This election could really shake up Grover Beach City Council. Here’s who we recommend
Four of five seats on the Grover Beach City Council will be decided in the Nov. 3 election, and with only two incumbents in the race, a shakeup is guaranteed.
That’s among the reasons we strongly recommend reelecting Mayor Jeff Lee and City Councilwoman Karen Bright. They will provide the continuity of leadership and institutional knowledge so important in government, especially in times of crisis. And there’s never been a crisis quite like the COVID-19 pandemic — at least not in our lifetimes.
Plus, as veteran members of the council, Lee and Bright have helped transform Grover Beach from a bedroom community with potholed streets and a lackluster commercial zone into an up-and-coming beach town.
As of the first of the year, 45% of streets had been resurfaced, and the city was well on its way to becoming a hub for dining — as well as being a gateway to the popular Oceano Dunes.
The coronavirus pandemic, unfortunately, dealt a huge blow to entrepreneurs so important to the city’s economic development. Yet Grover Beach has stepped up for the business community in a big way.
The city was the first in the county to create a microgrant program for small businesses, using general funds and $100,000 in economic development money from PG&E — money that was part of the Diablo Canyon closure settlement. The city has made grants of up to $10,000 that can be used for rent, salaries, paying down loans and other business expenses.
“That was huge for me — a game-changer,” said Krista Smith, who owns a formalwear shop.
The City Council also allocated $50,000 to helping with childcare programs for essential workers.
We’re not talking huge sums of money for either program, but it says a lot about a city council when it’s willing to first recognize what residents are up against and then follow through, not just with talk, but with tangible assistance.
Lee and Bright also bring a wealth of experience. Lee served two consecutive terms on the council before being elected mayor in 2018, and he’s a civil engineer with county Public Works.
Bright’s government experience includes three terms on the Grover Beach Planning Commission and two terms on the City Council. She also worked as a district buyer for San Luis Coastal Unified School District for 33 years.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhy do we endorse?
Making endorsements during election season is an important role for newspaper editorial boards, including The Tribune Editorial Board. Elections are key to determining the future of our Central Coast region, and through endorsements, we share our opinion of the qualifications of the candidates and recommend those who would best serve our communities.
Due to the large number of races on the 2024 General Election ballot, we are unable to issue endorsements in every race. We chose to focus on the most competitive contests.
For more about our process, click the arrow on the top right.
Who endorses?
Endorsement decisions are made by Editor Joe Tarica and Opinion Editor Stephanie Finucane.
How do we decide?
Candidates are invited to participate in an interview with The Editorial Board where they are asked a series questions about major issues. It’s our opportunity to learn the candidates’ positions and to gauge how well informed they are about issues they are likely to confront if elected.
We also research voting records of candidates who have held public office; we watch candidate forums; we look at back stories from The Tribune, as well as other publications that have covered the candidates; and we examine public documents. We also take a look at the candidates’ advertising and campaign statements. Are they overpromising, for example, or misrepresenting their opponent’s record?
In the case of ballot measures, we study the background of the issue, the pro and con arguments and consider who is supporting and opposing the measure.
Tell us what you think
If you disagree (or agree) with our endorsements, share your thoughts with us by writing a letter to the editor (200-word maximum). Email your submissions to letters@thetribunenews.com. Due to the volume of submissions we receive during campaign season, we do not publish Viewpoint-length pieces (600-800 words) in support or opposition to candidates.
Lee’s only challenger, court reporter Liz Doukas, also ran for mayor in 2018. Our assessment of her qualifications hasn’t changed: We admire her dedication to Grover Beach, but she lacks the experience in local government to advance directly to the mayor’s seat.
Other Grover recommendations
For the remaining four-year term on the council, we recommend Anna Miller. This was a tough choice; Daniel Rushing also would make an excellent council member and we urge him to stay involved in the community and to consider running for office again in the future.
We were especially impressed with Miller’s commitment to working on affordable housing, which is something Grover Beach desperately needs. She’s director of property management for Peoples’ Self-Help Housing and serves on the board of the 5 Cities Homeless Coalition.
“As a staunch advocate for affordable housing, I wish to ensure residents of Grover Beach have access to one or more affordable housing developments in the next five years,” she says on Facebook.
We’d like to see her have that opportunity.
For the two-year seat, we recommend Robert Robert to fill out the term of Barbara Nicolls, who resigned in June.
His only opponent, David Duringer, is a tax attorney whose main issue is gun rights — not something the Grover Beach City Council has much control over.
We do take issue with some of Robert’s positions — for example, he blames dust problems on the Nipomo Mesa on removal of eucalyptus trees, which oversimplifies a complicated problems — but he’s more moderate than Duringer and we like his strong commitment to urban forestry and improving homeless services.
The Tribune endorses Jeff Lee for Grover Beach mayor and Karen Bright, Anna Miller and Robert Robert for City Council.
This story was originally published October 5, 2020 at 5:30 AM.