Looks like someone is playing a joke. This is no campaign.

Are YOU running, Brian? :-)

The story is about someone else.

Someone is running for public office, doesn't want anyone to know their name...and they're advertising on Craigslist for interns.

Alrighty.

Laura,

They aren't ready to announce. Many candidates hire staff before they announce. That isn't anything new.

Both Democrats working on voter registration and Tony Strickland's campaign have advertised on Craigslist locally.

True enough, but there's a difference between quietly getting your consultant or staff on board before your announce, and advertising on Craigslist for interns. It's not very low key.

It is a joke. No candidate running against Miller. Too weird to be true. The job doesn't pay. What would anyone do with paid staff in a run for Mayor? Sounds silly.

Brian, you are teasing us! It would be nice to have another candidate jump into the fray. Very healthy for everyone - especially the residents of Simi.

Most successful challengers have paid staff.

Nonsense. What previous City Council/Mayorial candidate in Simi Valley ever had paid staff?

This sounds like the Radiation Rangers with more of their cloak and dagger.

Or it could be a move by a group that's seen it's best laid plans get knocked off track by Miller's insistence on taking a closer look at those plans.

Or maybe the VCRCC leadership feels Miller can't be counted upon when push comes to shove and is taking the opportunity to place a reliable, young politico in his place.

Either way, Brian's right: only a challenger with a paid staff has a chance of winning Miller's seat. That only leaves the question of who's paying for that staff.

The ad has been removed from Craigslist. I wonder what that means?

Is this an opportunity for some real investigative journalism? What if some interest with a huge project in mind - one that they know Miller is certain to oppose - decided to fund a surrogate candidate? What might be important enough to risk exposure and the certain negative political and the possible legal fallout that would follow? Is it just mystery novel stuff or could it explain this odd couple of events?

Whatever all this is about, it sounds like this a case where Brian turned on the lights and the cockroaches scrambled for cover!

Wow Captain a little far out on the conspiracy-theory scale, don't you think? Are you shocked that gambling is going on in this establishment too?

You are probably right that turning the light on it made it so that they had to look for other ways to find staff - rather than have their identity outed and the possible retribution for considering running against the regime.

And seriously, is your opinion that somehow Miller and any of that Council is somehow opposed to development? Have you seen the area north of the freeway at Kuehner - my recollection is 4 Councilmembers/Mayor thought that was a good place for condos? FYI - only Williamson voted against.

Lest you dismiss the WMI connection too easily, Miller was the lone council member (after Williamson) who instructed once....twice....more than several times....that the city manager forward the Landfill Task Force's comments in toto. This, despite Becerra's attempts to have those comments rewritten (and perhaps even watered down)by council & staff. Those comments are comprehensive, challenging and raise many question that some have fought hard to avoid answering.

Miller's insistence on making the TF's comments part of the official inquiry may well have raised the ire of many. Yet WMI has all the resources they need to hire staff for a challenger. Perhaps its a small cabal of WMI staffers & local politicos working independently of the company. What would they hope to gain by replacing Miller?

Whoever it is they must feel they have a possibility of generating enough political support to oust the Mayor. That leads to the question of where they expect to gain such support.

Paul Miller has been a good Mayor. He is honest and never turns his back on the residents. Miller has earned our support. I recommend the mystery candidate stay a mystery and fade away back to space.

Give it a week and more will be revealed. But I think it will be as exciting as Geraldo Rivera and the vault.

Who would want to live in a town where the mayor is the former police chief as Paul Miller is....?? he gets elected becuause simi is crawling with cops and retired cops who blindly elect and re-elect their own kind....thinking because they are cops they are better than everyone else..

I support Paul Miller, he has been a good Mayor. He has been accessible and open to new ideas. He has always seemed paternal and nurturing to me and extremely proud to be a resident of Simi Valley. I have seen him lead well and also nurture and encourage leadership in others.

When there have been community works days he is always the first one there in his work clothes working side by side with other residents to make Simi Valley a better place to live, raise a family, work and play. He is also very charitable with his work through Rotary and helping other charities in town with their endeavors.

Anyone know what residency requirements must be met to run for city council? The City's municipal code doesnt seem to mention any such requirements except for members of advisory committees and neighborhood councils (at which the city does allow sphere-of-influence residents to participate). If the City code doesn't specifically address the matter then State code would take over. State code seems to treat S-of-I residents the same as city residents.

Anyone know for sure?

RE: Anyone know what residency requirements must be met to run for city council?

The only requirmeent is that you have to be a cop or retired cop....

The mayor of Moorpark is an active duty LAPD

Ventura county is virtually a police state....

You must live within the city boundaries.

That may be the case, Barbra, but can you say where it's located within the City's municipal code? I tried doing a Nexus search and couldn't find any reference to specifics.

I will get back to you......

Morning Gary,
Here's the answer to your question....

"Government Code Section 36502.
(a) A person is not eligible to hold office as councilmember, city clerk, or city treasurer unless he or she is at the time of assuming the office an elector of the city, and was a registered voter of the city at the time nomination papers are issued to the candidate as provided for in Section 10227 of the Elections Code.
If, during his or her term of office, he or she moves his or her place of residence outside of the city limits or ceases to be an elector of the city, his or her office shall immediately become vacant."

Thanks, Barbra! I also found it late last night in State statutes.

Barbra,

Thanks for taking questions and finding answers from my readers. I appreciate it.

no problem.......