Mary Ann Reiss is a shoo-in for Pismo Beach City Council. Who deserves the other seat?
There are ostensibly two seats to be decided in the Pismo Beach City Council race, but let’s be realistic: It’s all but guaranteed that one will go to incumbent Mary Ann Reiss.
She was first elected to the City Council in 1996, and since then, she has never lost an election.
In 2004 she became the city’s first directly elected mayor, a position she held until 2010, when she stepped down as mayor but ran instead for City Council. If she serves out another term, she’ll have 30 years of consecutive service — a remarkable record.
There is much to admire about Reiss, including her pragmatism, common sense and a penchant for telling it like it is.
Bottom line: Mary Ann Reiss is a household name in Pismo Beach, and that’s hard to beat.
There is, however, sure to be one change since Councilwoman Sheila Blake decided not to seek reelection.
The candidates for that seat are former Councilman Erik Howell, former Planning Commissioner Stacy Inman, Realtor Debora Ann Lossing and retired border patrol officer Kevin Kreowski, who came within two votes of being elected mayor in 2014.
We recommend Stacy Inman for that open position.
Inman, an attorney who chaired the Planning Commission for three years, is smart, articulate and well-versed on local issues, including water, which she ranks as her top priority.
“We have to look beyond Central Coast Blue,” she said in reference to the South County water recycling project. “We really have to look at desalination.”
She also would be a good steward of taxpayer dollars.
Consider her response to a question about the future of the Chapman House, a city-owned property in need of major repairs: “My concern is I think we have to look at the money,” she said at the Chamber of Commerce candidates’ forum.
“I think we need to seek all the information and ask the residents if they want to keep it or not, because I’m not sure how many residents actually use it.”
That may not be popular with fans of the Chapman House, but it’s a sensible approach to take.
Inman does have a rocky history with some members of the current City Council, but that should not disqualify her from office. If anything, it speaks to her resilience.
Here are the details: Last year, three council members — Reiss, Marcia Guthrie and Scott Newton — voted to suspend Inman for 30 days over an incident that occurred on the Planning Commission.
Inman had recused herself from considering a particular project due to a conflict of interest, citing government code sections as her reason. When the attorney for the city asked Inman to specify why she was recusing herself, she refused.
It later turned out that Inman had given advice to the project applicant, and did not believe she could divulge that information due to attorney-client privilege.
That was not enough to satisfy some members of the City Council. especially Guthrie.
“I’ve been watching Planning Commission meetings for well over 20 years and I’ve seen lots of recusals, and I’ve never seen a recusal like this,” she said at a City Council meeting. “This just doesn’t meet the sniff test.”
Councilwoman Sheila Blake had a far different take; she called the incident “a dust-up between two lawyers ... that’s all it was.”
“So why would you attack a colleague who has served with distinction and dedication for five years?” she asked. “There’s something very wrong here.”
Members of the public also came to Inman’s defense: “The citizens of Pismo Beach should be honored to have someone of Stacy’s caliber on the Planning Commission or in any position in the city,” said Kathy Smalarz. “She’s honest. She does her homework. She asks the right questions. She does research and she has the utmost integrity.”
Inman is a highly qualified candidate who would be a breath of fresh air on the City Council.
The Tribune strongly endorses Mary Ann Reiss and Stacy Inman for Pismo Beach City Council.
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.
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