How do Arroyo Grande candidates for mayor, City Council compare on important issues?

Arroyo Grande voters will have the opportunity participate in three elections for City Council seats this November, including the mayoral seat.

In District 3, candidates Marlea Harmon and current Planning Commission member Jamie Maraviglia are running for City Council, while all Arroyo Grande voters will be faced with a choice between incumbent Mayor Caren Ray Russom and business owner Gaea Powell .

Aileen Loe is running unopposed for the District 2 City Council seat.

All candidates save for Harmon responded to The Tribune's requests to participate in the Voter Guide.

Candidates discussed their overall vision for the city along with priority issues such as the Central Coast Blue water sustainability project, cost of living and ballot measure E-24, the sales tax extension.

Here are the remaining candidates' responses, organized by person and in alphabetical order. Some responses have been edited for length or clarity.

Aileen Loe

Who are your top three campaign contributors?

Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, Shatter PAC, Funk for County Supervisor 2024

What is your vision for what your city should look like in 5 years? 10 years?

My vision is for a thriving community whose current needs are met while preparations are in place for a sustainable future. My vision includes honoring our history, preserving our small-town charm and enhancing our quality of life. In five years, the city will be implementing its newly updated General Plan, which lays out a strong foundation for more affordable housing and a robust local economy supported by a skilled workforce that reinvests in our community. Residents will continue to enjoy accessible parks, open spaces and gathering places that promote healthy lifestyles.

In 10 years, our streets will facilitate more comfortable and safe transportation, even for those without cars. More residents will have access to quality jobs close to home, and we will ensure a reliable water supply for the future. Together, we will foster a community where everyone — whether they live, work, visit or attend school here — feels welcome, valued and safe.

What do you believe is the most important issue facing your city today, and what will you do to address it?

One of the most pressing challenges our city faces is securing sufficient revenue to meet critical needs of residents, visitors and workers today and in the future. Arroyo Grande has one of the lowest sales tax rates in California while the costs for providing essential services continues to grow. Without additional revenue, it is unlikely the city could maintain the level of service that the residents currently enjoy. I am committed to supporting all reasonable efforts to enhance sustainable revenue sources while ensuring accountability and transparency in the responsible use of public funds.

The Central Coast Blue water sustainability project was put on hold earlier this year after the partner cities of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach pulled out of the project. What course of action should your city take on the Central Coast Blue project or other water sustainability initiatives going forward?

I would like to see the city continue to collaborate locally and regionally to identify, plan and implement innovative and affordable solutions for a sustainable water supply. I will promote the city's establishment of clear parameters for engaging in joint/partnership projects with other jurisdictions. I also believe the city should continue promoting water conservation efforts throughout the city.

Home values, rent and cost of living have risen significantly in recent years for many Arroyo Grande residents. What can the City Council do to make life easier for local residents struggling with cost of living?

The City Council can adopt policies, plans and programs and prioritize funding to: (1) Increase the supply of affordable housing; (2) Diversify the local economy with more head-of-household jobs so that people can work closer to where they live and promote opportunities to develop and employ a locally-based skilled labor force; (3) Improve the streets in a way that invites more people to feel safe and confident about making short trips without a car, such as walking, bicycling or use of another wheeled mobility device; (4) Maintain access to clean, safe parks, open spaces and gathering places, and continue to offer special events and recreation programs for everyone from youth to seniors, families and the public to enjoy.

Ballot measure E-24 would establish a one-cent sales tax for the next 10 years to fund infrastructure and maintenance projects across the city, raising around $6 million each year. Do you support or oppose Measure E-24? Why or why not?

I strongly support Measure E-24 as a crucial opportunity to generate much-needed revenue for our city to maintain and enhance essential services for residents, visitors, and workers alike. Reliable emergency services and the regular maintenance of our streets and roads are vital, as deferred upkeep often leads to significantly higher costs. The revenue generated by this measure will stay local, directly benefiting our community and aligning with the priorities identified by residents in the 2023 citywide survey.

Moreover, since a substantial portion of sales taxes comes from non-residents, Measure E-24 enables outside contributions to support our city's services. Transparency and accountability will ensure that these funds are responsibly managed and spent on the services that matter most. This measure provides an important local solution to help our city meet the growing demand for services and better sustain itself for the future.

Jamie Maraviglia

Who are your top three campaign contributors?

Shatter PAC, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union No. 639, SLO County Democratic Party

What is your vision for what your city should look like in 5 years? 10 years?

