SanLuisObispo.com: Local elections

Supervisor election results give environmentalists reason to cheer

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:24 PDT

Environmentalists reacted with jubilation this week to the political sea change ushered in by the Board of Supervisors election, while the housing industry took a more measured approach.

The reactions followed a double win for environmentalists: Adam Hill defeated incumbent Jerry Lenthall in the 3rd District, and Jim Patterson beat Debbie Arnold in the 5th District. Hill and Patterson campaigned on principles of “smart growth,” and observers expect them to join with incumbent Bruce Gibson of the 2nd District to form a slow-growth majority.

Lenthall and Arnold are more pro-development, as is current 1st District Supervisor Harry Ovitt. Frank Mecham, who defeated Ovitt on Tuesday, also will be on the board in January. Politically, Mecham holds positions close to Ovitt’s, although he is slightly more toward the center.

Patterson edges Arnold for final seat

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:02 PDT

Incumbent Jim Patterson clinched a victory Thursday over challenger Debbie Arnold in the nail-biting race for 5th District county supervisor.

Patterson led Arnold by a scant 240 votes Tuesday night, with more than 1,700 absentee ballots left uncounted.

As of 5 p. m. Thursday, his lead had increased to 288, with 140 provisional ballots left to be counted next week. Those are ballots given to voters whose eligibility could not be determined at the polls.

Hill and Mecham win big; Patterson leads Arnold

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:27 PDT

Correction: When published, this story incorrectly stated that rancher Debbie Arnold has run her campaign for 5th District county supervisor with the support of the county Farm Bureau. Some of the group’s directors have donated money to her campaign, but the bureau does not endorse candidates

Challengers ousted the incumbents in two of the three races for San Luis Obispo County supervisor Tuesday.

But whether the board will maintain a pro-development bent or embrace a slow-growth approach will depend on a 5th District race that was too close to call.

Pismo to see some extra spending cash after half-cent sales tax increase passes

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:34 PDT

Pismo Beach voters Tuesday approved raising the city’s sales tax rate by a half-cent to 7.75 percent, less than two years after residents narrowly defeated a similar measure.

Measure C passed 56 percent to 44 percent, easily surpassing the 50-percent-plus-one total required for passage. The November 2006 measure failed by 65 votes.

Mayor Mary Ann Reiss said late Tuesday that she and council members were delighted that the increase was passed this time around.

Finalists emerge in races for Morro mayor, council

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:22 PDT

The fall campaigns for Morro Bay mayor and City Council took shape in the city’s first-ever June primary.

The top two mayoral and top four City Council candidates will compete in the general election in November.

Mayoral candidate George Leage will challenge incumbent Janice Peters. Leage, a businessman in Morro Bay for more than 40 years, received about 36 percent of the vote. Leage champions a stronger business community to strengthen the city’s economy.

Tourism’s key for Morro candidates

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 09:06 PDT

All four Morro Bay mayoral candidates are campaigning in the city’s first primary on a pledge to promote tourism and create a healthier local economy.

But each of the candidates on the June 3 ballot— incumbent Mayor Janice Peters, Council-woman Melody DeMeritt, businessman George Leage and businesswoman R. Pepper Hughes —have different ideas on how to stimulate growth and capitalize on tourism.

The loss of revenue caused in part by government restrictions on fishing along the coast has severely affected the seaside city. Fishermen have bought less fuel and equipment, cutting sales tax revenue.

Election 2008: Three questions for the Morro Bay Mayoral candidates

Fri, 30 May 2008 23:28 PDT

Term: 2 years; salary: $725 per month plus health benefits.

CANDIDATES: Janice Peters, Age: 60. Occupation: incumbent; professional photographer; event planner.

Melody Demeritt, Age: 57. Occupation: instructor at Cal Poly

Election 2008: Three questions for Morro Bay City Council candidates

Fri, 30 May 2008 23:24 PDT

Term: 4 years, Salary: $525/month plus health benefits.

CANDIDATES:

Jack Barrett, Age: 75. Occupation: businessman

Election 2008: Candidate Q&A for 5th District Supervisor

Thu, 29 May 2008 23:59 PDT

5th District Supervisor * Term: 4 years * Salary: $84,000

Jim Patterson is currently a county supervisor

Debbie Arnold is a rancher and businesswoman

Local union endorses Lenthall

Thu, 29 May 2008 13:04 PDT

Supervisor Jerry Lenthall has picked up a local union endorsement in his bid for re-election June 3.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local Union No. 639, based in San Luis Obispo, this week endorsed Lenthall, citing his friendship and support of workers’ issues.

Lenthall’s "friendship and continuing support of workers' issues is sincerely appreciated," said Hank Lewis, the local’s business manager.

Election 2008: Q&A with 3rd District candidates Jerry Lenthall and Adam Hill

Thu, 29 May 2008 07:29 PDT

Election 2008: Candidate Q&A Third District Supervisor * Term: 4 years * Salary: $84,000

Jerry Lenthall is the incumbent Third District supervisor.

Adam Hill is a Cal Poly English Department lecturer.

$1.2M is raised by six supervisor candidates; may be record high for county

Wed, 28 May 2008 07:20 PDT

Candidates in the three races for county supervisor this year have raised close to $1.2 million among them since the campaigns began, creating what may be the county’s first million- dollar supervisors’ election.

