Ex-Mayor May Run for Ventura Council Seat

Former Mayor Greg Carson, who battled to reinvigorate Ventura’s funky downtown, then left office in 1995, two years after driving off the road while intoxicated, said Monday he is considering running for City Council this fall.

With less than a week left before the deadline to file papers, Carson said the dearth of candidates for two open seats, and a flood of calls from supporters has made him seriously weigh running again.

“Our community needs some good people to step forward,” Carson said from his nursery and garden cafe near Ventura College.

Of the seven council members, Gary Tuttle announced at the end of last year that he will not run again, and Steve Bennett announced last Thursday that he will step down. Councilwoman Rosa Lee Measures is contemplating a bid for the legislative seat being abandoned by Assemblyman Brooks Firestone (R-Los Olivos).

Five-term veteran Jim Monahan is the only incumbent to announce that he will seek reelection. Five other would-be candidates have taken out filing papers.

The deadline to file is Friday. However, if Tuttle and Bennett do not file, the deadline will be extended to Aug. 13.

Though he is pro-business, Carson said he hopes to fill a void left by the departure of Tuttle and Bennett--the two liberal environmentalists on the council.

“We are losing a perspective on the council that I did not always agree with, but I think is an important voice,” Carson said. “I believe in a lot of what Steve and Gary fought for--the slant they brought to the council.”

He said he respects their efforts to build the Ventura River bike trail, and to clean up the beaches. He said such efforts help make the city more of a tourist destination.

“We need to continue to make Ventura a destination-type area,” he said, “for out-of-town people to come visit, and for our Venturans to come and visit.” Carson was first elected to the City Council in 1991 after running on a platform to revitalize downtown Ventura, generating jobs and attracting tourists.

He was elected mayor and served for two years. He then took over as chairman of the Redevelopment Agency.

In October 1993, Carson was arrested when his 1989 Isuzu Trooper rolled off the Ventura Freeway in the predawn hours. He pleaded no contest to driving under the influence, paid a $1,550 fine, and worked five days on a labor crew doing community service.

Carson insists the drunk-driving incident had nothing to do with him leaving office, and said it will not deter him from running again.

“I’m not worried that will be an issue,” he said. “Colleagues of mine have had incidents like mine and were able to withstand it. I did not leave because of that. I left office because I needed to go back to work.”

Since leaving City Hall, Carson has devoted himself full time to his family’s business--Mound Nursery--a garden-cafe that sells plants, pots and garden accessories near Ventura College.

Many of the city’s current redevelopment projects took off under Carson’s leadership.

By late Monday, many locals were responding to the news.

“I’d like to see true representation of the citizens up there again,” said Chuck Smith, who runs a gift store on California Street, and said he will consider working on Carson’s campaign if he decides to run. Smith praised Carson for being instrumental in laying the foundation for downtown revitalization.

“People all over the state are looking to this city to blossom,” Smith said. “We have Greg Carson to thank in many respects . . . we are not done blossoming. He is very pro-business, and we need all sorts of representation on that council.”

Councilman Monahan, who is also pro-business, refused to comment. Councilman Ray Di Guilio expressed surprise.

“Nothing is predictable,” he said. “I think we are going to hear from some very odd people in the future, with Steve’s [Bennett] announcement. . . . It’s likely to be a very different council in December of this year.”

Carson said his decision may ultimately rest with his family.

“They are not wild about it,” he confessed. “They lived through it once already . . . and I wasn’t a quiet official. I was out there.”