What had SLO County talking June 22-28: leaked reports, road taxes and more

From a mayor leaking a confidential document to a divisive road tax vote, here’s what got San Luis Obispo County readers fired up on sanluisobispo.com between June 22 and 28. These five stories drew the most comments from your neighbors — and your voice can join the conversation, too.

SLO mayor leaked grand jury report to Cal Poly

San Luis Obispo Mayor Erica Stewart forwarded a confidential SLO County Grand Jury report to a Cal Poly official within three hours of receiving it — 10 days before its public release. The report, focused on the city’s handling of fraternity noise and neighborhood disturbances, was labeled confidential under California law. Stewart sent it to Cal Poly economic development official Courtney Kienow, and the two texted back and forth sharing frustrations about the findings. Stewart told The Tribune she believed Cal Poly was already among the report’s recipients given the university’s history of collaboration with the city.

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Can the mayor be prosecuted for the leak?

A follow-up story examined whether Stewart could face charges. SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow confirmed the leak violated California law, calling the prohibition “not discretionary” and “not a matter of opinion.” A Santa Clara County councilmember was previously convicted in a “factually similar case,” Dow said. But misdemeanors in California typically carry a one-year statute of limitations, which has likely expired. Dow wouldn’t say whether his office is investigating, noting only that his office “takes the integrity of the grand jury process seriously.”

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Celebrating the life of Jay Salter

Tom Fulks, chair of the SLO County Democratic Party, penned a tribute to Alvin Jay Salter, a North County fixture who died peacefully on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026, at age 88. Salter was an Army veteran of the Korean War, a technical writer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a Vietnam contractor, a bartender, a psych tech and a tireless union organizer who helped form the California Association of Psych Techs. He later found his most personally fulfilling work with the GRIP (Guiding Rage Into Power) program at Avenal State Prison. His final protest came at the No Kings III rally in Atascadero last spring, waving a sign from his car window with his wife, Tina, behind the wheel.

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In California elections, ‘the house always wins’

Columnist Clive Pinder argued that California’s electoral system is structurally tilted, comparing it to a Las Vegas casino where “the wheel is not fixed. But the house always wins.” Democrats hold 45% of registered California voters but 75% of Assembly seats, he wrote. In SLO County, Republicans and No Party Preference voters outnumber Democrats 53% to 38%, yet every Assembly, state Senate and congressional seat representing the county is held by a Democrat. Pinder pointed to Denmark’s 84% turnout and Sweden’s 80%-plus turnout — both using paper ballots and same-night or next-day counts — as evidence that California’s complicated, weeks-long process isn’t actually serving voters. The state’s latest primary turnout limped in at 40.7%.

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Two supervisors come up short on road tax support

The Tribune Editorial Board took Supervisors John Peschong and Heather Moreno to task for voting against placing Measure H, a half-cent sales tax for roads, on the November ballot. Peschong flatly opposes any sales tax increase. Moreno said she’ll vote yes in November but didn’t want to spend an estimated $588,000 putting it on the ballot — a cost SLOCOG will reimburse. The measure would generate roughly $35 million per year for 30 years, with 55% going to cities and the county and 40% to regional projects. The editorial noted SLO County may have left more than $500 million in potential state matching funds on the table over the past decade by not passing a similar measure.

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This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.

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