Voters in the Oxnard Harbor District, just northwest of Los Angeles County, have elected three commissioners to the Port of Hueneme governing board including one veteran incumbent and two first time candidates.
Eight candidates were vying for three seats on the five-member commission, which sets policy and oversees operations for the niche port. Hueneme, unlike other California ports with commissions appointed by local government entities, is an independent political subdivision of the state with commissioners elected directly by district voters.
Jess Herrera, a 16-year veteran of the Hueneme commission, was the top vote getter on Nov. 2, winning re-election with 23 percent of the vote.
Commission newcomers Jason Hodges and Mary Anne Rooney also won seats by pulling the second and third most votes at 14.4 percent and 13.9 percent, respectively.
Hodges, who calls himself a "pro-jobs environmentalist," is a Ventura County firefighter.
Rooney, the first woman to serve on the commission, directs the Global Entrepreneur Training in Trade program offered by the Economic Development Collaborative of Ventura County.
Two commission seats on the ballot opened up after commissioners Ray Fosse and Mike Plisky decided not to seek re-election. The third seat on the ballot was Herrera's.
Hueneme commissioners serve four-year terms, earning $600 a month and health benefits for two commission meetings a month plus committee meetings.
The Port of Hueneme is the only deep-water commercial port between the Southern California ports and the Bay Area in Northern California. Hueneme is one of the nation's top automobile-importing port and the nation's leading banana-importing port.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
