Jan Marx has the skills and good faith that Harmon lacks

I first met Heidi Harmon when she ran for Assembly in 2014. I worked on her campaign because I agreed with her positions on issues. She has now set her sights on San Luis Obispo mayor.

My hope at the time was Heidi would learn about governing: How budgets work, the complexities of land use and water management, how to consider other points of view and, most importantly, understanding that elected officials represent all the residents of a community.

It takes time, effort and experience to acquire the skills necessary to balance competing interests and arrive at fair and carefully reasoned decisions. While it is unrealistic to expect agreement all the time, the good faith effort to put these values into practice is paramount. Jan Marx has met and exceeded this standard. Heidi Harmon hasn’t.

Unlike Heidi, Jan understands good governance is the most important part of the job.

For these reasons and more, I am urging my friends in SLO to keep Jan Marx as their mayor.

This story was originally published October 27, 2016 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Jan Marx has the skills and good faith that Harmon lacks."