The Tribune endorses Gregory and Strong for Paso Robles City Council

The city of Paso Robles has made commendable progress in shaking off the economic doldrums of the post-recession years. A few examples: Centennial Pool is once again open; just last week there was a dedication of a new playground at Downtown City Park; it’s moving ahead with road improvements financed with a local, half-cent sales tax; and it’s investing in water projects, including a recycled water plant scheduled to open next year.

No one person is responsible, but we believe the City Council has played an important role in keeping the community on track, which is a big part of the reason we support the two incumbents in the November election.

Here’s a closer look at the candidates:

Steve Gregory was appointed to the council to fill a vacancy created when Steve Martin was elected mayor in 2014.

At the time, we questioned the choice — not because we found Gregory to be a weak candidate, but because he had come in last place in the general election held just one month earlier, and we believed the appointment failed to reflect the will of the voters.

Over the past two years, though, Gregory has proven himself to be a strong member of the council. He knows the issues inside and out, he’s dedicated to the job, and we’re especially impressed by his communication skills. Visit his Facebook page, Steve Gregory For City Council, to get an idea of how well he keeps constituents informed. (We urge him to keep it up after the election.)

Another plus: Gregory has been working with other local leaders on a plan to repurpose the former state-owned Youth Authority complex in Paso Robles to include housing for farmworkers and transitional housing for homeless people, among other uses. The group expects to present a proposal in October. Excellent. That property has sat vacant since 2008 and, in a region where there are so many unmet housing needs, it’s time to put it to good use.

We do part ways with Gregory on his opposition to Measure J — the countywide, half-cent sales tax measure that would fund regional transportation projects. We find it odd that Gregory would make road improvements one of the key points of his campaign, yet would not support a measure that would provide desperately needed funding for regional fixes. He believes it’s Caltrans’ responsibility to help local governments with regional projects, and he expects the state to step up and provide funding. That would be ideal, but it’s unrealistic; $8 billion per year is needed just to maintain and operate existing highways, according to a report made to the state Senate last year.

Fred Strong, who is seeking his fourth term on the council, is a tireless advocate for Paso Robles. He has a long list of involvement in local and regional agencies as well as nonprofit organizations.

He has an independent streak and isn’t afraid to stick his neck out. In 2014, for example, he was one of two council members (Steve Martin was the other) to oppose a ban on mobile medical marijuana dispensaries that had the backing of city administration and law enforcement.

Strong is an avid supporter of Measure J. He makes the excellent point that visitors to Paso Robles would be contributing a large chunk of sales tax dollars to keep local streets and highways in shape. We believe that’s only fair, because tourist traffic contributes to wear and tear and congestion on local roadways.

For all his good points, Strong does have a tendency to overwhelm listeners with too much information and to come off as slightly combative. We caution him to tone it down and to work on honing his message.

Kevin Kreowski, the only challenger in the race, ran for mayor in Pismo Beach two years ago, losing to the incumbent by just two votes. Kreowski, a former U.S. Border Patrol agent, is a strong voice for public safety, and he advocates doing more to prevent the proliferation of gangs in North County. We admire his continuing interest in local government, though we’re concerned he’s not yet fully up to speed on other issues affecting Paso Robles.

This story was originally published September 10, 2016 at 3:24 PM with the headline "The Tribune endorses Gregory and Strong for Paso Robles City Council."