“I voted today” stickers were available for voters casting their ballots on Election Day. Ballots were being collected at the San Luis Obispo Clerk-Recorder’s office at the Katcho Achadjian Government Center on March 5, 2024.
David Middlecamp
dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com
With the close of the candidate filing period on Wednesday, election races across San Luis Obispo County have been finalized.
This November, residents of northern San Luis Obispo County will vote on city council members, school board races and ballot measures — and one community will even welcome a new mayor.
Some races are heavily contested, with well-known incumbents squaring up against new faces in Atascadero and Paso Robles, while others are already decided by default.
Voters will also consider measures to improve infrastructure, upgrade educational facilities and set general sales tax rates.
The Atascadero Fall Festival’s Ferris wheel offers a view of City Hall. The event brought carnival rides and games, live music, food and a beer garden to Sunken Gardens for three days, from Friday to Sunday, Nov. 19-21, 2021. Laura Dickinson ldickinson@thetribunenews.com
Atascadero City Council
In Atascadero, three City Council seats will be filled in November.
One candidate is running unopposed for a two-year term as mayor, but voters will choose among three candidates to fill two City Council seats.
Measure L-24 asks voters to extend a half-cent sales tax that was established in 2014 and provides $3 million annually to be used “for such things as repair of neighborhood roads, aging infrastructure along with other vital general government needs.”
Measure B-24 seeks to sell up to $110 million in general obligation bonds to finance school facilities within the district. The measure would add an average of about $45 for every $100,000 in assessed valuation to annual property tax assessments.
Paso Robles City Council
In Paso Robles, three City Council seats are up for grabs.
Voters will select their choice for two four-year councilmembers for District 3 and District 4, while the elected councilmember for District 1 will serve a partial term of two years.
The incumbent treasurer is running for re-election unopposed.
Measure I-24 aims to indefinitely extend the existing voter-approved half-cent sales tax, generating $5,500,000 annually for general government use including maintaining and improving city infrastructure and services.
Paso Robles Joint Unified School District
Four board seats on the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District board are up for election in Trustee Areas 3, 5, 6 and 7
The district is currently making the transition from an at-large to a Trustee Area board. Each seat has two candidates running to serve four-year terms.
Trustee Area 3
Nathan E. Williams, incumbent board president and firefighter
Measure D-24 would authorize $52.3 million in bonds through a property tax increase averaging below $60 per $100,000 of assessed valuation (raising $3.1 million annually) to expand vocational/technical education facilities; repair leaky roofs/plumbing; and update science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics classrooms.
Directors of the Templeton CSD serve four-year terms, with elections held every two years.
Navid Fardanesh, incumbent director
Debra Logan, incumbent director
San Miguel Community Service District
Three candidates will fill three open spots on the San Miguel Community Service District Board of Directors for four-year terms.
Brendin Beatty, water utility worker
Ashley Sangster, state procurement officer
John Green, retired highway supervisor
San Miguel Joint Union School District
Suzan M. Scruton is the sole candidate for the San Miguel Joint Union School District’s board member for Trustee Area 2 and will serve a four-year term.
Santa Margarita Community Service District
As the only candidate for the position, John Wilkins will serve as Santa Margarita’s Fire Protection District director.
Wilkins is currently a board member for the Santa Margarita Fire Department.
Want to ask your candidates a question? Fill out the form below to send your questions to The Tribune and we may include their responses in our upcoming election coverage.
This story was originally published August 15, 2024 at 4:42 PM.
Chloe Shrager is the courts and crimes reporter for The Tribune. She grew up in Palo Alto, California, and graduated from Stanford with a B.A. in Political Science. When not writing, she enjoys surfing, backpacking, skiing and hanging out with her cat, Billy Goat.
