HOUSING
The shortage of affordable housing in California is a crisis, and is particularly acute in San Luis Obispo County. While many families, Cal Poly and Cuesta graduates, those who grow up here, and other individuals would love to live on the Central Coast, the cost of housing is often out of reach, given the supply and salary of local jobs. Folks have to get very creative to live here, often making sacrifices such as living with multiple roommates or older family members, or in sub-standard conditions.
The State of California has attempted to address the affordable housing issue by enacting laws that encourage local governments to allow and encourage the building of more housing for all income levels. Each county and city is required under the “Regional Housing Needs Allocation” (RHNA) to update local plans to accommodate new housing.
The state provides the SLO Council of Governments (SLOCOG) with a regional required number of new housing units, and then SLOCOG distributes those unit requirements to the county’s seven cities and to the county itself. Between the years 2029-2036, these eight jurisdictions are required to update their plans (aka “Housing Elements”) to accommodate over 14,500 new housing units. Failure to do so results in severe penalties.
Thus, SLO County and its cities must act to follow state housing requirements. In recent years, we’ve seen real progress in reaching RHNA requirements, particularly in SLO City and Grover Beach. However, the jurisdictions have had a much easier time building homes for higher income people, rather than for those in medium- and lower-income brackets. As a result, a significant portion of new home buyers in SLO County are not local working people or families, but rather outsiders who move in after selling their often more-expensive homes elsewhere.
As your Supervisor, I would support housing projects that serve our local residents first. I would also support projects that are within and adjacent to existing neighborhoods, roads, services, and shopping. By that I mean projects like those for young people, families, seniors, and others where adequate infrastructure already exists and where the impact to natural resources is minimized.
What I won’t support are projects that are within greenbelts, and those that unwisely strain fire and police resources, wreak havoc on wildlife and open space, cause undue traffic, and/or have insufficient or unsustainable water resources. Also, I will listen to the local community – a lot of residents are speaking up about their concerns with new housing projects. Those concerns should be heard and reflected in county decisionmaking.
In short, we are legally bound to – and should – meet the state’s requirements for new housing, including affordable housing for lower income people. Where these new housing units go, however, is critical.
HOMELESSNESS
One of the most challenging issues for San Luis Obispo County and beyond is homelessness. With an estimated 1,100 homeless people living here, this is devastating for the people directly affected and their families. And it’s problematic, too, for residents, local government, businesses, schools, healthcare providers, and the impacted environment – especially when people are living in local creek beds.
Fortunately, we’ve seen some reduction in homelessness in San Luis Obispo County. According to recent data, homelessness is down some 22% since 2022. This is the result of effective homeless prevention and support programs throughout the County, including Cabins for Change in Grover Beach, the Welcome Home Village and 40 Prado in San Luis Obispo, ECHO Homeless Services in North County, and multiple lower-income housing projects throughout the County sponsored by cities as well as the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo.
As the Vice Chair and more than four-year member of the Board of ECHO, I have witnessed firsthand the success of wrap-around programs (e.g., those that address the multiple issues faced by homeless individuals) that support people making the transition from homelessness to supportive housing. These programs work – but they take support, time, and money.
As your Supervisor, I will advocate to support existing homeless services programs, which have proven to be effective in getting people and families off the streets and into permanent housing. I will use my experience with state government to help secure new funding and also to assist with private fundraising efforts so that proven programs can grow, continue to be fully staffed, and otherwise able to support those most in need.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAMS & HUMAN RIGHTS
In spite of the beauty, San Luis Obispo County can be a challenging place for people to thrive – especially vulnerable people. Some struggle with addiction and mental illness. Many fear that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will harass, detain and/or attack immigrant community members and their families. In addition to all that, many of us are struggling to find high quality and affordable health care. Seniors, people with disabilities, non-English speakers, young people in the foster care system, and others with special needs struggle to work through bureaucratic systems to get the help they need. Working parents face difficulties in finding high-quality childcare. And some members of the LGBTQ+ community may feel invisible and isolated, and even intimidated when they are seen.
I saw all of these circumstances, and more, as District Director for Senator Laird, as a board member for ECHO Homeless Organization, as an advisory board member of CAPSLO’s Child Care Resource Connection, and as a SLO County Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth.
