2 City Council members to compete for SLO County supervisor seat. Here’s who

The race to represent District 5 on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors is setting up to be a showdown between two Atascadero City Council members.

Atascadero mayor Heather Moreno announced her candidacy on Monday, after Atascadero city council member Susan Funk announced her intent to run for the seat on Friday.

“I am running for supervisor to bring experienced, competent leadership to the county and put the needs of our residents first.” Moreno said in a news release.

Moreno was appointed to city council in 2012, and later elected mayor of Atascadero in 2018 — going on to serve three terms.

“Under Moreno’s leadership, the city of Atascadero fully funded and staffed its police department, invested in infrastructure repairs and improvements, worked collaboratively with community organizations to help tackle the homelessness crisis and brought new jobs and economic development to the city,” the release said.

Funk was elected to the Atascadero City Council in 2018, and has served on the council for nearly two full terms. She’s currently Atascadero mayor pro tem.

She’s the chair of the San Luis Obispo County Homeless Services Oversight Council, a group that helped San Luis Obispo County develop its five-year plan to reduce homelessness by half.

If elected, Funk said her priorities are reducing homelessness, public safety, building more affordable housing, supporting local businesses and sustainable water use.

She also would prioritize “championing responsive, responsible government that listens to people and works from the facts,” she wrote in a news release.

Funk is endorsed by SLO County supervisors Dawn Ortiz-Legg, Bruce Gibson and Jimmy Paulding, California State Assembly member Dawn Addis, San Luis Obispo Mayor Erica A. Stewart and Port San Luis Harbor Commissioner Bob Vessely, according to her website.

Moreno, a certified public accountant and businesswoman, is endorsed by county Supervisor John Peschong, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow and former Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham, according to her release.

According to Moreno’s release, current District 5 Supervisor Debbie Arnold endorses Moreno for supervisor.

Arnold had not responded to requests for comment about the 2024 election as of Monday morning.

New SLO County district includes Atascadero

After settling a lawsuit over redistricting, the board selected a new district map on Tuesday that dramatically shifted the boundaries of District 5.

The so-called Patten map, drawn by Arroyo Grande resident Richard Patten and approved by supervisors in 2021, carved Atascadero out of District 5 and moved it into District 2.

The new map, also known as Map A, returned Atascadero to District 5 and groups Santa Margarita with the Garden Farms community. District 5 also includes Cal Poly and Carrizo Plains.

Who will run for District 1 supervisor?

When Peschong was elected to the board in 2016, he promised to serve only two terms as a county supervisor.

However, Peschong appears to be gearing up to run for his seat again. There’s a campaign finance filing for a committee called Peschong for Supervisor 2024 with the California Secretary of State’s Office.

Peschong had not responded to The Tribune’s requests for comment as of Monday morning.

In January, Republican Party of San Luis Obispo County spokesperson Erik Gorham said he might throw his hat in the ring for the District 1 seat.

The Paso Robles resident withdrew his candidacy, however, because the new map pushed him out of District 1, he said.