Barbra Williamson

Incumbent Barbra Williamson said her passion for Simi Valley is driving her toward a fourth term on the city council.

"I really like what I do for the city," Williamson said. "There has to be a genuine love because when you really stop and think about it, it’s a volunteer job 24 (hours), seven (days a week)."

Williamson, fellow incumbent Steve Sojka and challenger Brian Wilson are competing for two open seats on the Simi Valley City Council.

A 12-year councilmember who also served on the city planning commission, Williamson said she’s proud that the council has been able to listen to residents’ grievances and help them resolve their problems.

She also likes the aesthetic changes the city has undergone since she was elected to the council, such as trees and foliage replacing the asphalt medians. Other commercial areas have received major improvements.

Critics charge that Williamson’s vote has been bought by developer campaign contributions.

"I tell them to check the record, look at my voting record," she said. "I vote my conscience. There’s not enough money a developer can pay me to vote otherwise . . . How I vote affects me the same as it affects other residents in the community."

If reelected, Williamson wants to continue with efforts to beautify the city by revising the general plan, the blueprint for how the city is developed. With large land parcels quickly drying up, developers want to build on small lots scattered throughout the city. Adjusting the plan will ensure that new developments are compatible with their surroundings, she said

Williamson also wants to make the seven-mile-long Arroyo Simi an oasis of tranquility. She wants to add low-level lighting, jogging and biking paths, and sitting areas to enjoy the wildlife.

"People think that it’s just a ditch, and it’s anything but a ditch," Williamson said.

Limiting the number of signs a business can put up is another issue she said she wants to tackle.