In these capacities, I frequently heard from and worked with these vulnerable members of the community. In many cases, the help they needed was available – through existing federal, state, and local programs or through non-profit organizations. In these cases, I was able to connect people to the resources they needed.
In other cases, the resources they needed were not available or out of reach from a cost-perspective.
As your Supervisor, I will consistently advocate for funding and programs that are specifically targeted to help the people who are the most vulnerable. I want to make sure that these residents are connected to available resources and that scarce budgetary dollars are efficiently spent to help those most in need, for the largest benefit to all. It’s a matter of human rights.
OPEN SPACE, PUBLIC ACCESS & COASTAL PROTECTION
As a native Californian, a long-time resident of San Luis Obispo County, and lifetime lover of the natural world, I bring to the Supervisor job a passion for and direct experience in the protection of lands, waters, and open spaces for people and wildlife. I’ve studied and worked in the areas of environmental law and land use as a law student and attorney, and served as Project Director for The Nature Conservancy and the American Land Conservancy. I also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County.
In these capacities, I was directly involved in the conservation of over 100,000 acres in San Luis Obispo County. This work includes conservation of and public access to areas including Hearst Ranch, the Carrizo Plain, the Irish Hills, along the North Coast, and in the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes.
I’ve also been directly involved in coastal protection efforts. I was a long-time supporter for the establishment of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, and currently serve as the Vice-Chair and San Luis Obispo County Public-At-Large Representative on its Sanctuary Advisory Council.
Protecting our lands and waters, however, has never been more challenging. In spite of significant conservation successes in the county and state, we still face a constant assault on our coastal natural resources by the Trump Administration, which has targeted our coastal waters for oil and gas exploration and drilling, as well as over 122,000 acres of onshore land.
Trump’s administration is also trying to undermine the Coastal Act and the federal Coastal Zone Management Act by stripping away the state’s authority to prevent or even manage federal projects that would undermine the environmental resources, economic vitality, and splendor of the coast. Even locally, we’ve had to fight hard against incumbent elected officials for the protection of and public access to the 12,000-acre Diablo Canyon Lands adjacent to Avila Beach.
As your county Supervisor, I will fight to protect our precious coastal resources and special lands and open spaces that make San Luis Obispo County such a uniquely beautiful and healthy place. I’ll use my experience with state government to help secure funding for local conservation projects (like the San Luis Obispo Greenbelt and the Diablo Canyon Lands) and key bike/hike corridors, such as the completion of the Bob Jones Trail from San Luis Obispo to the Harford Pier at Port San Luis.
While development is essential for our economy, housing availability, and tourism, the key is balancing these needs while also ensuring the sustained vitality of our natural world, including the quality of our water and air.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
San Luis Obispo County boasts a relatively strong economy, with its Gross Domestic Product (GDP, the value of all goods and services produced in the county) at about $25 billion annually. Some 130,000 people are employed here, in sectors such as agriculture, energy, Cal Poly/Cuesta College and other educational institutions, government, healthcare, construction, tourism, and so on.
The continued growth of these local economic drivers is critical to ensure our quality and standard of living.
As a former financial planner in San Luis Obispo for some 20 years, I know it can be tough for many people to live here – especially given the high cost of housing, including owning or renting a home. Healthcare costs have also risen, as well as what feels like constant increases in the cost of our utility bills, gas and food.
As Supervisor, I will support the continued growth of our County’s economy to ensure our vibrant future. In particular, I see opportunities in and will nurture and advocate for the growth of certain sectors, such as:
- Tourism and Recreation – SLO County has the advantage of being a world-class destination given its coastal location and natural beauty. We have an extraordinary system of trails, beaches, open space, harbors, and more. I will advocate for the addition of new open space lands and recreational opportunities, balanced with their sustainable management so that these great features can also be enjoyed by future generations of residents and visitors.
- Year-Round Destination – We are a popular weekend and summer destination. I would advocate for tourism and marketing strategies that encourage visitation during slower times, such as those revolving around wine, food, arts, sports, outdoor recreation, and business travel, to name a few.
