San Luis Obispo will soon have a new City Council member who will be tasked with a number of historic decisions that will shape the city for decades to come.
During a special Feb. 20 meeting the SLO City Council adopted a resolution calling for a special vote-by-mail election to replace Andrew Carter.
The newly elected council member will have a major impact on the future makeup of San Luis Obispo and its residents as he or she will weigh in on the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) as well as working on the implementation of the City’s Economic Development Strategic Plan among many other key issues. The LUCE serves as a blueprint for the City, and its update will shape land use rules for the coming decades.
Carter resigned after serving more than six years on the City Council to take a job as Guadalupe’s city administrator. Carter, who had less than two years left in his term, attended his last council meeting Feb. 19.
The open council seat has garnered a lot of attention since Carter’s announcement on Jan. 23. Seven people so far have pulled papers for the office, including Jeff Aranguena, a local teacher; Paul Brown, a former council member and current Guadalupe police officer; Carlyn Christianson, a medical practice administrator who previously served on the SLO City Planning Commission; Donald Hedrick, a local activist; Andrea Miller, owner of Spike’s Pub; Dan Phares, owner of Dan’s Mowing and Trimming; and Kevin P. Rice, a Los Angeles County firefighter. Aranguena and Rice both ran for the open council seats in the November general election; Hedrick ran for mayor.
The SLO Chamber intends to host a candidate forum later this spring to give members a chance to meet the candidates and understand their positions on issues of importance to the business community.
Candidates for the one and a half year council seat must file nomination papers by March 22.
Ballots are scheduled to be mailed to registered voters in the city on May 20 and must be returned to the City Clerk’s Office by 8 p.m. on June 18. The City has until July 12 to announce the results, often needing time to verify signatures and go through other processes of a mail-in election, according to the City Clerk.
The City Council will continue to conduct City business with the four remaining members until the election concludes in July.
SLO City residents must be registered in order to vote in the all-mail election. Voter registration forms are available at the City Clerk’s Office or online with the Secretary of State at rtv.sos.ca.gov/elections/register-to-vote/. To check your registration status, go to clerk.slocounty.ca.gov/VoterStatus/.
SLO City Council members receive a monthly salary of $1,000 and are eligible for health insurance.