Cultural Leadership Diluted in Oxnard

As former chairperson of the Cultural and Fine Arts Commission for 15 years, I feel it is my duty to inform you of some of the latest actions the city manager is taking to further dilute effective cultural leadership in the city of Oxnard. The City Council and the citizens of the community should be informed that major changes are underway which will significantly impact the community’s use of the Performing Arts Center.

The move to do away with the general manager position at the Performing Arts Center and replace the position with the job of business manager is a blatant action to replace longtime manager Jack Lavin, who has served the city well in this position for nearly 25 years.

The facility, having recently undergone a major face-lift, is now ready to be used. However, new programming cannot be manufactured out of thin air. It takes money and resources to promote and develop cultural programs that serve all ethnic groups without regard to elitism and snobbery. When general manager Lavin recently pointed this out and requested necessary funding, he was resoundingly turned down and reprimanded for “unconscionable overspending” of his budget, which consisted of repairing a facility that the city had not taken proper care of for many years.

The Performing Arts Center has always operated as a community-oriented facility and should remain as such. For 25 years it was the major cultural resource in Ventura County, and deserves the continuing support of the City Council and the community. Likewise, Lavin deserves the support of the City Council and this community to develop relevant new programming and give the Performing Arts Center a chance to succeed with its mission.

MONA BROYLES, Oxnard