Monday, Jul. 13, 2009
Arroyo Grande City Councilman Jim Guthrie decides to reenter county supervisor race
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closeArroyo Grande City Councilman Jim Guthrie, who dropped out of the Fourth District Supervisor race last month, is back in.
Guthrie, 56, manager of the Spyglass Inn, first said in March that he would run for the seat, being vacated next year by Katcho Achadjian.
But in June, he withdrew, saying he wanted to help guide Arroyo Grande through the hard times the city faces. He added that he did not want to take too much time away from the Spyglass Inn, where he is general manager.
That left only Mike Zimmerman, an Arroyo Grande rancher attorney and rancher as a candidate, although the primary election is a year away.
After Guthrie backed out, he wrote in a press release Monday, he was asked repeatedly to rejoin the contest.
“I was surprised and very gratified at the number of folks who asked me to reconsider, so I approached my employer to see if something could be worked out,” Guthrie wrote. It was.
Guthrie said he has the support of several South County city council members and two incumbent supervisors, whom he did not name.
He said they back him for his “extensive budgeting experience in the public and private sectors,” his “broad knowledge” of land use issues, and his past presidency of the Pismo Beach Chamber of Commerce,
“I believe my combination of experience in business and public policy will serve the district and the county extremely well,” said Guthrie. “I’ve got a campaign team set up and I am ready to go meet the voters.”
In an interview with The Tribune in March, Guthrie said he has worked well with neighborhood groups and fellow council members in Arroyo Grande, and is a consensus-seeker.
He said his background in government and business -- he has been with the Spyglass Inn since 1991 -- gives him a broad and balanced perspective.
Guthrie said he expects land use and the budget to still be major issues. He says he favors "smarter growth"--with development closer to services, and less building "out in the middle of nowhere."
Either Guthrie or Zimmerman would be the first South County resident in 12 years to hold the seat. Achadjian, finishing his third term, lives in San Luis Obispo, although he owns gas stations in Arroyo Grande.
Achadjian is running for the Republican nomination to the 33rd District State assembly seat.
The primary election is in June of 2010. Should there not be a clear winner in the supervisor race – 50 percent of the vote plus one – there will be a runoff in November.
The Fourth District includes Nipomo, Oceano, Arroyo Grande and a small part of the city of San Luis Obispo.
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