In November, Arroyo Grande voters will decide on two measures: two seats on the city council and who will be the next mayor of the city.
The race for mayor
Two candidates are vying to be the next mayor of Arroyo Grande. Both Sean Schuur and Glenn Martin have lived in the city for over 30 years.
Martin is the owner of a local commercial real estate brokerage and property management firm and has been on the citys planning commission for over a decade.
Our job is to listen to the community, be welcoming to the community, and listen to what their concerns, issues, and priorities are and make those decisions,” Martin said.
When you run a business, you can also run a city very similar,” Schuur said. “You always have to worry about your customers, and customers are number one. In our city, the citizens are number one.
Schuur has run a mortgage company in the city for over two decades. He was also part of the South County Chamber of Commerce. He said if elected, he plans to run the city like he does his business.
We’ve been doing business here for about 27 years in the city of Arroyo Grande,” Schuur said. “As a small business person, making sure that things meet budget and also meet our customer needs and exceeds our customer needs, it’s always important. Same thing needs to happen in the City Hall.
Schuur said his priorities are the citys water supply, attracting more businesses, and accountability in the citys finances.
“We need to just continue to enhance the small-town feel with the implementation of bringing more businesses back to Grand Avenue and making sure all of Arroyo Grande is functioning and financially sound in our community,” Schuur said.
Martin said, if elected, hell keep the city running in the same way it is now. He said its his job as mayor to listen to the community about their issues and make decisions based on the residents’ real-time concerns.
“My goal isn’t really to disrupt anything or change anything significantly,” Martin said. “The city’s operating well and smoothly at this point, and I want that to continue.”
Martin said he never considered running for mayor until current mayor Caren Ray Russom tapped him for the spot.
Mayor Russom decided not to run for re-election and called me and said, ‘Glenn, I’m not running for re-election. You need to run for mayor.’ I sat down and chatted with a number of good friends and decided, yes, it’s my turn to step up. I don’t naturally seek the limelight. Campaigning is difficult and challenging for me, but I think I’ve got the skill set to preside over the council meetings and be welcoming to the community and the public, and be respectful for the diverse ideas and opinions that can be shared when difficult issues arise in the community.
City council candidates
City councilmembers are elected for four-year terms. This November, the District 1 and 4 spaces are open.
Kate Secrest is running for the District 1 space unopposed. Jim Guthrie is also running unopposed in the District 4 councilmember seat. Both candidates are incumbents.
Local measures
Measure C-26 will impose a 10% tax on any cannabis business operating in the city, whether thats delivery or a brick-and-mortar shop. All of the money from this tax will go directly to the citys general fund to help pay for city services and programs.
Measure D-26 would allow the city to buy water from the state without being in an emergency or needing voter approval. No major upgrades would be needed for the city’s water system since the current infrastructure is part of a system shared with the state water project.