Former Cal Poly administrator launches campaign for Paso Robles mayor
A former Cal Poly administrator has officially announced his candidacy for Paso Robles mayor.
Bill Britton, a retired Air Force officer and former vice president for information technology at Cal Poly who retired in 2025 after 11 years working for the university, will run for the mayor’s seat in November — aiming to take over for John Hamon, who recently announced he will not run for re-election.
Britton officially announced his campaign Tuesday, after a “massive grassroots kickoff event” that was held last week, according to a news release.
The event attracted a crowd of Paso Robles residents, the release said.
“The turnout at our kickoff last week was humbling,” Britton said in the release. “To see such a huge group of motivated volunteers ready to walk precincts and talk to their neighbors confirms what I’ve felt for a long time: Paso Robles is ready for a leader who brings people together rather than driving them apart. This isn’t just a campaign; it’s a movement of citizens who care deeply about the future of our home.”
According to the release, Britton’s campaign received the endorsements of local public figures, including Hamon, SLO County Sheriff Ian Parkinson and SLO County supervisor John Peschong, as well as other community members.
Britton’s hinged his campaign on fixing roads and infrastructure, protecting public safety and first responders and supporting economic development, education and workforce pathways, his campaign website said.
During his time with Cal Poly, Britton modernized technology across campus, moving data to the cloud, and served as Cal Poly’s chief information officer and director of the California Cybersecurity Institute, according to a December retirement announcement from the university. He also worked on the strategy for the university’s integration of Cal Maritime, following the merger’s approval.
“Good communities don’t just grow, they are built — with intention, with discipline and with leadership,” the website read. “As I run for mayor, I am guided by belief in this community, belief in what Paso Robles can become, and belief that the best days of this city are still ahead of us.”
As of Tuesday, Britton was the only candidate who had filed candidacy paperwork for the mayor’s race, according to Paso Robles’ election website.
