It might be the understatement of the decade to say that raising capital has been extremely difficult for area banks.
But in a very difficult environment, President Jerry Lukiewski at Ventura County Business Bank has found a way to increase his bank’s capital and perhaps set the stage for the acquisition of assets or other banking enterprises.

With two financial institutions — Banco BuenaVentura and Affinity Bank — recently removed from Ventura County’s banking scene, it’s heartening to see one getting new funding to ride out the recession.

That will put a bit more capital to work to help area small businesses ride out the recession, too.

There’s still more upheaval to come in the area’s banking scene, which should aid well-established institutions such as Ventura’s County Commerce Bank, Montecito Bank & Trust and others.

But things won’t really find their way to a new normal until regulatrs begin to loosen the very tight reigns that federally insured institutions have been operating under for the better part of the past year.