- Agriculture – Agriculture is a key sector in San Luis Obispo County’s economy, generating some $3.4 billion in economic activity and almost 20,000 jobs. To support agriculture, I will advocate for reliable, sustainable water sources and federal/state funding to reduce the costs for farmers. I will also support keeping productive farmland in production and enabling compatible farmworker housing projects.
- Cal Poly and Business Incubator Programs – As a proud Mustang, I would advocate and support efforts by Cal Poly and its incubator programs to help develop financially stable and high-growth business enterprises. This not only supports our economic future; it also keeps Cal Poly graduates and their families, energy, and vitality local;
- Housing and Infrastructure Connection – Economic growth requires a housing market that is available for working people. I’d advocate for workforce housing, as well as improved regional transit and other transportation and municipal infrastructure to support long-term, sustainable economic growth.
- Energy – As discussed in my Energy section, local renewable energy projects provide now – and have the potential for more – head-of-household jobs that build the foundation for a stable and vibrant economy. I’d support the right mix of new energy projects that are beneficial for both our communities and environment.
ENERGY & CLIMATE
San Luis Obispo County has become a statewide hub of energy production, including large-scale solar farms in the Carrizo Plain, battery storage facilities in the South County, and the Diablo Canyon Power Plant near Avila Beach. These projects have brought us local jobs and revenues, and have supported the state’s transition away from fossil-fuel based energy production that accelerates climate change – the globe’s existential crisis.
As an original and continuing member of the Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel, I’ve learned a lot about Diablo Canyon during these past six years. I recognize and appreciate the jobs the plant has supported – including over 1,300 permanent, year-round employees plus some 1,100 additional workers PG&E brings in during planned refueling outages (which occur every 18 months or so for each reactor). Historically, too, SLO County and its seven cities, our schools and other entities have benefitted from annual unitary tax revenues (as required by law) related to Diablo Canyon assets – although that revenue has decreased significantly since the utility started rapidly depreciating the value of those assets in 2018.
At the same time, I have some concerns about Diablo Canyon Power Plant. It’s troubling – during these times of rising sea waters – that there is still no permanent solution for the storage of highly radioactive, spent nuclear fuel waste, which is generated and stored on site. There are also concerns and unanswered questions about earthquake faults that lie beneath and adjacent to the plant. Finally, the impacts to marine life from the intake (and to a lesser extent, discharge) of some 2.5 billion gallons of seawater daily are well documented.
In light of the above factors, there is great debate about whether Diablo Canyon Power Plant operations should be extended beyond 2030. At the end of the day, however, this question will be decided by the State of California – not SLO County or other local governments. However, we can – and I will – chime in on what the community needs relating to impacts associated with any remaining operational years. Among other things, I will strenuously advocate for adequate unitary tax or other revenues for the benefit of the County, cities, and schools, just as PG&E had provided up until recent years, as it had promised to do at the very beginning of plant operations.
I will also advocate to ensure:
- that unanswered seismic and reactor safety questions are addressed and adequately answered, and that local workers and jobs are protected,
- that all of the surrounding Diablo Canyon Lands are conserved and made available for public access,
- that the County receives adequate funding for emergency response, and
- that we have firm assurances that all spent nuclear fuel be stored (within a few years after the plant closes) in dry cask storage, as opposed to the more risk-prone pool-based storage system. Pool storage is being used as and is acceptable for the temporary storage of spent nuclear fuel, but it is not a good long-term solution.
As for other energy proposals, they should be scrutinized carefully, on a case-by-case basis. The energy projects that I would support as Supervisor are only those that satisfy the following:
- Employ local people for the long-term – not outsiders who take the money and run;
- Are consistent with the health and safety of neighboring communities;
- Are renewable/green, and reduce our state’s dependence on fossil-fuel-based energy sources;
- Are consistent with the protection of the environment;
- Provide local benefits in addition to jobs – including revenues for schools and cities;
- Are affordable for local consumers; and
- Include long-term plans and funding for decommissioning when the facilities are eventually shut down.
EDUCATION
High quality education is paramount to just about any other issue: It’s critical to the well-being of every person, young and old, and society as a whole.
