Should Pismo Beach voters reelect all 3 incumbents? Here’s our recommendation | Opinion
In the city of Pismo Beach, longtime Mayor Ed Waage is running for reelection, along with Councilmembers Marcia Guthrie and Scott Newton.
Waage is challenged by Kevin Kreowski, a retired U.S. Border Patrol officer who has run for city office multiple times and once came within two votes of being elected mayor.
Property manager Gianni Scangarello is running for a council seat.
Kreowski and Scangarello are familiar with the issues and care deeply about the city, but given their lack of experience in public office, voters should stick with the incumbents.
Why Waage?
Waage is a strong mayor who continues to impress us with his breadth of knowledge, his level-headedness and his dedication to his constituents.
He’s lived in Pismo Beach 30 years and has been active in local government for 20 of those years, including four years on the Planning Commission, eight years on the City Council and eight years as mayor.
“When I was first elected to the council, one of my goals I stated was to fix up the city, and we’ve done so, “ he told The Tribune Editorial Board. “We’ve got a new pier, a new pier plaza, we completed the Shell Beach Streetscape, which provides great amenities for the residents of Shell Beach.”
The city has made progress in other areas as well, and Waage, Guthrie and Newton deserve a share of the credit for that.
Pismo has started work on a new public safety complex that will include police and fire stations. A major beautification project is in progress on James Way. And it’s finally added affordable housing.
Pismo Terrace, a 50-unit apartment complex, opened this year, with 24 units set aside for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. That’s in addition to 25 units of affordable senior housing in Shell Beach.
While there is still a need for more low- and mid-priced housing, the new projects are a milestone when you consider that in 2019, Pismo Beach was the only city in the county that was called out by the state for not meeting affordable housing goals.
More to be done
The city still faces challenges: Downtown parking and circulation are horrendous on busy weekends. Central Coast Blue — a water reclamation project — poses a financial challenge now that the cities of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach have pulled out. And cliff erosion threatens several valuable properties, including homes, businesses and public facilities, with no easy fix. As a member of the California Coastal Commission’s working group on sea level rise, Waage’s expertise in this area is especially valuable.
All three incumbents know Pismo’s issues inside and out, and they are actively looking for ways to make life better for residents.
Waage, who serves on the county’s Fire Safe Council, wants to start a program to teach residents how to “harden” their homes to make them more resistant to wildfires — and hopefully reduce their insurance rates.
Newton is interested in improving ambulance services, and Guthrie wants to see recommended traffic improvements implemented downtown, to make it safer for pedestrians.
These are worthwhile goals, and we urge voters to give these candidates the opportunity to see them through.
The Tribune endorses Ed Waage for mayor of Pismo Beach and Marcia Guthrie and Scott Newton for 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.
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.