SOME SEE RANCOR AS HINT OF WHAT'S TO COME IN RACE.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer

Some called Tuesday's rowdy session ``business as usual'' - a normal carnival of cantankerous exchanges to mark the City Council's return from its summer recess.

Others saw the meeting as a kickoff for the combative campaigning expected to absorb much of the energy - and perhaps patience - of city leaders and residents as the November council election approaches.

Thousand Oaks resident Jim Bruno hoped things might change this election season.

Bruno headed a 16-member committee that studied campaign finance reform and other changes to the city's notoriously hostile political climate earlier this year. Bruno expected some mudslinging - but nothing like Tuesday night's public comment session.

``Part of me was appalled by the sheer anger and the emotion, and another part of me was thinking about the First Amendment,'' said Bruno.

``You have to give people their right to speak,'' said Bruno. But while he called Mayor Michael Markey's direction of the meeting ``somewhat autocratic,'' he noted that the speakers were as much at fault for the shouting matches that broke up much of the public comment session.

``I wish we could be more constructive. We can't just hide behind the Constitution and our First Amendment rights to justify improper behavior,'' he said.

Markey said he anticipated some of the politicking. That is why he asked the Ventura County District Attorney's Office for an opinion on what kind of speech from candidates would be appropriate during council meetings.

``I'm not going to run the City Council meeting by the whims of the council candidates,'' said Markey.

But some speakers said Wednesday that they wanted a public apology from the mayor.

Markey cut off several speakers during Tuesday's meeting for making comments he said were outside the realm of city business and, therefore, inappropriate.

``Everyone, regardless of what they have to say and whether I agree or not, has the right to be heard. But Mayor Markey went over the line and violated people's right to free speech,'' said Debbie Gregory, a Thousand Oaks resident who speaks regularly at council meetings.

Markey maintains that he only broke into speakers' comments when he felt they were speaking about the campaign, which is not city business.

``I support letting people speak and letting us know what they want, but we are also conducting a business meeting and we need to address city issues,'' he said.

Ventura County Deputy District Attorney Kevin Drescher said candidates are allowed to speak their mind on issues pertaining to city business, but he noted that what falls under that area can be interpreted differently.

``The moderator of the meeting has the discretion to make that call,'' said Drescher, who helped compose the letter from Michael Bradbury's office to Markey. ``Obviously, the moderator has to use some great discretion. If he errs, a judge or court can be called in to decide whether his judgment was correct or not,'' he said.