With neither of Ventura County's naval bases targeted for closure, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday cut in half the $15,000-a-month contract for high-powered lobbyists in Washington, D. C., to protect local interests.
The supervisors voted unanimously to reduce the monthly retainer to $7,500 upon the urging of the BRAC '95 Task Force, a group set up to safeguard the Point Mugu and Port Hueneme naval bases during this year's round of military base closures.
The task force, which raised the money from local government and businesses, believes it can scale back its lobbying efforts.
But task force members want to retain lobbyist Lynn Jacquez to monitor any potential threats that could surface while an independent commission reviews the Pentagon's recommendations.
"We are not out of the woods on this issue yet," Supervisor John Flynn said, urging continued vigilance. "This is the prudent thing to do."
