Editor's note: This is another in a series of profiles of the nine candidates running for three Ventura City Council seats in the Nov. 6.

Perennial challenger Brian Lee Rencher, who has run unsuccessfully for Ventura City Council eight times, has built a reputation as an emphatic government watchdog.

The former stockbroker, who says he passed on a lucrative career to be a "people's servant," contends the city is in transition, and it's time to reinvent how public services are financed. He said he feels the city spends too much on consultants and needs to place a greater focus on core city services such as paving streets, adding parks, replacing aging infrastructure and ensuring adequate public safety.

The 47-year-old has cemented a reputation as one of Ventura's most vocal, persistent civic activists -- and one of its most colorful.

At a public forum this month, Rencher said he wasn't putting a lot of energy into campaigning this year.

"I have already won," he told the audience. "If you think the definition of that is winning a seat on the City Council, then you're wrong. It's serving the public.

"I don't need to be on the council," he continued. "I already set the issues. They (city staff) do the work. I don't need to be on the council. I get things done."

Rencher did not respond to interview requests for this article and could not be reached for comment.

But in past interviews he has cast himself as a candidate who truly wants local government to be transparent, responsive to the community, and fiscally responsible with people's hard-earned tax dollars.

Rencher said he's seen a narrow group of people at City Hall who make decisions that tend to benefit themselves. The public deserves objective decision-makers who are not beholden to special interests, he said.

In 2002, Rencher was ordered to serve two days in jail after refusing to leave the podium at a council meeting in which he accused city leaders of breaking the law. Opponents say his disruptive behavior weakens his credibility.

Two weeks ago, Rencher was excluded from a forum by the Downtown Ventura Organization and Westside Community Council because he did not fill out a questionnaire required of participating candidates.

Rencher said he was busy and did not have time to fill out questionnaires. Rencher protested his exclusion, saying it was unfair.

He turned to the audience, asking at one point, "Is this the way that I'm treated in this community, after everything I have given this community free?" Organizers did not let him participate, and he watched quietly from his seat.

Michael Faulconer, a local architect and former chair of the city Planning Commission and Design Review Committee, has known Rencher for years and contributed to his campaign. Faulconer said Rencher comes from "a place of deep knowledge." Rencher has a master's degree in business administration.

"We don't always agree, but he has always brought rational suggestions and thoughts," Faulconer said. "He is very emphatic and passionate about the city. I think he does mean well. And I really believe he has helped to shape policy and direction as a result of his research and presentations."

Two years ago, Rencher finished seventh in a three-seat race, with 8.1 percent of the vote. He now faces three well-known incumbents and five challengers.

In a candid conversation after a forum this month, the former homeless man talked about happiness he's found working part-time, living in a house and being in a committed and loving relationship.

He pledged a softer approach if elected.

One of his biggest frustrations over the years, he said, is the efforts of The Star and critics in the community who try to marginalize his years of community service and repeated campaigns because he had chosen to live outdoors.

He said he chose to forgo a traditional lifestyle so he could attend city meetings day and night and spend hours poring over city transactions. He often can be seen riding his 21-speed bike. He regularly wears all black and keeps a row of bracelets on his arm that stretch from his wrist nearly to his elbow.

"Being elected will enable me to serve the community in bigger ways more quickly, effectively and affordably," reads a piece of his campaign literature. "I have accomplished a lot over the years, but like you, I, too, can do more.