–Arroyo Grande City Councilman and local attorney Jimmy Paulding is running for District 4 County Supervisor once again in an effort to “restore good governance to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors.”
“As a public servant, I deeply value the responsibility of representing everybody, whether they vote for me or not,” Paulding said. “Valuing the perspectives of all who care to engage in a civil and respectful conversation is everything. If you don’t value that, you shouldn’t hold public office.”
Paulding is running for county supervisor after having narrowly lost to the current incumbent by only 60 votes out of more than 18,000 votes cast in June of 2018. Jimmy’s bid for supervisor drew countywide interest, leading the Paulding campaign to break local fundraising records for a challenger at that time, raising nearly $300,000. That November, he was elected to the Arroyo Grande City Council as the top vote recipient in a five-person race.
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In a meeting April 20, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved more than $150,000 for the County Administrative Office to use in redistricting efforts.
Redistricting happens every 10 years after census data are compiled and publicized. The process involves redrawing or adjusting district lines with the goal of achieving fair legislative representation for voters.
San Luis Obispo County Administrative Office Analyst Kristin Eriksson said some of the funding will be used to launch the office’s redistricting website in May.
She said the website will include a public-facing mapping tool that will allow community members to submit suggestions and manipulate maps for possible districts.
Courtesy of the SLO County Clerk-Recorders Office
County Clerk-Recorder Tommy Gong is asking voters to participate in his San Luis Obispo County 2021 Voter Survey so he can make recommendations, informed by voter input, to the County Board of Supervisors about future county election processes.
Gong’s office says the county is at a crossroads regarding how to conduct future elections after a major shift in the way the county handled elections in 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The county conducted the March 2020 primary using typical Election Day polling places. But in the November general election, all voters received mail-in ballots, as required by the state, and voters were allowed to cast their votes in person over four days at any of 23 voter service centers throughout the county.
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SAYING NO
On April 6, SLO County supervisors denied a cannabis project proposed by the owners of the Pozo Saloon (pictured). In a split 2-2 vote, the supervisors allowed a prior Planning Commission decision to deny the cannabis project stand. Fifth District Supervisor Debbie Arnold, whose family owns the winery neighboring the saloon, recused herself from the vote to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. The April 6 hearing drew dozens of public comments with many expressing support for the project and the Beanway family, which ran the saloon for decades, and others opposing it due to concerns about water supply, security, and neighborhood compatibility.
Federal relief funds should go to farmworkers
Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that President Joe Biden signed into law in March, local governments across the country are receiving financial assistance to help repair our badly frayed national social safety net, damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Trump administration s mismanagement. Our San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will receive $54 million in ARPA aid and will determine how to use the funds in order to protect our most vulnerable communities.
As we celebrated the official California state holiday of César Chávez Day on Wednesday, March 31 and as we welcome to California our First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, who visited the César E. Chávez National Monument to pay homage to his legacy of justice and non-violent activism now is an excellent time to let our supervisors know that we want the bulk of ARPA funds to go to our farmworkers and immigrant community, our neighbors and families that have