Does council want too much power?

Moorpark City Council members Keith Millhouse, Mark Van Dam and Janice Parvin took the first step to take away your right to vote.

Here's how. Janice Parvin is running for mayor unopposed in November's election. When she assumes the position her city council seat will become vacant.

Current Moorpark code requires the Council to hold a special election and let the people decide who their representative will be. Over the objections of Mayor Patrick Hunter and Councilmember Roseanne Mikos, Councilmembers Van Dam, Millhouse and Parvin took the extraordinary action of pushing through a hastily formatted rule that would take away your right to vote.

The new ordinance gives these council members the sole power to appoint whomever they want. When audience members spoke about your right to vote, all three commented that not enough people were at the meeting to show anyone opposed their power grab and the special election would cost too much money.

It's sad to watch them strip their constituents' rights away and consolidate their power for what works out to be a smaller investment than a cup of Starbucks coffee for each voter.

Is it your right to select your representatives worth more than a few dollars? Do you want representatives on the City Council that feel their ability to appoint political cronies is more important than your right to vote? When Mr. Millhouse, Mr. Van Dam and Ms. Parvin appoint a friend to the City Council, do you think that person will feel in debt to you the voters or the triad of power that put them in place?

There will be one last opportunity to speak to the Council and try to get them to come to their senses at the next City Council meeting. If that doesn't work, several of us will move forward with a referendum to overturn the bad decision of Mr. Millhouse, Ms. Parvin and Mr. Van Dam.

While all council members deserve our respect, and I appreciate the time they invest to conduct city business, taking away our right to vote was not something they earned when they became council members. Chris Evans Moorpark