Roper Announces Bid For Supervisor Seat
Ventura County Fire Chief/Ojai resident Bob Roper. Photo by Logan Hall
By Logan Hall
Ventura County Fire Department Fire Chief Bob Roper, an Ojai resident, announced his bid for county District 1 supervisor at a press conference on Monday. Roper made his announcement just days after current Supervisor Steve Bennett announced his campaign for the 26th seat on the U.S. Congress.
Roper says that he has had his eye on local politics for several years, but had to focus on his position with the VCFD, forcing him to abandon his pursuit. “I contemplated a possible run for the Ojai City Council a few years ago,” he said. “It just didn’t work out with my current job.”
He says that now he’s ready to make the move to run for supervisor. “I really feel that if I get elected,” he said, “I can keep contributing to the community and I think that position would really fit my skill sets.”
Although he has spent 32 years with the VCFD, Roper says that he isn’t retiring, but looking for a new direction to take. “It’s one of those things where you start asking if you’re still fresh in the job,” he said. “It’s just time for me to find something different. What challenges are out there that I haven’t taken on? Well — this is it.”
Roper says that he is familiar with the position of county supervisor and believes that his experience in the Fire Department will carry over if he’s elected. “I currently take policy direction from the (county) Board of Supervisors,” he said. “Oftentimes they’ll ask for input from me. We’re all in the same county family as far as rules and procedures go. I really think it will transition nicely.”
After his initial announcement, Roper’s next step will be to organize his campaign and start reaching out to the community. “First I’ll start meeting with people to figure out the priorities for District 1,” he said. “My No. 1 obligation right now is still this organization (VCFD), so I know it’s going to mean much longer hours. I realize that it will take time and dedication. This is something that you really have to work at.”
Well, I see that “Upper Ojai” is too cowardly to tell us who they are. Perhaps they are afraid that their ideas will not withstand the scrutiny they will receive if we learn who is proposing them.
I couldn’t tell if “Upper Ojai” was agreeing or disagreeing with me in their last post. In fact, I couldn’t understand what they were even trying to say.
Here is what I am saying, in plain English: I am in support of building fire stations. They promote the common good. Someone needs to explain to me why a fire station is somehow a blight on the community. If the county wanted to build one right next to my house, I would be in full support. In fact, I’d throw a party for the ribbon-cutting ceremony!
Regarding their comment on the ‘ol days, what “Upper Ojai” seems to be railing against (a small group of people that oppose or support plans that the people at large support or oppose, respectively) is PRECISELY the type of situation I oppose! My point in the earlier post was that in former times, the plans laid out by democratically-elected officials were implemented. Today, a small minority of people like “Upper Ojai” thwart what the rest of us would like to do (via the decisions of OUR elected officials). This seems to be the way Ojai is run nowadays.
My sense is that “Upper Ojai” is either of two minds on the issue, or they don’t know what they are talking about. Come to think of it, maybe that is why they prefer to remain anonymous!
Bob Roper has watched out for the citizens in Ventura County for over 30 years. He is prudent with the Fire Dept. budget. He listens. He is a leader. He is willing to be a supervisor for all the right reasons. The biggest mistake would be not to vote for him. He knows the complex county government so there will be no learning curve. He is second generation ventura county. We are fortunate to have a choice of a non politician. A choice of a good person
James Campbell – After I finished chuckling at your response I had to reply. DUH! – Yes, I expect transparency in the plans of my government – isn’t that what a democracy is about? But it appears you think an elected or designated body of officials should make decisions behind closed doors and then spring them on the rest of us who have to pay and live with those decisions.
I’m not going to go into the fire station debacle, but Roper followed your lead. The VCFD spent months vetting the property, presented the property to the Board of Supervisors, and only notified us ‘property owners’ of the decision on the site 72 hr before it was to be finalized. Kudos to Roper on what he thought was going to be a ‘slam dunk’, but we (tax payers/property owners) prevailed.
Larry of Oak View – You’re right! I apologize to the ol’ time Ojai-ers, but the demography of Ojai has changed. Many of the now residents weren’t born and raised here, and days of the ‘good old-boys’ is dead – as much as James may dread it. We cherish Ojai as much as any of you and want to protect it, but ‘new blood’ is needed in the leadership positions, and not closed door deals based on local connections/relationships/scratch-your-back deals that James condones. As I said in my previous post, there were Ol’ Time Ojai-ers that felt betrayed by Ropers proposed site after accepting him as being a ‘good neighbor’/friend up here.
I really have no animosity towards Bob Roper, but I think his actions up here presents a Red Flag that he commits to deals to help the ‘good ol’ boys’ and his political ambitions, and not help the general population/desires of Ojai. I only wish Bob the best – but not as a County Supervisor.