Education – especially public education – is key to a prosperous, safe, healthy, and enlightened present and future community, state, country, and world. As the daughter of a 43-year public school elementary school teacher, this was drilled into me throughout my life – and I still believe it wholly.
In California, K-12 public schools are not departments of any county or city. As a county Supervisor, I would not directly impact how local schools are managed. That job is left to the County Board of Education, the County Superintendent of Schools and Office of Education, school districts, and, most importantly, our teachers.
In the Third Supervisorial District, there are two school districts with governing boards: Lucia Mar Unified School District (a seven-member board serving areas including Grover Beach and parts of Pismo/Shell Beach) and San Luis Coastal Unified School District (a seven-member board serving areas including the City of San Luis Obispo, Avila Beach, Edna, and parts of Pismo/Shell Beach).
In spite of the county’s limited authority, there is still much that the Board of Supervisors can do to support local schools, and augment their ability to better serve students, families, and the whole community. As your county Supervisor, and as a proud mother of two graduates of San Luis Coastal USD schools, here’s how I would support local K-12 schools, with enthusiasm and dedication:
- Support early childhood education programs, including quality childcare. As a representative on CAPSLO’s Child Care Resource Connection Advisory Board, I learned a lot about the value of high-quality early education and its long-term benefits for families, especially those with limited income. The county can help connect families with service providers, workforce housing, and related resources.
- Make county services easier for families to access. Programs already exist in areas such as behavioral and public health, homeless services, and foster youth programs. I will support programs to develop coordinated approaches to these services, rather than asking parents and others to navigate these bureaucracies separately.
- Support after-school and summer programs. Working parents need assistance in making sure their kids stay engaged and in a learning environment beyond the school day and school year. I will support programs for after-school hours, such as tutoring and outdoor education.
- Help get kids to and from school safely. Not all schools are easy to access, especially for young people who walk to get there. There’s a lot the county can do to improve sidewalks, road crossings, bike routes and other facilities to make sure the path to school isn’t dangerous or stressful, so kids arrive ready to learn.
- Support grant funding. California and foundations offer grant programs that can augment county and school budgets for education-related programs, including those mentioned above. I would enthusiastically support efforts to help districts and schools seek additional funding.
Beyond K-12, we’re blessed in San Luis Obispo County to host Cal Poly and Cuesta College – two excellent, public, post-high school educational systems which provide life-changing opportunities to local and out-of-area students, enrich our communities, and support our economic base.
Cal Poly is governed by the California State University (CSU) system, the CSU Chancellor and Board of Trustees, President Dr. Jeff Armstrong, and the Cal Poly Academic Senate (the faculty governing body). Cuesta College is part of the San Luis Obispo County Community College District and is governed by five elected members of the Board of Trustees, President Dr. Jill Stearns, and the Cuesta College Academic Senate. As such, the role of the County and its Board of Supervisors is limited with respect to management of Cuesta and Cal Poly.
Still, there is much the Board of Supervisors can do to support the students and communities of Cal Poly and Cuesta. As Supervisor – and a proud Mustang myself – I would seek and support efforts to work with Cal Poly and Cuesta College, including:
- Expanding access across the County. I would support continued efforts by Cuesta and Cal Poly to expand operations in the South County and the North County, including more class options, workforce training, and greater access for students throughout the county.
- Supporting student transfers. I would support efforts to make it easier for students to easily transfer from Cuesta to Cal Poly, including synchronizing courses and reducing bureaucracy.
- Supporting student and workforce housing. It is challenging for many local university students and staff to find affordable, adequate housing. I would support development of additional, well-placed, on and off campus housing to support student and workforce housing.
TECHNOLOGY, AI, AND PRIVACY
Our world is changing rapidly. We’re surrounded by increasingly intrusive new technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) programs whose promoters promise will help us – but could end up doing more harm than good.
There’s no doubt AI could bring benefits – like the promise of better health care, help running a business, keeping in touch with loved ones, creating works of art or music, managing our busy schedules, doing our jobs more efficiently, supporting community programs and innovation, and so on.
And yet with each technological advancement comes potentially troubling downsides:
- We’re inundated with ads curiously correlated to what we’ve just talked about in the privacy of our own homes, searched on the internet, or where we’ve travelled.
