Schillo Takes Over Board Chairmanship

Frank Schillo assumed the chairmanship of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, succeeding Maggie Kildee in the largely ceremonial post.

The 2nd District supervisor downplayed the significance of the new job--which rotates to a different board member every year--compared to his previous position as a “plain supervisor.”

“It’s not a whole lot of difference,” said the former Thousand Oaks city councilman, who was elected to the county board in November 1994.

Schillo’s primary responsibility will be to run the board’s meetings. Still, the 62-year-old financial consultant took the opportunity to outline 19 issues that he intends to focus on during his yearlong tenure as chairman.

Those include cutting $19 million from the county budget and finding a way to keep libraries open.

In addition, Schillo reiterated the board’s intention to shepherd construction of the long-planned outpatient wing at Ventura County Medical Center to completion--replacing rented office space--despite the opposition of privately owned Community Memorial Hospital. Voters will decide the project’s fate in a March 26 ballot initiative.

“We need the consolidation of county medical services in one place,” he said. “We’ll be working hard to convince the voters of this necessity and to correct the misinformation that Community Memorial Hospital has generated.”

Schillo represents an area that includes Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and south Oxnard.