Di Guilio Drops Idea for City Newsletter

After hearing qualms about possible political abuses and a shortage of funds, City Councilman Ray Di Guilio has withdrawn a proposal for a city newsletter.

Di Guilio first proposed publishing a newsletter in March, saying the publication could give residents access to information that might not be newsworthy to the media. He said he wanted Ventura residents to feel more connected to city government.

After studying a city staff report that analyzed newsletters from 15 California cities, Di Guilio suggested setting aside $50,000 from the council’s approximate $300,000 contingency fund to cover the costs of the publication.

But coming on the eve of budget deliberations with the city facing a $740,000 shortfall, council members were reluctant to approve the additional spending.

Other council members had already voiced concerns.

Councilman Steve Bennett worried that the newsletter could be politically manipulated. And Councilman Jim Friedman said the $30,000 to $50,000 spent publishing and distributing a newsletter could be better spent pruning overgrown city trees and maintaining city streets.

“This is not for political causes,” Di Guilio reiterated to his colleagues. “This is so people can make informed decisions.”

But the council remained unmoved, with several council members suggesting that a newsletter on the Internet might be more appropriate--and cheaper.

“This is ironic,” Friedman said. “As the world is going to the Internet, we are first suggesting a paper newsletter. I question that to begin with.”

Councilman Jim Monahan suggested that the city look into using commercial advertising to pay for the newsletter, and Councilwoman Rosa Lee Measures proposed looking into the idea. But other council members, including Di Guilio, were skeptical, saying such a procedure could leave the city open to unwanted influences.

Di Guilio, who has championed the newsletter idea for more than a year, was disappointed. “I guess the city south of us will continue to be a lot more progressive,” he said, referring to Camarillo’s city newsletter--the model he advocated.

He pledged to bring the idea back next year.