The effort to reshape local governance in Oak Park entered a pivotal new phase last week when a citizen-led group set in motion a petition to establish an Oak Park Community Services District (OPCSD).
The action by the Oak Park Community Services District Formation Committee triggers a detailed legal and administrative process—one that governs how communities can reorganize local services in California—that could ultimately change how all municipal-type services in Oak Park are delivered and overseen.
If approved, the reorganization would detach Oak Park from the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District and dissolve County Service Area No. 4, the current special district whose responsibilities include park and open space maintenance, street lighting, landscaping and other local services.
Under the OPCSD plan, the services would be consolidated under a single, locally elected five-member governing board focused solely on Oak Park.
“We believe this reorganization will address long-standing governance deficiencies, improve local accountability, and consolidate fragmented service delivery under a locally elected governing body that directly represents Oak Park residents,” said Mark Perryman, chair of the formation committee.
Legal authority and path forward
In its formal notice, the committee explains that state law allows communities to reorganize their local governance structures, and it outlines the steps required to do so. Ventura County’s Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo)—the independent body that oversees changes to local government boundaries—has the exclusive authority to review, modify or approve such proposals and will become intimately involved with the proposal.
The petition the committee is preparing must meet specific state requirements, including sufficient signatures and a detailed “Plan for Services” that explains how the new district would deliver and finance local services. Once submitted, a review process will ensue. The committee says it intends to work openly with key agencies such as Rancho Simi Rec and Parks, Ventura County Public Works, Ventura County Elections Division and the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to effect the change.
Request for records
To evaluate the reorganization and prepare its Plan for Services, the formation committee has requested a tranche of records from Rancho Simi, Ventura County Public Works and LAFCo. These include financial statements, service descriptions, GIS maps, assessment district information, historical budgets, infrastructure inventories, contracts, property records, and documents that outline the legal authority under which CSA-4 and Rancho Simi currently operate in Oak Park.
A key part of the committee’s notice is a request that Rancho Simi authorize district funds to pay for LAFCo fees and other costs associated with Oak Park’s detachment. The committee says this aligns with Rancho Simi’s past practice: The district paid similar formation costs during the 1973 Moorpark detachment and the 1984 Bell Canyon detachment
The agencies are required to provide the documents within 10 days unless a valid exemption applies.
Governance concerns
Supporters of the OPCSD proposal say the reorganization would resolve long-standing concerns about Oak Park’s limited voice in how local services are managed—and how they are paid for.
Janna Orkney, a former Triunfo Water Board representative and longtime voice for Oak Park, called the proposal a “breath of fresh air for our community,” saying it would finally give Oak Park residents a direct and undiluted voice on local issues—something they currently lack.
“Now, our voice is advisory only at the OP Municipal Advisory Council . . . and our voice is diluted on the Rancho Simi Rec and Park Board,” she said.
Orkney explained that the Municipal Advisory Council can make recommendations, but has no decision-making power, and that the Oak Park representative on the Rancho Simi park board must split their service time between Oak Park and the Simi Valley community of Wood Ranch. Creating a community services district, she argued, would give Oak Park true governing authority aligned with the community’s needs and priorities.
Timeline
The process ahead requires a coordinated review by several agencies. LAFCo will evaluate whether the proposed reorganization makes sense for the community—considering factors such as local identity, service impacts, financial stability and whether the current governance structure remains appropriate.
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors will need to address the dissolution of CSA-4, while Ventura County Public Works will oversee any transfer of assets, contracts or service responsibilities that may result.
The formation committee expects to submit its petition within the next few weeks. After signature verification and LAFCo review, the final step—if LAFCo approves the reorganization— would be an election in which Oak Park voters would be the ones to decide whether to form the new district.
Call for transparency
Throughout the process, the committee vows open communication with both residents and agencies.
“We are committed to working collaboratively with all affected agencies throughout this process to ensure a smooth and transparent transition,” Perryman said.
The committee has also copied several community organizations on its notice—including the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council, Oak Park Unified School District, the Oak Park Fire Safe Council and local nonprofits—to ensure broad awareness as the process moves forward.
If successful, the formation of the Oak Park Community Services District would represent one of the most significant governance changes in Oak Park’s history, potentially reshaping how local services are delivered and giving residents a stronger and more direct voice in their own community affairs.
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