2018 Libertarian candidate for mayor Aaron Starr testifying at an Oxnard City Council meeting in 2017
Libertarian National Committee member Aaron Starr is running for mayor of Oxnard, Calif., in a recall election that he organized. The election will take place on Tuesday, May 1.
Starr authored Measure M, a ballot initiative to repeal a 35 percent wastewater rate hike, in 2017. The measure passed with 72 percent of the vote, but has been challenged by the city, and is currently awaiting a judge’s ruling. Meanwhile, the city council passed a rate hike, despite the ballot measure’s overwhelming passage.
Starr said he felt sad for having had to lead a recall, because ultimately he had wanted to resolve the matter through negotiation with the city. He said he had been willing to accept the wastewater rate increase passed in 2016, if it had meant freezing rates this year.
“I was dismissed out of hand,” he said.
Starr submitted over 68,000 signatures to force an election to recall the mayor and three of the four members of the city council who had voted for the rate hike.
Starr ran for the city council in 2014 and 2016. He currently serves as the alternate representative to the LNC’s region 4, which comprises California and Nevada.
Learn more about Starr’s mayoral campaign: StarrForOxnard.com
Learn more about the campaign against the rate hike: MovingOxnardForward.org
