council chambers, to warn against rhetoric about detention centers and to allege election irregularities while announcing a candidacy for county clerk.
Three members of the public used the allotted public-comment time at the start of the study session to make separate appeals and raise concerns.
Richard, a longtime Thousand Oaks resident who identified himself as a U.S. Navy veteran, asked the council to place the words "In God we trust" in the council chambers and distributed photographs of other city chambers that display similar language. "That's one of the reasons...that's the main reason I'm here today to...let you know that I support 'In God we trust' put up in the city council chambers here," Richard said.
Stella urged care in public language and criticized a prior speaker’s comparison of detention centers to "concentration camps," calling that description false and dangerous. She cautioned that such rhetoric can radicalize individuals and encouraged the council to avoid it.
Paul Johnson raised unverified concerns about election administration in neighboring Riverside County, saying he saw an apparent mismatch between vote and ballot counts and criticizing state-level officials for not pursuing an investigation; he used his time to say he is running for Ventura County Clerk.
These remarks were recorded as public comment and did not result in formal council action during the study session.