Knowing how long things take, 5 & 10 years are going to be pretty similar. I would like to see us building more affordable housing, maintaining and updating our roads and facilities, creating safer routes for our kids to walk or ride their bikes to school, revitalizing E. Grand Avenue to become a thriving corridor, restoring childcare and our preschool program and maintaining the quality of life that I and so many others love about this city.

What do you believe is the most important issue facing your city today, and what will you do to address it?

While maintaining our infrastructure and water are both obvious choices, I also think we really need to put plans into place to start helping address the housing crisis in our city. A median home in AG now costs over $1 million. With a median income of $90,000, this means that our residents can't afford to own the homes in our city. One of the ways we can start this process is by taking a hard look at our Development Code during our current General Plan process and updating it accordingly. We need to be thinking creatively and be open to innovation, but we also need to look back at the past and see what worked. I had an interesting conversation with a neighbor about this the other day. They told me that Arroyo Grande used to build what they called "newlywed houses" or smaller, "starter" homes. Maybe, this is an idea we need to bring back.

We are incredibly lucky that we are in a good spot with water at the moment, but there is almost no chance that it will stay this way. The reality is that we will experience another drought, and it will probably be sooner than we will like. We will absolutely need to create a proactive plan that makes sense financially for our community. It will mean working with our local and state partners and coming up with some innovative solutions. I truly believe this will be one of the bigger responsibilities of the next council.

Beyond the affordable housing crisis, the second biggest cost for our families is childcare. The city used to have an incredible and affordable childcare program that was a lifesaver to many, including myself. Because this program ended, many families are stuck on waiting lists for care and are either being forced to go without or are having to use more expensive forms of care. By expanding access to affordable childcare, we can improve outcomes for not only families but also the local economy. And again, we have to do everything within our means to produce some actual, affordable, workforce housing. What we have going on is unsustainable and soon, no working people will be able to afford to live here.

This is ultimately up to the voters, but I will be supporting Measure E-24. Our infrastructure is old and in need of repair. If we wait to fix it, it will likely cost us 2-3 times more. Like most American cities, we are underfunded to keep up with our infrastructure. Our city is fiscally healthy and is great at keeping our costs down, but there really isn't room for more cuts. We have the lowest employee per capita in SLO County as it is. Without this measure, the next council will be forced to make some drastic decisions that I don't think any of our residents will be happy about. E-24 will allow us the funding we need and makes people other than our residents help pay for it.

Gaea Powell

Who are your top three campaign contributors?

I am not accepting campaign contributions. SLOCO Data printing has my digital assets for signs, cards, banners ... for purchase.

What is your vision for what your city should look like in 5 years? 10 years?

Arroyo Grande will proudly maintain its historic charm, beauty and have economic independence. It will have sustained safety, thriving tourism, and be business friendly. We will boast of having the healthiest population and the best schools in the nation. There will be more indoor and outdoor activities such as a bowling alley, skating rink/event venue, a gaming arcade, and an increase in nightlife options. All will be thoughtfully and wisely developed.

What do you believe is the most important issue facing your city today, and what will you do to address it?

Sovereignty is critical. Our city, like many others in California, is being regulated into bankruptcy by Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislators. We must protect our city's charm, safety and assets, including our schools from nonsensical dictates that are destroying our beloved way of life.

Courage to exercise our constitutional rights is essential to achieve independence so we can ensure what is best for Arroyo Grande, its citizens, and for a prosperous future. This will power strong economic growth, sustain safety, enable infrastructure improvements and maintenance. Staff retention (this includes police and fire professionals), wise development and redevelopment, proactively support businesses, create new business incentives, and sustain/improve recreational programs and parks.

Let's increase tourism by focusing on improving our Historic Village and developing/creating other tourist attractions. Arroyo Grande is the gateway to the Central Coast and to all that it has to offer.

I did not support the decision for Arroyo Grande to participate in Central Coast Blue, nor do I believe it was ethically appropriate for the current mayor to be the chair of the CCB organization. This decision has cost our city over 2.2 million dollars. All that money down the drain.

There are many who have spent decades trying to figure out the answers all across California. I will continue to address this never-ending concern but I am also a realist that knows state-dictated over-development, control and mandates (that we must push back against) will negatively impact our water table levels.

Thankfully, Arroyo Grande has robust water sources that should be protected, and our city's needs should be our first priority. If and when creating a coalition with other cities regarding water sustainability and security in the future makes sense, it must be beneficial to Arroyo Grande and for the future generations to come.

