Why is Heidi Harmon resigning? Q&A with SLO mayor on goals, controversies and what’s next
San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon answered a host of questions about her planned resignation and career change at Thursday’s roughly 40-minute press conference.
Questions and answers ranged from her reasons for leaving her city leadership position mid-term to specifics around accomplishment of her goals, cannabis campaign contributions and being the center of controversy at times.
Harmon also denied speculation about any inappropriate campaign contributions she received from a local cannabis mogul charged with bribing a county supervisor.
Harmon, who has held her role since 2016, said that her decision to move into a climate action advocacy role with the nonprofit Romero Institute in the middle of her mayoral term was inspired by her son, who expressed fear for the planet’s rapid climate change, and her belief she can serve a broader, statewide role for climate action.
“A few weeks ago, I woke up to a text message from one of my children in the middle of the night,” Harmon said. “He said ‘Mom, the UN Climate report seems really scary and it feels like nothing significant is going to happen to stop what’s coming at all. I’m really scared.”
Harmon said she’s proud of the city’s accomplishments on a host of issues, from a tiny-home ordinance to a community choice energy program and a 2035 carbon neutrality target.
Here are responses to five key questions from the press conference. The questions and responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Why are you stepping down now (Harmon’s term ends December 2022)?
Climate action is my North Star. But that is just one point amongst a constellation of reasons. And so this role (of mayor) is compensated at a level that it makes it really impossible to live in the fifth most expensive place to live in the United States. We know that I’m certainly not the first council member to have to step down due to financial (challenges) or trying to get a job in the careers in the context of our role, and that’s definitely been true for me.
It’s been a challenge to get a role, and I have been trying, and so it became clear that I wasn’t going to be able to pursue those opportunities while I was still in the context of this job. ... This job came along that is in perfect alignment with my values, and with what I feel I’m meant to be doing.
Will you be based here in SLO with your job or elsewhere?
Yes, I will still be living in SLO. I’m doing a little bit of traveling, but mostly working remotely.
Can you address some of the rumors that have been swirling around regarding the Helios Dayspring situation (Dayspring is charged with bribing the late county supervisor Adam Hill for favorable votes and influence). What is the extent of the campaign donations you’ve taken from him?
Everything’s been reported in alignment with all laws and regulations around all of that. That has all been public for years. I think that was an election, three or four years ago now. So, as everybody knows, or maybe you don’t know, happily, at the city of San Luis Obispo, we have a very small maximum donation of $300. And so no one could contribute more than $300.
I don’t have all those numbers right off the top of my head, but it’s all publicly available, it’s all been reported, and everything has been reported within the laws and (Fair Political Practices Commission) and all of that. Certainly with an investigation the size of which we’ve seen in our county, I think if there had been any problems, we would have heard about that.
To clarify, you’re not under investigation?
No, definitely not. I know I’m under interrogation constantly ... but not investigated. ... I have no involvement whatsoever in any of that (any illegal or inappropriate activity related to Dayspring).
What have been your key accomplishments as mayor?
All the climate work is so great. The day I realized we had the most ambitious carbon neutrality goal of any city in United States, I just couldn’t believe it. ... When I got started, I didn’t know what I was doing, right? Just like all of us, you know, and I just kept trying. Anyway, I just kept figuring it out. And that to me is actually one of the gifts of climate crisis, maybe in particular for women, or other folks that don’t normally step up and step in because it’s leaving a whole world of people with nothing left to lose except to step in and start figuring it out and not wait for that perfect moment. I’m really proud of that carbon neutrality goal.
I’m proud of the bike paths as well. I’m disappointed that those projects became so controversial. I understand that change is hard and in a community like this, the street belongs to the people. Bike safety and access is a part of what it is to be SLO now. ... And not to mention the beautiful downtown parklets program, which I think showed such a strong ability on the part of this whole community.
How far have you come on advancing housing affordability and diversity, two of your main campaign goals?
I think that we’re on our way to tackling diversity, equity and inclusion. Obviously, that is a 400-plus-year challenge that this country is based on. So, dismantling that, you know, is going to take some time, right? And so I am proud that within the city organization itself, we have a diversity and equity team. We are doing all of our programs and projects through the dual lenses of climate and equity. And so we’re looking at everything through those lenses and trying to do our best to make sure that the decisions we are making are taking those two things into account. ... We are hiring a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion manager, but we don’t have that person yet.
The city of SLO has more affordable units than the entire county combined. ... In regards to deed-restricted low, very low- and moderate-income folks, what frustrates people, the thing I hear the most about, are from working folks that don’t qualify for those programs but also don’t really have the funding to afford to live here otherwise. That is a piece that I think we’re still trying to figure out. So have we created housing affordability? That’s going to be a hard question to answer and it’s also so relative. ... Can we make it more affordable? I think we are, and that’s what we’re striving for.
Why do you think you’ve been such a target of controversy?
Well, it’s interesting to be controversial. And I think, you know, people, especially women in positions of power that have a thought and express it ... they’re often considered to be controversial. And frankly, I just reject that completely that if that’s considered controversial, then I’m proud to be part of opening that door for other women and girls, and everyone else and any other female-identified folks or any other marginalized folks that often don’t get to take up space.
Also, you know, I don’t ask for permission. And I think that’s really important. I feel like I’m very respectful and loving. And I know my worth, and I know my value.
Do you plan to run for higher office?
I’m always trying to figure out, like, where is the ... best place for me to be? And if at a future date that actually feels meaningful, I would do it. ... What can I do as one person? What’s the most I can do in this moment to make change? So, I don’t see that happening, to be honest. But if but if it ends up feeling like the right thing to do, I would consider it. I have no plans to do that.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 8:05 PM.
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