Campbell May Leave Mayor Post Early

Not only did Roger Campbell fail to secure a seat on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors last year, but it looks as if he may step down early from his post as Fillmore’s mayor.

The City Council on Tuesday directed its staff to draft language amending a resolution that resulted in Campbell’s appointment to what he believed was a two-year mayoral term in November 1995.

The council said Campbell was supposed to have served only one year so that the two-year mayoral post would be in sync with council elections, which last occurred in November 1996.

“The council and I had a disagreement,” Campbell said Wednesday. “The minutes of the meeting where I was elected mayor clearly state I was elected for a two-year term. The council has had a change of mind.”

The council is likely to vote at its next meeting in two weeks for Campbell to conclude his term on June 30, said Councilman Evaristo Barajas. That will clear the way for Mayor Pro Tem Don Gunderson to take over until November 1998, when the next council election is scheduled.

“No matter who was in that chair, I would have done the same thing,” he said. “It was not political. It was not personal. . . . What we’re trying to do is get the mayorship back in line with the election cycle.”

Campbell said he is prepared to accept the council’s decision for the sake of harmony.

“The most important thing to me is to continue to have a cohesive council that can get things done without infighting or egos,” he said.