3 candidates want to join the Atascadero City Council. Here’s our endorsement | Opinion
Atascadero voters cannot go wrong in choosing any one of the three candidates running for City Council; all three are well-informed, have strong community ties and a good sense of what it will take to move the city forward.
This is a rematch for two of those candidates. Mark Dariz and Tori Keen faced off in 2020, with Dariz ultimately winning the seat that had been occupied by Roberta Fonzi.
The third council candidate is downtown business owner Seth Peek.
The race for mayor has already been decided. The current mayor, Heather Moreno, is joining the Board of Supervisors, and Councilmember Charles Bourbeau is running unopposed for her seat.
More about the candidates
Architect Mark Dariz brings many years of government service to the table: He’s served one term on the City Council and, before that, 10 years on the Planning Commission. He’s a realist; he’s proud of what the city has accomplished, while recognizing that there’s more to do.
“There’s a lot of issues,” he told The Tribune Editorial Board. “I wouldn’t say that they’re bad issues. They’re just normal, everyday city issues that we’re dealing with, and I think the city is doing a great job. The No. 1 thing that helps with that is the economy.”
Tori Keen also has experience in local government as a planning commissioner. As a mother of school-age children, she would be a strong voice for young families on the council.
“A lot of our youth population doesn’t feel like there’s anything to do, which I think is a pretty common youth complaint,” she said, “but I think that we need to make sure that we’re listening to them about what they need, because they’re the future of our town.”
Seth Peek is involved in several community organizations and owns two businesses — Peek Painting and Peek Realty. He would offer the perspective of the small-business community, which is an important sector of Atascadero’s economy.
“Both my businesses are brick and mortar on El Camino Real. I’m in town — in downtown — for 10 hours a day,” he told us. “The fact that I’m in town and dealing with other businesses and meeting with people, I feel like I have a pulse on the town.”
BEHIND THE STORY
MORE Why 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.
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.
Where they stand
The three have similar views on several city issues.
They support the extension of the city’s half-cent sales tax. They approve of work being done to narrow and improve El Camino Real. And they agree that the best way to deal with one of the city’s most talked-about issues — homelessness — is to continue to provide and perhaps strengthen support for the city’s Community Action Team (CAT), which links chronically homeless people to services, as well as the El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO).
Peek also advocates for community involvement. “We need to get a little bit more in terms of a framework, a guidebook — what we can do as business owners and residents to help, not just complain,” he said.
There is one issue on which the candidates sharply diverge: The council’s decision to stop issuing proclamations recognizing events or groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community.
Dariz and Peek believe that was the right decision.
“We encourage diversity,” Dariz said, “but to bring a proclamation for everything, every time somebody comes forward .... eventually, something’s going to come up that’s going to be divisive. In order to avoid that, we say we are inclusive of everybody in town.”
Keen believes the proclamations played an important role. “I think that when a city makes a proclamation on what they recognize, they’re saying what they stand for,” she said. “I don’t want to live in a town where we don’t stand up for what we believe.”
Our endorsement
Again, all three candidates are strong. The city of Atascadero is lucky to have such dedicated citizens willing to take on leadership roles.
We include Bourbeau in that category. He has served on the City Council since 2016, is well-qualified to succeed Moreno and should make an excellent mayor.
For City Council, this is a tough choice, but Dariz and Keen have a slight edge due to their experience in local government, while Peek would be a strong asset serving in another capacity, such as on the city Planning Commission.
The Tribune Editorial Board strongly endorses Mark Dariz and Tori Keen for Atascadero City Council.
This story was originally published September 25, 2024 at 5:00 AM.