June 3 Election

Morro Bay to hold its first primary for city council

Four are running for mayor, while eight seek a spot on the City Council; stimulating business is a major issue

By Sona Patel

Twelve candidates vying for Morro Bay mayoral and City Council seats are set to compete in the city’s first primary election June 3.

Three candidates are expected to challenge incumbent Mayor Janice Peters, while eight City Council candidates — including one seeking re-election — hope to fill one of two council seats.

The races are expected to focus on how to revive an economy hurt by the decline of the local fishing industry. Key issues include boosting tourism and the merits of attracting new businesses that cater to local residents and tourists.

Councilwoman Melody DeMeritt, business owner George Leage and businesswoman R. Pepper Hughes will challenge Peters, who, if re-elected, would serve her third term as mayor.

DeMeritt, 56, an English lecturer at Cal Poly, said her campaign centers on the city’s need for economic development such as filling storefronts and attracting new businesses.

Leage, 70, a local businessman for more than 40 years, owns the Harbor Hut and Great American Fish Co. eateries.

Hughes, 55, who has lived in Morro Bay for more than eight years, ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2006.

City Council candidates include former Chamber of Commerce President Jack Barrett. Barrett, 75, said he’d push for the city to be a port for major cruise lines as a way to boost tourism.

Carla Borchard, 49, owner of Carla’s Country Kitchen and former chamber president, said her years of experience volunteering and raising kids in the city would help her balance volunteering and serving as a councilwoman. Borchard, who was named Citizen of the Year in 1996 and one of the city’s first female reserve firefighters, supports attracting tourists and encouraging mixed-use development within the city.

Several council candidates championed ways to boost tourism to the city.

Mick Theis, 49, owner of Glass Works in Morro Bay and former chamber vice president, said the council needs a strong voice from the business community and someone who was familiar with basic business practices.

Council candidates Joey Racano and Roger Ewing favored capitalizing on ecotourism to attract local and international visitors.

Racano, 52, a musician, writer and artist, said he’d promote tourism by attracting visitors to the Morro Bay Estuary. He’d also try to capitalize on the annual Winter Bird Festival by expanding its schedule and using a bigger venue.

Ewing, 66, a retired retail manager said he would use his time on the council to maintain neighborhood character while raising revenue through new businesses that could be used by residents and tourists.

Incumbent Bill Peirce, 62, is campaigning for his fourth term as councilman. He pointed to his experience on the council and wants to continue working toward the city’s goals of selecting a new city manager and evaluating the results of the city’s economic study.

Noah Smukler, 30, chairman of the Morro Bay chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and local small-business owner, said his campaign focuses on working with other cities in San Luis Obispo County that have incorporated smart-growth techniques in new development. Smukler is a six-year resident of Morro Bay and has lived in San Luis Obispo for 12 years.

Andrew Wilkie, a Spanish and math teacher at Atascadero High School, moved to Morro Bay in 1995. A father of two young boys, Wilkie, 40, said his decision to run stemmed from his belief that the council needed a voice representing families raising children in Morro Bay.

If a mayoral candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, that candidate would become mayor. If none receives more than 50 percent, the top two would go on to the general election in November.

Voters will be asked to select two of the eight City Council candidates. If two candidates each win more than 50 percent of the vote in June, they will be on the council. If only one candidate receives more than 50 percent, he or she would be elected and the next two candidates would be in a runoff in November.

If none of the council candidates receives more than 50 percent of votes in June, the top four candidates will compete in the general election.