Ventura voters returned three well-known faces to City Hall in Tuesday's balloting, and added a fourth member who shares the council's vision for rebuilding the seaside community's historic downtown.
Incumbents Jim Monahan, Brian Brennan and Neal Andrews easily won reelection to the seven-member panel. Ed Summers won the seat left open when Councilman Sandy Smith decided not to seek a new term.
Summers said the results indicated that city voters are generally satisfied with the city's direction.
"Things can always be improved and that's what the City Council is for," the councilman-elect said. "But there isn't some overriding issue that has the community upset and that's a good thing."
As in past years, the proportion of residents voting in the county was higher than statewide, an election official said. Ventura County turnout was nearly 52%, compared with the state's 43%, elections chief Philip Schmit said.
"History shows that off-year elections run in the 40% range in Ventura County, sometimes below that depending on what's on the plate," Schmit said. "So people were motivated to get to the polls, whether it was to show support or displeasure for the governor's measures."
A Ventura measure imposing a 15% tax on the city's sole card club passed with nearly 70% of the vote. It was not opposed by the card club's owner and is expected to generate $150,000 annually for the city.
Elsewhere in Ventura County, two Fillmore measures produced mixed results. Voters in the tiny farm community overwhelmingly turned down a measure that would have allowed up to 100 units of low-income rental housing.
But a second initiative seeking a parcel tax to pay for maintenance of a city swimming pool may have squeaked by with 66.6% of the vote. A final tally has not yet been released.
In Ventura, the 70-year-old Monahan, entering a record eighth term, was the top vote-getter with 18.8% of balloting. Brennan, 53, the city's mayor, followed with 16.3% of the vote, and Andrews, 62, a businessman, received 13.4%.
Summers, 51, took 12.8% of the vote in his second try at a council seat. He lost by 422 votes in 2003.
The City Council campaign was low-key despite 10 candidates vying for four seats.
