A political race in San Luis Obispo County is heating up well ahead of the 2016 General Election.
The District 3 Supervisor Seat, currently held by Adam Hill, has at least three people running for it, including the incumbent. The area includes the beach cities of Pismo and Grover, more than half of the City of San Luis Obispo, and the communities of Edna Valley and Avila.
Supervisor Adam Hill has held the seat since 2008 and says he plans to be on the ballot in November 2016 for a third term.
The newest official candidate hoping to unseat Hill is San Luis Obispo City Council Member Dan Carpenter. He says he'd like to remove some of the current board's partisanship, and improve the level of respect during public comment.
"It's their time and I think we have to show the utmost respect for the public when they speak—that's the people we serve—and what I've seen lately is disrespect," said Carpenter.
Hill says if he gets elected to a third term, he'd like to work on protecting Wild Cherry Canyon, located near Avila Beach, from future housing development. Carpenter says he agrees, noting his biggest issues with a proposed project are water and traffic circulation.
Hill says he'd also like to see the completion of the Bob Jones City to the Sea Trail, as well as the Edna/Price Canyon trail connecting Pismo Beach with San Luis Obispo. The supervisor did play a role in securing funding for The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County's Pismo Preserve project, which should open to hikers later this year. Carpenter was the only council member to vote against the City of San Luis Obispo's contribution to the preserve.
Earlier this month, former Grover Beach Mayor Debbie Peterson announced she's also seeking the seat. Several of her views on land conservation are similar to Hill's.
2016 will be a busy election year for the SLO County Board of Supervisors. Two other seats are also up for grabs in addition to District 3. Frank Mecham announced recently that he does not intend to run for his north county District 1 seat, and Debbie Arnold's neighboring District 5 seat is also in contention.