3 members sworn in to SLO County Board of Supervisors: ‘Let’s work together’
Three newly elected members of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors were sworn in on Tuesday morning, ushering in a new liberal majority.
Friends, family and constituents of Bruce Gibson, Dawn Ortiz-Legg and Jimmy Paulding poured into the Katcho Achadjian Government Center to escort them into their new terms.
“I know we will work together to continue to make this place a place that holds true to its history and to the inherent natural beauty and the quality of life that so many flock here to enjoy,” Ortiz-Legg said at Tuesday’s board meeting. “Our work is to preserve all of this, while also providing a future.”
In June, Ortiz-Legg won another two years on the board representing District 3, while Paulding replaced Supervisor Lynn Compton as District 4’s representative.
In November, Gibson emerged victorious from the Battle of the Bruces — winning 13 more votes than challenger Dr. Bruce Jones and earning another term as the District 2 representative.
SLO County Board of Supervisors sees political shift
The board was once ruled by a conservative majority, with three Republicans and two Democrats.
SLO County voters, however, selected a liberal board majority this year. Ortiz-Legg, Paulding and Gibson are Democrats, while supervisors John Peschong and Debbie Arnold are Republicans.
Paulding is the one new face on the board.
On Tuesday, he pledged to serve all of his constituents — regardless of their political party or if they voted for him.
“We have had a little bit of a legacy here of some partisanship, some division, and I want to tackle that head on,” Paulding said. “Let’s work together. Let’s build consensus. Let’s work across the aisle. Let’s do what’s right for everybody here in the community.”
On Tuesday, Gibson said he’s looking forward to working with Paulding.
“I’m especially joyful at the infusion of new ideas coming from Supervisor Paulding, and knowing that he truly does care about working with all of us in the best interest of the entire community,” Gibson said.
Ortiz-Legg, the first Latina SLO County supervisor with Indigenous American heritage, said she looks forward to collaborating with her fellow board members, as well as county staff, nonprofit organizations and constituents to solve problems in the community.
“How we perform the job at hand is critical,” Ortiz-Legg said. “Local governance is really the front lines of people’s lives.”
Peschong was elected as chair of the board, and Arnold was elected as vice chair.
Arnold congratulated her newly elected colleagues on Tuesday.
“Thank you everyone for choosing to serve,” Arnold said. “We all have jobs representing our fellow citizens on this board. We’re making policy decisions that have an impact on their daily lives. I look forward to working with all of you.”
Peschong was absent from Tuesday’s meeting due to a family obligation, he told The Tribune.
Both Paulding and Gibson endured recounts for their respective races.
San Miguel resident Darcia Stebbens first called for a recount for the District 4 race in June, which showed that the original results were 100% accurate and confirmed Paulding’s position on the board.
In December, Stebbens requested a recount for the District 2 race on behalf of Jones’ campaign.
Seven days and about $45,975 later, Stebbens ended the recount early — which means the original election results stood and Gibson won the seat.
Jones had not yet publicly conceded that he lost the election as of Tuesday, though he did send a statement to The Tribune in which he acknowledged that Cano certified the election results in December, and that Stebbens ended the recount.
“I will continue to champion fiscally responsible, corruption-free county government,” Jones wrote in the statement.
Last week, Gibson called the end of the recount “a victory for local democracy.”
“Through the last year or two, I have seen an extraordinary pouring forth of interest and engagement from the general public,” Gibson said. “I thank you for that engagement, and I urge you to continue it.”
Sheriff, school superintendent also sworn in
Also sworn in Tuesday were San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano, Sheriff Ian Parkinson, Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector James Hamilton, Assessor Tom J. Bordonaro Jr., and Superintendent of Schools James J. Brescia.
Gibson noted that Cano and her staff “have been under enormous stress, almost unbelievable pressure for well over a year,” he said.
“Your team has stood strong, done its job in an outstanding fashion, and they deserve our gratitude and our respect,” Gibson told Cano at Tuesday’s meeting.
San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow was supposed to be sworn in Tuesday as well, but he wasn’t present at the meeting. Instead, he was out of state touring a college with his daughter.
His family chose this week for the tour because his daughter was on winter break from school, Dow told The Tribune.
Dow said he already congratulated Paulding, Ortiz-Legg and Gibson on their victories.
“I think we’re going to have a lot to work together on,” Dow said. “I’m looking forward to a successful future.”
This story was originally published January 3, 2023 at 1:30 PM.