- Too often, technology is used to harvest our private, personal data without our knowledge, consent, or an “opt-out” option.
- Cameras are everywhere, surveilling us en masse, storing data about each of us – purportedly to make us “safe,” but in truth potentially violating our expectations of privacy and usurping the bedrock American principle of “innocent until proven guilty” under our Constitution protections.
- Big-tech monopolies profit from their ill-gotten knowledge of every last detail of our lives, maximizing their taking of our money, attention, personal histories, and worse.
We’ve also heard the stories about AI private data piracy and security breaches, as well as significant factual errors (a.k.a. “hallucinations”).
What’s truly horrifying is the use of AI to target young people for exploitation, manipulation, and intimidation. Any parent raising a child in this new era understands this concern, and likely struggles with creating technological fencing to shield and protect the well-being of their kids.
What’s more, AI and other technologies threaten jobs. In a recent forecast by an investment firm, 9% of workers – some 15 million people – could lose their jobs to technology by 2035. Anyone spending time in big cities can bear witness to this displacement with the ubiquitous presence of Waymo and other driverless cars – and this is just the beginning.
Obviously, the concerns with technology, AI, and privacy are far broader than just San Luis Obispo County. And yet there is a lot going on here at home that we should be thinking about.
For example, San Luis Obispo County has employed multiple AI tools (including Google Gemini and ChatGPT), costing some $100,000 per year. These tools are supposed to be used in compliance with its AI Use Policy, which was approved by the Board of Supervisors in March of 2026. However, in an investigation by the SLO Tribune, violations of that policy were discovered. In one case, a department supervisor used an AI program to help with an employee performance review – in clear violation of the new policy.
Another local concern is the increasing presence of surveillance cameras, including those manufactured by Flock Safety. As reported by the SLO Tribune, over 140 automatic license plate readers are installed around San Luis Obispo County. Such cameras collect and store (temporarily, it is said) information about vehicles, which can be accessible to governments and private businesses without search warrants. There are local instances where surveillance camera systems were breached, which exposed their information to unauthorized users.
Should we – or could we – stop technology and its prevalence in our lives? Not likely. But we can do a better job of understanding why the technology is employed by governments and consider constraints on that use. This would ensure that the use of technology would serve the well-being of all our residents.
It’s encouraging that Governor Newsom signed new legislation to support AI safeguards at the state level – and put in place measures such as limitations on the use of chatbot programs and content-addictive features to protect young people.
At the local level, we should better manage the technological systems that we do employ – and regularly monitor and audit their operations so that AI is used in compliance with our policies and only for legitimate purposes, while protecting the privacy of residents.
It’s also important for us to consider locally an issue related to the above: data centers. As you’re likely aware, data centers are large, specialized buildings that enclose computer servers. This is where the “cloud” really exists – where electronic information from websites, streaming services, banking, and other information is stored. There are already data centers existing in San Luis Obispo County, most of which have an electrical capacity of some 10 megawatts.
Lately, however, we’ve been reading in the news about enormous, hyperscale data centers that are being built or proposed specifically for AI. These systems are much larger — with electric capacities of even more than 1000 megawatts. That’s about 100 times larger in terms of power demand. There are multiple potential downsides to these AI hyperscale data centers:
- The land required can be enormous. One center in Wisconsin, for example, has a building footprint of some 21 football fields. That’s land that can no longer be used for agriculture, housing, recreation uses, or wildlife.
- The costs of building and operating the AI centers can be enormous, as much as $11 million per megawatt of capacity – leaving concerns about whether this is ultimately passed on to utility customers.
- Intense water use. Because computer chips generate significant heat, water is used to remove the heat continuously to avoid overheating. A large data center can use hundreds of thousands of gallons a day, or more.
- Other concerns include scenic pollution (they’re ugly!), noise pollution, air quality degradation, and localized heat-island effects.
- We also have to think about jobs. On the positive side, the centers can generate specialized construction jobs (but frequently not local jobs), but there are very few people employed after construction is complete.
As your 3rd District County Supervisor, I will follow these issues closely and carefully, and speak up when I have questions or concerns. I will be here to advocate for our people and local jobs, not our machines nor distant corporate executives with narrow, profit-based objectives.
