The City of Paso Robles announced today that Mayor Steve Martin has died after a “hard-fought illness.”
Mayor Pro Tem John Hamon will assume mayoral duties until the City Council decides how to proceed. Martin stepped away from his mayoral duties in February because of an undisclosed health condition.
Assemblymember Dawn Addis said she’s deeply saddened by Martin’s death, which she described as a a huge loss for his family, friends and the community.
" I just have incredibly deep respect for Mayor Martin and really viewed him as a friend, as a mentor, [and] as somebody who put his heart and soul into the Central Coast," Addis said. "He's just been a huge champion for Paso Robles, for our region. It was such a pleasure to work with him and he'll be deeply, deeply missed.”
Paso Robles City Manager Ty Lee shared that sentiment. “We were informed by his family that he had succumbed to his illness that he'd been battling for several months now," Lee said. "It's going to be a loss not only to the region, but to our city for sure.”
Martin was first elected as a City Councilmember in 2012, then as mayor in 2014. He was elected for a second term in 2018 and a third term in 2022, which would have run until 2026.
Martin was born and raised in Atascadero and lived in Paso Robles from 1973 up until his death.
In a press release, the city called Martin a “strong advocate for economic development and quality of life in Paso Robles” who was instrumental in projects like the Paso Robles Wine Festival and strengthening the city’s downtown.
The city said family representatives are planning a public remembrance of life within the next 30 days.
