City Council

The Ventura City Council meets at 6:00 pm three Mondays each month. The City Council meets the first week in August and will not reconvene until the first Monday after the Labor Day weekend. Meetings are held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 501 Poli Street - Second Floor, Ventura. All meetings are open to the public.

Mayor
Bill Fulton
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There are seven members of the City Council. Each member must be a registered voter in the City and is elected at-large. Each member represents the interests of the City as a whole. Elections to select Councilmembers are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of the odd numbered years. The newly elected Councilmembers assume their seat on the City Council at the first meeting in December following the election and serve for a term of four years. At the same time, the Council is reorganized and one of its members is selected to be Mayor. The Mayor serves a term of two years. He/She is the presiding officer of the Council. The Mayor has been delegated the responsibility to act as the City Council's ceremonial representative at public events and functions. The Deputy Mayor is also selected in the same manner and serves a two-year term.

Mayor For A Moment

Each month the City of Ventura invites a student from a local fifth grade class to be Mayor for a Moment. An essay is chosen about a particular character trait and the student is invited to read his or her essay at the City Council meeting.

• View Current and Past Mayors for a Moment

Municipal Elections

General municipal elections for the election of officers and for other purposes as the Council may prescribe shall be held biennially on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered year. The California Elections Code establishes the procedures by which the municipal election is conducted.

Election of Councilmembers

City Councilmembers serve a term of four years with the terms being staggered on a two-year basis with three members being elected at one election and four at the next. The terms commence from and after 8 p.m. of the day of the first regular meeting in December following the election.To be placed on the ballot a candidate must circulate a nomination form provided by the City Clerk, gathering not more than 30, but not less than 20 signatures of registered voters in the City to qualify for placement on the ballot.The election of members of the Council shall be from the City at-large. Candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected until the number declared elected equals the number of Council offices to be filled at the election. All ties shall be decided by lot in the presence of the candidates concerned and under the direction of the election authorities.

Selection of Mayor

The Council shall elect from among its members, officers of the City who shall have the titles of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, each of whom shall serve a two-year term. In no event may a Councilmember elected Mayor for a two-year term, succeed himself as Mayor without at least one additional two-year term having lapsed. The Mayor's duties are to preside over the sessions of the Council, sign official documents when the signature of the Council or Mayor is required by law and shall act as the official head of the City. The Mayor has been delegated the responsibility to act as the City Council's ceremonial representative at public events and functions. He/she shall have the power to administer oaths and affirmations, but shall have no power of veto. He/she shall have authority to preserve order at all Council meetings and to remove any person from any meeting of the Council for disorderly conduct, to enforce the rules of the Council and to determine the order of business under the rules of the Council. The Deputy Mayor shall act as Mayor in the absence or disability of the Mayor.

• View council meeting agendas and minutes here.

City Council Protocols

• Download the City Council Protocols (pdf).
  
  

Councilmembers may be contacted via telephone at:
City Hall:(805) 654-7827
or
by email:council@ci.ventura.ca.us