San Luis Obispo voters will have three candidates to choose from this November to fill two open seats on the city council.
Two of the candidates are incumbents.
Sitting Vice Mayor Emily Francis, a 15-year San Luis Obispo resident, says housing affordability and addressing homelessness have been key focuses during her four years on the council. She says she hopes to see some of the projects she has been working on come to fruition.
“When you start to make that progress, it really becomes kind of the desire to see that move across the finish line,” Francis said.
Francis, a former Arroyo Grande High School government and history teacher, says she has a deep understanding of the role local government can play in giving people an opportunity to effect the change they wish to see.
“I really want to continue to be that voice for our community, to be the neighbor who is advocating to bring the services that our community needs,” Francis said.
Also seeking a second term is 30-year San Luis Obispo resident Michelle Shoresman. The Cal Poly graduate says she has spent her entire career in public service, having worked nearly 25 years for the county’s public health department and serving on the city council since 2021.
“I feel like we’ve made a lot of progress with the current council on some of the city’s goals, some of my goals, and I think some of the residents of our community’s goals as well,” Shoresman said.
Shoresman says she wants to continue pursuing those goals, which include expanding affordable housing, climate action, road safety, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Making sure that everybody feels seen, heard, and welcomed in our community,” Shoresman said.
Lifelong San Luis Obispo resident Brett Cross is also making a bid for a council seat. Cross spent four years on the city’s planning commission in the 1990s and says that since then he has been advocating for the community, including through the local group Residents for Quality Neighborhoods.
Cross says, if elected, he will bring a fresh perspective to the council focused in part on neighborhood livability. He says that would involve cracking down on disruptive Greek life activity near Cal Poly and supporting progressive but appropriate development.
“The housing we’re seeing and the development we’re seeing doesn’t seem to be on scale or fit with the heritage of this community,” Cross said.
Cross also says he would make a genuine effort to work with San Luis Obispo residents to address their concerns.
“I really want to listen to what you have to say, and that doesn’t just mean hearing what you have to say, that means having that discussion about what your concerns are and what you think are the ways to solve them,” Cross said.
The election is November 3. Ballots are expected to be sent to registered voters in San Luis Obispo County no later than October 5.
As a reminder, a new Citywide Single Vote system is taking effect for this election. For the first time, voters will cast a vote for only one candidate, and the top two vote-getters will win the open city council seats.
Election officials stress that if you vote for more than one candidate, your vote will not count.
The city says the switch comes after it received a notice from a voting rights organization alleging the previous at-large system diluted minority votes, particularly Latino votes.
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