Thousand Oaks Mayor Alex Fiore loves to talk tough and argue with anyone who does not agree with him. A few local residents refuse to address him at City Council meetings for fear that he will embarrass them in public.
He said he is the kind of person who gets impatient at stoplights. If the cars do not move the instant the light turns green, he honks. Despite his abrupt, abrasive style, Fiore has been elected to six terms on the City Council, finishing first almost every time. The City Council has appointed him mayor half a dozen times. Although his popularity runs deep, several vocal residents say the veteran mayor has overstayed his welcome.
A movement is afoot to oust Fiore from office if he decides to run for reelection in November. Brown said several weeks ago that they are searching for a candidate to put up the fight. Schaefer have launched bitter attacks against Fiore, criticizing him for his support of the controversial Jungleland civic center project.
Although the mayor is confident that he can survive the attacks of his critics--whom he calls crackerjacks and jokers--this city of , could be in for a few fiery exchanges before the battle in November. The neighborhood was filled with young couples and children, the perfect place to raise a family, he said. But there were problems. It was difficult to get sewer hookups. The water quality was poor. The foundations of some of the houses cracked because of shoddy workmanship permitted under lax county building codes, Fiore said.
Fiore became president of the homeowners group and began searching for ways to solve the problems. He and others decided that the solution was to form a city. The group gathered signatures, and the issue was placed on the ballot.