PS – (Couldn’t help myself) James – I thin
k VCFD is still looking for a site. Why don’t you give them a call and offer your neighborhood as a proposed site? I’m sure with ‘eminent domain’ it could happen, and then you could find out how happy your neighbors are about the ‘premium decrease as well as the added security’ they’re gonna receive (chuckle).
So just to make sure I read it right: so anyone, no matter who or what they are as long as they are FROM here is better qualified to serve in public office even if a person came from somewhere else but was a great public servant?
Larry and Ray,
Don’t worry about anything. The DNC
(Democratic National Committee) is going to get him.
Once again, thank you for printing his name. Your
help has been invaluable.
what da hell is a Bostonian lookalike?
Isn’t the “peripatetic candidate,” a lifelong beach
bum currently residing in Hawaii with the rest of
the bums? At least he actually grew up here and knew
the people. You and fancy pants, Ivy League graduate
Bennett were back on the east coast (deleted) wearing Red Sox caps. Go back to reading
the New York Times and take little Stevie boy with
you back to La Guardia. Authentic, local candidates
no matter who they are, are better than any of you
Bostonian lookalikes.
I have known Bob Roper for many years and he is a fine, upstanding gentleman. Ventura County has been well served by Bob and will be better off with him as Supervisor.
By the way, “Upper Ojai”, state your name for the record when making your comments. Why is is that you demand that the County be more transparant about its plans, but you refuse to tell us who you even are?
Also, please tell us how much lower our homeowners insurance premiums would be if a fire station was located closer to our home. I’ll bet a lot of people would have appreciated both the premium decrease as well as the added security of having first responders closer to their home. Your attitude smacks of the aristocracy who thwarts developments enhancing the common good simply because of asthetics or some silly nostalgia for times that have long since passed away. Come to think of it, this attitude would probably have prevented YOUR HOUSE from ever being built had it been the prevailing mindset at the time! Things are quite different when the shoe is on the other foot!
Maybe “I understand” and other cranky individuals should step up to the plate (or then again maybe they “couldn’t” get elected–like Jeff Ketelsen, the peripatetic candidate who has run time and again without success against Steve Bennett) and run for office themselves to really expose what “poisonous fumes of glyphosate” actually means (and whether such accusations will truly stand up under scientific and legal scrutiny), which are likely less noxious than the “odiferous and gaseous” fumes emitting from some people’s minds about others that are largely baseless. At least Mr. Roper has the desire to SERVE instead of just flapping his lips.
Maybe somebody above Bob made him do it? Board of
Supervisors? They made MiraMonte accept poisonous
fumes of glyphosate on the Ventura River. Nobody
bothered to ask them why. VC Board of Supervisors
is always telling us what to do and accept.
If Bob’s ‘experience in the Fire Department will carry over if he’s elected..’ Ojai should stay clear of him. Earlier this year he tried to ‘stick’ a fire station in the middle of a residential neighborhood in Upper Ojai breaking the history of the VCFD of placing the stations remotely from homes. During his presentation at the Fire Station alerting the citizens of the new location next to their homes…he stated the decision had been made (no heads up to the residents of during the many months review of the proposed property), the final vote by the Supervisors would take place in 72 hours, and the meeting was just to let the citizens know the move would take place (aka PR purposes only). After literally ‘tearful’ pleas from the residents who attended the meeting, and a letter writing campaign to the Supervisors by the Upper Ojai residents (after the meeting) the ‘new’ location was denied. We (Upper Ojai residents) were shocked that he would propose the ‘new’ site after he had been a resident up here and knew many of us. We were further shocked at the clandestine review of the property (soil samples, surveys, etc.) that had taken place on the property over several months without a word to the neighbors (who would be impacted), and the value of that property had escalated (during these times where all of our properties have depreciating) due to the pending purchase by the County. We (Upper Ojai) love our fire fighters and don’t want to lose their presence up here. There are several parcels in Upper Ojai that are available for purchase which would allow a ‘new’ fire station without being located in someone’s backyard. In fact there is a multi-acre parcel less than 800’ down the road from the proposed site on which a Fire Station could be located ‘remotely’ from residential homes, but Bob chose to place the station in our backyards – Why?
Many of you may think – heck, there are acres between homes in Upper Ojai. The site that was selected was in one of the only cluster of homes up here, and would be literally located in the back or side yards of those homes (less than 100+ ft). So is Bob a friend of Ojai or a friend of those supporting his political ambitions? As far as Roper’s bid for a Supervisor’s position – no way would he ever get my vote – he is not looking out for Ojai, he is looking out only for his own ambitions.
All I can say is Happy Retirement Bob!….and I’m glad I’m not getting a Fire Station as the new next door neighbor that you thought was a ‘slam dunk’ a few months ago – and my property values are appreciating rather than depreciating as a result!
Go Bob! Ojai needs you!