Maggie Kildee

Despite national voter discontent with incumbents, three veteran Ventura County supervisors were returned to office Tuesday, overwhelming eight challengers who claimed the supervisors had failed to listen to their constituents. Voters also elevated Municipal Judge Ken W. Riley to the Superior Court, returned Judge Charles W. Campbell Jr. to the Superior Court and apparently chose prosecutor Edward F. Brodie to fill an open Municipal Court seat.

An environmental leader and a veteran councilman emerged Friday to challenge Ventura County Supervisor Maggie Erickson Kildee, as candidates for local, state and federal offices rushed to make the June 2 primary ballot. Ojai environmentalist Stanley Greene and veteran Santa Paula Councilman John Melton filed against Erickson Kildee, who has been battered this winter by criticism over her support for a new jail near Santa Paula. In the other two races for county supervisor, incumbent John K.

Hoping to resolve a lawsuit between Ventura County and its 10 cities, Supervisor Maggie Erickson Kildee is proposing a summit meeting with the cities' mayors to discuss changing a prisoner booking fee that the cities have refused to pay. The county and the cities are engaged in a legal battle over the $120-per-prisoner booking fee and over a separate fee that the county charges cities, schools and other special districts for the cost of collecting property taxes.

Upset with a county decision to build a jail on farmland near his city, veteran Santa Paula Councilman John Melton is gathering support for a run against Supervisor Maggie Erickson Kildee this spring. The five-term councilman informally declared his candidacy last week by requesting a petition that will allow him to avoid a $502 filing fee if he gathers about 2,000 signatures from 3rd District voters.

In appreciation of their public service work, county supervisors will be honored this weekend at a reception hosted by the League of Women Voters of Ventura County. The event will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday in the Ventura College faculty lounge at 4667 Telegraph Road. Light refreshments will be served. Tickets are $10, with proceeds going to support the league's voter education fund.

Moorpark City Councilman Scott Montgomery was selected Thursday to serve for one year as chairman of the Ventura County Waste Commission. Montgomery, vice-chair for four years, replaces Ventura County Supervisor Maggie Kildee at a time when the commission is preparing to establish a countywide regional waste authority. "Our primary objective over the coming year will be to create a single waste authority," Montgomery said.