If you care about Diablo Canyon tax revenue, this election endorsement matters | Opinion
To many Californians, the state Board of Equalization is a mystery.
That’s understandable; most of us will go our entire lives without ever having direct contact with the BOE. We’re far more familiar with county assessors, who do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to valuing homes, businesses and other local properties.
But it’s the elected commissioners of the BOE who are in charge of overseeing those assessments to ensure accuracy, equity and conformance with state law. The five commission members also are directly responsible for assessing properties that cross county lines, such as pipelines, railroads and utilities — and for that reason, it has a key role in determining how much tax revenue San Luis Obispo County receives from Diablo Canyon.
Six candidates in the running for District 2 seat
SLO County is in District 2 of the BOE, which includes the coastal region stretching from the northern border of California to the Ventura/Los Angeles County line.
District 2 incumbent Sally Lieber, a Bay Area Democrat who served in the state Assembly from 2002 to 2008, is seeking a second term. She faces five challengers: one Democrat, community college Trustee John Pimentel, and four Republicans. They are J. Brett Marymee, a small business owner; Mark McComas, a small business advocate; Bill Shireman, a taxpayer advocate; and John Zaruka, a retired hospitality executive.
The Tribune Editorial Board strongly recommends Lieber. She is easily the most experienced candidate, and we’re impressed by her strong commitment to constituent services. Plus, as a former assemblymember she is in an excellent position to work with legislators on solving problems. The valuation of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is a prime example.
PG&E stopped making tax payments to local government agencies in 2025, the year Diablo was originally scheduled to close. As a result, the San Luis Coastal Unified School District cut millions from its budget. But Diablo didn’t close in 2025; state legislation allowed it to stay open until 2030, though it did not provide for the resumption of tax payments. Lieber worked with State Sen. John Laird and Assemblymember Dawn Addis, to craft a solution in the form of SB 931, a bill to restart tax payments.
Her role isn’t over yet; she plans to put her “heart and soul” into getting the bill passed.
Other stand-out candidates
Pimentel is smart, articulate and committed to helping working families build and maintain wealth. He also advocates for more transparency, and he has an impressive resume. He is a former state deputy secretary of transportation, a current member of the San Mateo Community College District Board and he’s worked in private industry, including in offshore wind and solar energy. However, he lacks specific experience in tax administration, making Lieber a better fit for the position.
On the Republican side, Shireman is an intriguing candidate who brings progressive ideas to the table. He believes in taxing “bads” — his list includes pollution, waste, blight, speculation and chronically underused land —rather than “goods” like jobs and housing. It’s a utopian concept that would make for a lovely world, but good luck getting that through the Legislature.
Of all the candidates, Lieber approaches the job with the right combination of experience, pragmatism and idealism and she is committed to helping San Luis Obispo County receive the Diablo Canyon tax money it deserves.