Can’t compare Calabasas and Agoura Hills

A recent letter continued the campaign against the city of Agoura Hills by comparing it to Calabasas. Since I’ve lived for more than a decade in each of the cities, let me add a couple of thoughts.

Calabasas has a professional politician as mayor who, I am sure, will be running for higher office before he spends much time in Calabasas. He already has supported a development (Heschel School) that will negatively impact Agoura and not his city. Calabasas also has a Chamber of Commerce that effectively works for the residents as well as the businesses.

Agoura Hills has a citizen mayor who is one of the most caring human beings one would hope for in a leader. He considers the interests of all citizens when he analyzes developments. This city has a Chamber of Commerce that attacks the residents’ desires for having a low-key environment.

Since this is an election year, the Chamber’s weekly ad contains misinformation that a few of their letter writers restate each week.

In reality, Agoura Hills was recently commended by the Las Virgenes School Board for their donations of hundreds of thousands of dollars for special programs for our schools, even though we don’t have the high utility tax of Calabasas that fattens their budget.

Finally, our city requested an outside $250,000 grant for the horse trails that have been planned for the last quarter century. It might require matching funds, but that would pale against the amount of infrastructure costs that the rest of the city requires. Don’t forget that the horse area of the city does not have street lights, curbs or gutters. Even the potholes are required to be filled by the residents of most of those streets. Phil Ramuno Agoura Hills