Meet the Candidates : Moorpark Mayor

Four candidates are vying to replace veteran Mayor Paul Lawrason, who is retiring. The mayor, though elected to a two-year term separately from the rest of the City Council, has little extra power except for presiding over meetings and nominating residents to serve on commissions.

Patrick Hunter

Age: 35

Occupation: Sergeant with Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Education: Studied English at Los Angeles Valley College, graduated from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Academy

Background: Hunter has served on the City Council since 1992. From 1993 to 1995, he was a member of the county Air Pollution Control District board. He served one year on the executive board of Moorpark Little League.

Issues: Hunter said he wants to preserve the qualities of Moorpark life that have attracted many residents. He advocates carefully managed growth that will maintain Moorpark’s semirural character, and pledged to work to keep Moorpark’s crime rate low.

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Bernardo M. Perez

Age: 47

Occupation: Water service representative, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

Education: Studied liberal arts at Cal State Dominguez Hills, East Los Angeles College and Moorpark College

Background: A Moorpark City Council member since 1987, Perez served as mayor in 1990. He serves on the Local Agency Formation Commission and is a board member of El Concilio del Condado de Ventura and the United Way of Ventura County.

Issues: Perez emphasizes his long experience in Moorpark government and ability to work with other local institutions, such as the school district and Moorpark College.

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Edward “Pete” Peters

Age: 73

Occupation: Retired rancher

Education: Graduated high school in Monongahela, Pa.

Background: Peters served 23 years in the Army. He founded the Handicapped Equestrian Learning Program, which teaches riding to developmentally disabled children, and has worked for about 15 years in the equestrian division of Ventura County Special Olympics.

Issues: Peters advocates strict adherence to the city’s General Plan and opposes development outside city limits, fearing that proposed projects could lead to overcrowding. He also said the council needs to be more responsive to the concerns of Moorpark citizens.

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Michael Wesner

Age: 47

Occupation: Owner, Wesner Enterprises legal consulting firm

Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA, law degree from Western State College of Law

Background: Wesner served six years in the Marine Corps before moving to Ventura County. A Moorpark resident since 1983, Wesner sat on the city’s Planning Commission from 1990-94 and now sits on the county Planning Commission.

Issues: Although Wesner considers some growth inevitable, he wants the city to follow its General Plan and zoning ordinances and place more emphasis on senior housing.

Moorpark City Council

Five candidates--only one of them an incumbent--are seeking two seats on the City Council. Growth, particularly the large developments looming in Moorpark, is the biggest issue in this year’s election.

Eloise Brown

Age: 75

Occupation: Retired homemaker

Education: Studied at Cornell, Southern Methodist University and the University of Rochester in New York

Background: Brown served on the City Council from 1986 to 1990 and returned to the council in the March 1996 election. For about 20 years she worked for a U.S. State Department program as a guide for foreign dignitaries. In addition to her council duties, she is a member of the board of directors for the Ventura County Alliance of Taxpayers.

Issues: Brown cites growth and traffic as two of the campaign’s most important issues. She said controlled expansion could benefit Moorpark, which she said needs more affordable housing for first-time home buyers. She also wants local government to be as open to citizen participation as possible.

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Chris Evans

Age: 39

Occupation: President, Evans Trade Show Management & Bridal Expo Inc.

Education: Studied vocal music education at University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Reno campuses

Background: Evans has lived in Moorpark for six years and belongs to several community organizations, including the Moorpark Rotary Club, Moorpark Presbyterian Church and Chamber of Commerce. He first ran for City Council in the March special election.

Issues: Evans wants the city to design more programs for local youth. Although not opposed to growth within the city, he said development projects must be evaluated based on how they will affect the quality of life in Moorpark and the city’s finances. He also wants the city to make revitalization of the downtown business district a high priority.

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Bill La Perch

Age: 73

Occupation: Rancher, director of Business & Professional Consultants personnel consulting firm

Education: Graduate of Air University at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala.; received a master of business administration degree from Pepperdine University

Background: La Perch spent four years in the Army Air Corps during World War II, flying 35 missions over Europe. He moved to Moorpark in 1982 and served for two years on the city’s Planning Commission. He is active with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, and served as a past president of the Downtown Neighborhood Council, and as a member of the Private Industry Council.

Issues: La Perch is concerned that proposed developments will harm the local environment, clog traffic and pollute the air. He also wants to make city government more responsive to citizens and advocates rejuvenating High Street.

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Debbie Rodgers Teasley

Age: 45

Occupation: District manager, Coldwell Banker Town & Country

Education: Studied math at Southern Illinois University

Background: A past president of the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce, Teasley has served on the Moorpark Unified School District’s strategic planning committee and the Ventura County Council on Economic Vitality. She is on the board of directors of the Moorpark Kiwanis Club.

Issues: Teasley said that although growth is unavoidable in Moorpark, it can be managed so that the city will not lose its rural character. As the city’s population increases, she said, its government must carefully manage the impacts on open space, schools and recreation facilities. Teasley also said the city needs a Moorpark business person on the City Council.

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John Torres

Age: 52

Occupation: Customer field representative for an electronics company

Education: Studied business administration at Santa Monica College

Background: A Moorpark resident since 1986, Torres chairs the city’s Planning Commission. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus and Moorpark Historical Society and has worked with Moorpark Unified School District’s Strategic Planning Team.

Issues: Torres views traffic as one of the city’s more pressing problems and wants to work with the state to find ways to channel traffic around Moorpark, possibly by building a bypass for one of the two state highways running through town. He advocates carefully managed growth, and said the city needs more affordable housing for seniors and first-time home buyers.