2022 Elections will be held on November 8th.

Fillmore City Council has one partial term (2-year) seat to fill, and two candidates, Lynn Edmonds and Chris Gurrola.

The Gazette submitted 3 questions to each candidate.

There are also two full-term (4-year) seats on council and four candidates, Carrie Broggie, Albert Mendez, Zachary Lotshaw and Luis Rodriquez. Their answers will be published in next week’s edition of the Gazette.

The three specific questions for direction were:

1. Qualifications which prepare you to serve on Council.

2. What actions taken by the current council in the last two years do you agree with most and why? What actions do you disagree with most and why?

3. What is your vision for Fillmore if elected/reelected? What do you perceive as the five most important priorities for the city?

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LYNN EDMONDS

1. Qualifications which prepare you to serve on Council.

It has been a pleasure to serve Fillmore on the City Council for the last four years. Prior to that I was principal of Piru Elementary and Fillmore Middle School. I have always worked with others to help Fillmore families, youth, to keep the town safe and improve the environment. I was on the founding committee of the Boys and Girls Club, founded the Fillmore Piru Mentor Program (BBSVC) and the One Step a la Vez Teen Program because it was clear that Fillmore Teens needed a safe, fun place to go after school to get help with homework and “hang” with friends in a welcoming, fun, safe environment. Clearly, youth and families of Fillmore are very important to me. In few words, I love Fillmore as a city and enjoy representing the people of Fillmore.

As a member of the City Council I represent Fillmore on many committees and report back to the community on the many activities that each committee has to help the residents of Fillmore such as the Air Pollution Control Board, the Ventura Transportation Commission, the Regional Energy Alliance and the Regional Sanitation District. All of my actions prepared me to better understand, represent and be elected to the City Council which I have enjoyed. I have learned so very much during my four years on the Council and feel that my prior four years have even better qualified me for the next two years.

2. What actions taken by the current council in the last two years do you agree with most and why? What actions do you disagree with most and why?

As a member of the City Council for the last four years, I am proud that we are finally fixing the parks and the park bathrooms and the dog park, soon to repair Sespe Ave and Santa Clara, are working to improve the downtown, are improving our website and looking at the water/sewer bills to see if there is a way to lower the cost of the bill. As a member of the City Council I was disappointed that the council voted down having community conversations and chose to not even investigate joining the Clean Power Alliance which possibly could not only help our environment, but also lower our bills.

3. What is your vision for Fillmore if elected/reelected? What do you perceive as the five most important priorities for the city?

My vision for the next years is to:

1) Improve the Downtown by reviewing the recommendations of the Downtown consultants and support the merchants as they work to improve the downtown while at the same time we maintain the streets in good repair and cleanliness,

2) Provide more low income housing so that all persons will have safe, comfortable, affordable housing.

3) Provide interpretation at all meetings and translations for all notices.

4) Save our small town feeling while incorporating the new residents by improving communication about city activities to everyone, sponsor community conversations so that people can meet new people in a positive way.

5) Assure folks that we serve EVERYONE and to work with and serve the entire community regardless of political point of view, ethnicity, language, religion, gender or age.

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CHRIS GURROLA
1. Qualifications which prepare you to serve on Council.

**The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the US Air Force, Department of Defense or the US Government**
My name is Christopher Gurrola. I have 17 years of Military leadership experience, which began when I was appointed to the United States Air Force Academy, after serving as Class of 2005 president at Fillmore High School. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, while serving as the Cadet Squadron Commander. I married my high school sweetheart, Cassandra, right here in town, and we began our 6 moves across the country. Concluding my last assignment in CA, we chose to buy a house in Fillmore - which incurred a 200-mile round-trip commute for me for 3 years - so that our four children could grow up in such a phenomenal place! I finished Active Duty as the Director of Operations for the 412thOperations Support Squadron at Edwards AFB. I continue serving as a civilian USAF instructor pilot, and also serve in the Air National Guard at the rank of Major. I want to put Fillmore’s tax dollars back to work, using the high quality training and experience that I have received, to better serve our community.

2. What actions taken by the current council in the last two years do you agree with most and why? What actions do you disagree with most and why?

Most recently, I agree with the City Council’s decision to use our tax dollars to implement the City of Fillmore Downtown Rehabilitation Grant Program. It’s an honest attempt by the City to assist property owners and businesses in keeping Fillmore a beautiful, walkable town. The approval of funding to re-open the dog park at Two Rivers Park was another great decision. A flood control basin at Rio Vista Park was quickly perceived as a viable solution simply because it is a gated area. The city was unfortunately sending mixed messages during that time, but ultimately made the right decision to invest in the promise of a true dog park at Two Rivers.
Unfortunately, the City Council has missed the opportunity to communicate a clear vision to the people of Fillmore. Despite multiple information gathering and goal setting sessions, there remains an outdated Vision 20/20 plan; the hallmark of the council for roughly 20 years. Leadership requires the creation and maintenance of consistent communication channels, to and from constituents. The City has also unreliably posted meeting minutes to its website, missing the opportunity to concisely communicate decisions of the council, and commissions, to its citizens. It is unreasonable to have to watch hours of recorded video to see the outcome of decisions on scheduled agenda items.

3. What is your vision for Fillmore if elected/reelected? What do you perceive as the five most important priorities for the city?

My vision for Fillmore is to foster a culture that values families and their children; they are the future and bedrock of our town! Smart growth and thoughtful sustainment plans will be required so that our town can support future generations. Five priorities the City must focus on include: articulating a meaningful vision for the next 20 years; updated, reliable communication channels; clear construction guidelines to reduce unnecessary delays and increased construction costs; long-term sustainment plans for parks and public facilities; and traffic control from surrounding cities that consider safety and continued support of local businesses.