Mayoral, City Council seats won in walkovers

Two local businessmen turned in nomination papers for council seats but are uncontested

For the first time in town history, there will not be a contested election for Morro Bay City Council and mayor.

That’s because no one jumped into the race to challenge incumbent Mayor Carla Wixom before the Aug. 9 deadline. So the first-term mayor will get a second, two-year term in a walkover.

And neither of the incumbent councilmembers sought re-election. The deadline for incumbents Jen Ford and Laurel Barton to put their papers in was also Aug. 9. Because neither did so, the deadline was automatically extended to Aug. 14. 

Two local businessmen, Jeff Eckles and Bill Luffee, did turn in nomination papers, and both were qualified by the city clerk for the Nov. 5 ballot.

However, since no one else stepped up to run, Eckles and Luffee also will get a council seat in a walkover.

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Reached for comment by Morro Bay Life, Eckles said, “A challenging political environment and three well-received candidates resulted in a non-contested election. I am honored and humbled that I will have the opportunity to represent the citizens of Morro Bay and help chart a course forward for the city.”

Luffee didn’t respond before deadline.

It will also mean the end of Morro Bay’s historic all-woman City Council, and the first time that all five council members were of the fairer sex will only last for a two-year run.

And with the city preparing to celebrate its 60th anniversary of incorporation, this council election will make a different kind of history.

City Clerk Dana Swanson, after looking into the city’s archives, said, “it appears this will be the first uncontested race for both mayor and councilmember seats in Morro Bay’s history. I took some time to gather resolutions declaring election results and saved them for public viewing. I found one uncontested race for the office of mayor in 1976 (Dale Mitchell).” (Go to weblink.cmb.morrobayca.gov/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=50669&dbid=0&repo=Morro-Bay to see the resolutions.)

Instead, local focus will be on Measure A-24, a citizen’s initiative intended to throw up a roadblock on a proposal to build the world’s largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on the power plant property.

Texas-based Vistra Energy, which owns the property, has proposed building a 600-megawatt BESS on the site of an old fuel tank farm, on some 22 acres of the roughly 100-acre site.

The project is well along into environmental review and Measure A-24 looms large over the City Council’s potential decision-making on the controversial project.

If A-24 passes, it would require the city to seek voter approval for any zoning changes along the waterfront from Beach Street out to Morro Rock, including the power plant property.

So while not exactly throwing up a brick wall in front of the BESS Project, A-24 would put in place a significant hurdle for Vista to overcome that would also apply to future proposed projects in that affected area, if they also require a zoning change.

Proponents of A-24 argue that it puts the ultimate decision on the BESS into the hands of the voters.

Opponents argue that it would chill the possibility of any other future development proposals along there, and would push Vistra to bypass the city and go to the California Energy Commission to seek approval under Assembly Bill 205.

Both sides appear to be correct. Supporters say they want the decision in the hands of the people, and not have five council members make the decision for everyone. 

And just as Measure D, another initiative from the early 1980s that designates the waterside properties from Beach Street north for commercial fishing and sport fishing uses, has done since it was overwhelmingly approved, A-24 would be similar in its limited effects.

And Vistra is able to apply for relief through AB 205 whether or not A-24 passes, however, the project will have to alsobe approved by the Coastal Commission, no matter which path it takes.

So while the decisions on City Council and mayor are already made, the future of the waterfront and its uses decades into the future will be on the ballot, to some degree. Regardless, the ballot will have candidates listed.

“If we did not have Measure A-24 as a qualified initiative measure on the ballot, the Council would have the option to cancel the election and appoint the three qualified candidates to take office in December,” Swanson said. “That’s not the case, so the candidates’ names will appear on the ballot.”

San Luis Coastal Unified School District 

There are two candidates running for the San Luis Coastal Unified School District (SLCUSD). Chris Ungar and Eve Hinton both have terms expiring this year, but only Hinton is running for another term. 

SLCUSD is a Trustee Area District. Hinton, who is running to again represent Trustee Area 6, is running against Erica Flores Baltodano, who is currently the Campus Dean for the San Luis Obispo College of Law. Trustee Area 6 includes the southeast portion of the district.

Other seats up for election include Chris Ungar, who represents Trustee Area 3, and Brian Clausen for Trustee Area 7. According to the SLO County Final Qualified Candidate List, there are no candidates qualified to run for those two seats. Clausen was appointed to fill a vacant seat for Trustee Area 7 in 2023.

You can find more information on SLCUSD here slcusd.org/about/board-of-trustees

Keep up to date on all SLO County elections here slocounty.ca.gov/departments/clerk-recorder/all-services/elections-and-voting/elections-conducted-by-county-of-san-luis-obispo/november-5,-2024,-presidential-general-election