SLO County supervisor Bruce Gibson seeks 4th term. Here's where he stands on the issues

Bruce Gibson is touting infrastructure and budgetary success stories, among other factors, as reason for voters to send him to a fourth term serving as San Luis Obispo County Supervisor for District 2.

Gibson said his vision helped contribute to the completion of the new Los Osos sewer plant and Cayucos Pier restoration; the county budget and pension outlook are both in a better place, according to his campaign.

Gibson first won election to represent District 2 in 2006; he was reelected in 2010 and again in 2014. Prior to becoming supervisor, he served on the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission. He announced his reelection campaign in October 2017.

Gibson is extensively educated, earning a bachelor's degree in physics from Pomona College in Claremont in 1973, a master's degree in geophysics from the University of Hawaii in Honolulu in 1975 and a doctorate in geophysics from Rice University in Houston in 1989, according to a curriculum vitae that he provided The Tribune.

Gibson worked as a research scientist while pursuing his degrees. Beginning in 1990, he worked as a self-employed rancher and farmer in Cayucos.

A fifth-generation Californian, Gibson has been active in county politics for the better part of two decades. That includes serving as board president for the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County.

"The common thread in all these activities and his service as county supervisor has been the drive to bring diverse groups of people together to solve sometimes contentious problems," according to Gibson's campaign website.

The Tribune sent Gibson a candidate questionnaire asking his position on key issues facing the county. Here are some of his edited responses:

On the issues

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best performance, please rate how well the county is meeting the following challenges:

Gibson gave low marks to the county's handling of affordable housing (3), Nipomo Mesa air quality violations (3), homeless services (4) and mental health services, particularly for jail inmates (4).

Of affordable housing, Gibson reiterated the need for an inclusionary housing ordinance "that provides revenue to create more housing units guaranteed affordable to all income levels."

He said Supervisor John Peschong agreed with him that the board should reconsider a tiered inclusionary housing fee "that would apply to large homes, exempt small homes and raise more money than the flawed fee structure currently in place."

He also called for the county to make a direct financial contribution to increase affordable housing, such as the revolving loan fund Gibson and Supervisor Adam Hill previously proposed. Gibson also argued that the county needs to take a careful look at policies that would limit the number of long-term rental properties being converted to short-term rentals.

Gibson wrote that "the Board of Supervisors should be adamant that the state implement measurable and significant dust mitigation measures" at the Nipomo Mesa.

As for homelessness, Gibson wrote that, "Progress on this issue will require efforts on many fronts: substance abuse and mental health services, our law enforcement and criminal justice systems, education and community engagement."

He said the county needs to provide more support to homelessness programs already under way, including the county's "50Now" program, the Sheriff's Office two-deputy "Community Action Team," the soon-to-open Prado Center as well as assorted county nonprofits, such as "Showers of Hope."

Gibson said that former Atascadero resident Andrew Holland's death while in the custody of the San Luis Obispo County Jail "shows with brutal clarity that mental health care in our County Jail needs to be dramatically improved, and that the way we treat mentally ill inmates at the jail must be completely rethought."

"I am most concerned that the necessary changes to inmate care meet more than just minimum standards and that they are permanent. In my view, this will require a fundamental change in the culture of indifference toward those mentally illness — both inside and outside the jail," Gibson wrote.

He gave higher marks to the county's handling of the impending Diablo Canyon Power Plant closure (7) and long-term budget management (8).

Gibson said the coming Diablo Canyon closure "will be a significant economic challenge, but I believe the county is well-positioned to respond to it."

Likewise, he wrote that, "The county’s budget has been managed prudently and conservatively for many years."

"We continue to keep a careful eye on spending, with budget strategies in place to maintain our financial strength, provide the highest possible level of services to our communities and address the need for fair and competitive compensation for our employees," he wrote.

The current board has a reputation for being highly partisan, divided and unable to get along. How can that be improved?

"Since this question is posed in the abstract, without context or specific example, I would first explore its premise. American democracy is messy, and conflict between competing ideas is inherent, so it’s worth asking exactly what problem of the board’s behavior needs to be improved," Gibson wrote.

He wrote that the board's current most serious issue "is whether all five members are consistently committed to the principles and practices of good governance."

However, he added that "likely over 90 percent" of board decisions are unanimous, "and this coherence is evident on many significant issues," such as the board's decision to take over fire services for Cayucos when the Cayucos Fire Protection District dissolves.

What is your position on the county's handling of Andrew Holland's death while in custody? Should county employees have been disciplined?

"I believe that as a separately elected official, judgment on this decision rests with the Sheriff, his conscience and voters," Gibson wrote.

He wrote that he was acutely disappointed that nobody at the county jail "recognized there was something profoundly wrong about confining Andrew to the restraint chair for 46 hours."

"To me, acknowledging that failure is fundamental to changing the way we treat mentally ill people," Gibson wrote.

Campaign finance

The Bruce Gibson for Supervisor 2018 campaign has recorded $51,152.60 in political contributions as of April 21, including cash, loans and non-monetary donations, according to an April 25 campaign filing statement.

That includes more than $48,000 in direct contributions and $3,000 that Gibson loaned his campaign.

Top donors include James Lohr of Saratoga ($5,000); the Holland Family Alliance for Mental Health and Correctional Reform of Sacramento ($3,500); Don Ernst of San Luis Obispo ($2,000); Adam Hill for Supervisor of San Luis Obispo ($2,000); Jim and Barbs Murray of Los Osos ($1,000); Allyn and Lee Arnold of Cayucos ($1,000); Stuart and Nancy Warrick of Cambria ($1,000); and IBEW Local 639 of San Luis Obispo ($1,000).

This story was originally published May 2, 2018 at 6:42 PM with the headline "SLO County supervisor Bruce Gibson seeks 4th term. Here's where he stands on the issues."