Third District incumbent Jerry Lenthall and challenger Adam Hill have brought in $462,000 from last year through May 18, surpassing the $325,000 raised in 2006 by Bruce Gibson and Rodger Anderson. That was then a record amount for a single supervisor race.

But Hill and Lenthall are not the only candidates to raise huge sums this time around. In the 1st District, incumbent Harry Ovitt and Frank Mecham have collectively raised $309,341, and in the 5th District incumbent Jim Patterson and Debbie Arnold have raised $408,429 between them since the campaigns began last year.

Q&A with rivals for county supervisor seat: Harry Ovitt and Frank Mecham

Wed, 28 May 2008 08:41 PDT

You both have expressed concern about water resources in the district. How would you ensure adequate long-term water supply and quality for the North County?

Frank Mecham: Protecting the basin from overdraft is critical for the long-term needs of North County. The Nacimiento Water Project will help. But the implementation of reclamation and conservation, along with a sound basin management plan, is essential. Another way to ease the strain on the basin would be to ensure the participation of future development projects for the Water Project. New and innovative means to utilize re-cycled water for irrigation on ag-lands, specifically vineyards, should be aggressively pursued.

Harry Ovitt: Nacimiento water will address the short-term supply issues. Water banking of the county’s unused portion of its State Water allocation could help too, if it can be done at a reasonable cost. For the longer term, we might explore creating a “looped” conveyance system that would allow for the use of all water sources (i.e. groundwater, surface water, and desalinization) depending on the availability and cost of each. Water quality concerns are being addressed through the RWQCB Basin Plan, the County’s Urban Storm Water Management and Non-Point Source Programs.

Letters to the Editor on Local Elections

Sun, 25 May 2008 06:37 PDT

Arnold diligent, fair, independent

I t is with great pleasure that I endorse my niece, Debbie Arnold, for 5th District supervisor. Knowing Debbie since she was 12 years old and having her as part of our family for more than 30 years, I feel confident and knowledgeable about her qualifications.

Debbie is an extremely hard-working individual and a very fair decision maker who will make her own decisions.

Maldonado to run in primary for Democrats

Sat, 24 May 2008 00:06 PDT

State Sen. Abel Maldonado, a Santa Maria Republican, has turned in enough signatures to qualify as a write-in candidate in the Democratic primary June 3, a move his write-in Democratic opponent, attorney Dennis Morris of Pismo Beach, calls “astonishing.”

Morris said Maldonado is trying to keep from having a Democratic opponent in the November general election. He also criticized the senator for using his mother as an excuse to run in the primary.

“Abel’s mother, who is a Democrat, said, ‘Son, I want to vote for you in the Democratic primary, and I want it to count,’ ” Brandon Gesicki, Maldonado’s campaign manager, told The Sacramento Bee.

Harry Ovitt vs. Frank Mecham: Is it time for change in 1st District?

Mon, 19 May 2008 08:17 PDT

The candidates for 1st District supervisor, Harry Ovitt and Frank Mecham, are going toe-to-toe over who can best govern the North County district and San Luis Obispo County as a whole.

The two are fiscal conservatives who say they are well-qualified to lead the widespread district, which includes the city of Paso Robles as well as the unincorporated communities of Templeton, Shandon and San Miguel, and remote areas, including the southern edge of Nacimiento Lake.

The outcome of the election may simply come down to whether 1st District voters think it is time for a change.

Political Notebook

Thu, 15 May 2008 05:33 PDT

3rd District

Actress Bo Derek, who achieved fame with the 1979 film “10,” will be guest of honor at a $250-a-plate fundraiser for supervisor candidate Jerry Lenthall on Sunday.

Derek’s backing will mark Lenthall’s fourth celebrity endorsement of the campaign. Actor Steve Ford, ultimate fighting champion Chuck Liddell and conservative author and pundit David Horowitz also have backed the incumbent.

Political Notebook

Wed, 07 May 2008 07:16 PDT

North County

The county Deputy Sheriffs’ Association has endorsed incumbent Harry Ovitt for 1st District county supervisor.

In a news release Tuesday, the union called Ovitt a steadfast supporter of the Sheriff’s Department over the past 19 years. In particular, it lauded his support for issues including adequate patrol staffing, expansion of the County Jail, rural crime prevention, the Narcotics Task Force and gang suppression efforts.

Mecham and Ovitt split on budget in 1st District race

Tue, 06 May 2008 07:22 PDT

The differences between two ideologically comparable candidates for 1st District county supervisor began to emerge Monday at a forum where voters learned challenger Frank Mecham and incumbent Harry Ovitt don’t see eye to eye on how to handle a challenging county budget.

The two men pushed their qualifications over lunch at the Paso Robles Inn in a forum sponsored by The Tribune and the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce.

Mecham, 60, who has served as Paso Robles’ mayor for eight years, is seeking his first seat on the Board of Supervisors.

Watch the District 1 supervisor candidate forum between Ovitt and Mecham

Mon, 05 May 2008 13:18 PDT

The forum featuring 1st District supervisor candidates Harry Ovitt and Frank Mecham was the third and final forum cosponsored by The Tribune meant to give voters in-depth exposure to candidates for San Luis Obispo county supervisor.

"This is an excellent opportunity for voters to quiz the candidates," said Tribune Publisher Chip Visci. "Voters are lucky to have strong candidates in each district to choose from, and it's our hope that voters will make the effort to come to these forums with smart questions."