Less government regulation and involvement is key. The housing market is being strangled to death by government overreach. Gov. Newsom and his political puppets have abandoned capitalism and our constitutional republic, replacing it with police state dictates.

California's Attorney General Rob Bonta gleefully brags when he sues cities and counties who do not or cannot comply with unreasonable Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) dictates. We must protect Arroyo Grande by standing against unjust laws. AG is a small community that cannot "build" on every square inch of our city and while retaining its assets and charm.

Since 2019, California poured $24 billion into housing the homeless (about $160,000 per person). Most of the funds ended up as an employment pipeline for non-government agencies and nonprofits (more homeless, more money for them). As a result, the crisis continues to worsen, proving the government overreach must end.

Our current federal and state administrations are guilty of unprecedented spending of billions of taxpayer money, mostly on their special interest initiatives. Yet we have seen a huge decline in our economy, a threat to our way of life, and record inflation, which is a tax on the people due to a failed government. Even a 1% sales tax increase impacts affordability of goods and services locally and actually brings us up to 8.75% sales tax. Current Mayor Russom wants to increase the financial burden on citizens and visitors due to her wasteful spending and lack of business experience.

She consistently follows what other cities are doing, not just regarding this measure, all to justify her lack of leadership and critical independent thinking. Where will it stop — 9%, 10% — and what exactly will it be spent on? More millions wasted on non-local, non-government special interest consultants?

Our city must stay within our budget until new, fresh opportunities are sought, discovered and implemented. Like drawing in more tourism dollars, as we have so much to offer as the gateway to miles of beaches, wineries, breweries, biking, hiking and to a very special Historic Village. Billboards on the 101 (north and south bound) as well as in the Central Valley would be a great start. Also, aggressively developing a business-friendly city environment and offering incentives to new businesses to set up in Arroyo Grande would be a good strategy.

Caren Ray Russom

Who are your top three campaign contributors?

Peter Keith, Steve and Karlie Cool, and Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 403

What is your vision for what your city should look like in 5 years? 10 years?

I envision a vibrant town teeming with community pride. While keeping a keen eye on preserving our small-town feel and historic character, I hope to bring more affordable housing and businesses/jobs so our young people can start and raise their families right here with AG values. I envision more walkability, biking and multi-family housing along East Grand Avenue and Halcyon. I would like to bring more businesses to fill our vacant buildings, as well as more imaginative 21st century uses for existing spaces. I would very much like to see a significant presence of public art, showcasing our heritage as a city.

What do you believe is the most important issue facing your city today, and what will you do to address it?

The most important issue we are facing is the rising cost of caring for our streets and infrastructure. In a 100-plus-year-old city, we've got aging roads, pipes and drainage. Arroyo Grande expects a high level of quality, and we need to find a way to provide that.

The Central Coast Blue Recycled Water Project was worthy and very needed. Unfortunately, its extreme cost escalations made it clearly infeasible, starting at $27 million and ballooning to over $150 million. The engineering that was done and the joint powers agreement that was formed still exist in Pismo Beach, and they are actively redesigning the project to see if it can be brought back to a feasible cost that could allow it to go forward. I am truly hoping they can successfully redesign it. If it isn't possible, we need to look at another way to recycle water in order to strengthen our water supply portfolio in Arroyo Grande.

Without a doubt it is very expensive to live in Arroyo Grande, and our young families and people just starting out really struggle. We are a victim of our own success: There is insatiable demand for housing in our wonderful town, which drives up the cost of living. I believe the true answer is to build the kind of housing that retirees out of L.A. and Silicon Valley don't want: small square footage, perhaps shared walls, and definitely including multi-family housing and apartments. I will also push for continued projects with affordable housing partners like People's Self Help Housing and HASLO.

We desperately need to maintain our roads and infrastructure, and inflation and increasing state mandates/overreach mean it costs more and more to provide what our residents deserve and expect. That's why I support E-24. It is not hard to understand why we need it: In the same way that inflation makes it so no one could live on a salary from 20 years ago, we cannot be expected to do the same thing we've always done without a change. We will eventually have to pay for street repairs. Sales tax is the most fair way because then the cost is shared with people who travel here to shop and vacation. Otherwise, the entire cost will fall on our property owners eventually. That is not fair to our people! E-24 would bring us up to the same sales tax level as most of the rest of the area, so it's not excessive. Please vote yes on E-24.

How do Arroyo Grande candidates for mayor, City Council compare on important issues?

Aileen Loe

Jamie Maraviglia

Gaea Powell

Caren Ray Russom

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