Atascadero Mayor Heather Moreno is ready to win another election, and she's a shoo-in because nobody's running against her.

"I feel that our city team of community volunteers, our staff, our council, have all worked hard to meet the needs of our residents," Moreno said. "An unopposed mayor means that we've listened to our community."

That sentiment was echoed by the community over a variety of issues, including the city's decision earlier this year to join Central Coast Community Energy (3CE). While the implementation of 3CE won't begin until 2024, Moreno said that she wants the public to be fully aware of what is going on in order to make an informed decision about whether to opt out of the program.

• File Photo By Jayson Mellom
• ELECTION SEASON Atascadero's city election this November includes only one challenger candidate.

However, ongoing issues are more of a priority for Moreno, such as revitalization of the city's downtown and affordable housing. More visitors are coming to Atascadero's downtown, which spurred the council to start investing more into the businesses that opened up during the pandemic. Plans include developing two city-owned properties on the East Mall as well as putting more emphasis on city events.

"We do those because we want our residents to have a reason to come downtown to enjoy and to stay here, stay in their community and enjoy themselves. Secondarily, it's a great way to encourage others from throughout the county and even throughout the state. When you think of our Tamale Festival, others come and enjoy the great ambiance that we have in our town," Moreno said.

Part of downtown's development also includes downsizing a section of El Camino Real between Morro Road and the police station to two lanes in order to allow for more parking space as well as create a safer downtown area.

"Simply slowing down traffic creates that environment where people want to be walking around, and then our downtown becomes a place that people want to come to rather than drive through," Moreno said.

Three candidates are vying for the two open seats on the City Council: Current Councilmembers Heather Newsom and Susan Funk and writer Bret Heinemann.

Funk said her main goal is to politically diversify Atascadero's City Council. As the first Democrat elected to the City Council in 10 years, Funk wants to make sure that there's more community participation.

"Our council works best when everybody in the community can look up there and see somebody out there that they could talk to," Funk said. "When they do that, they are met with respect by everybody up there. And we're able to achieve that with our council, and it will help us ... lead the community forward."

Councilmembers Funk and Newsom have big ideas to solve chronic homelessness in Atascadero.

Newsom's campaign website advocates for more law enforcement to deal with those who "prey on the weak and innocent in our community, including other un-housed individuals who are the most victimized by their criminal activity. People need to feel safe in Atascadero and if we ignore proactive enforcement, we are missing part of the equation."

In addition to this, Newsom's website advocates for more mental health services in partnership with law enforcement:

"We must also cooperate with and rely on each other to address these issues; we can't do it alone. In recent years, the city partnered with the county's Community Action Team, embedding mental health and crisis workers with law enforcement to provide help to some of the most vulnerable and fragile individuals in the homeless community."

Funk said she was on the steering committee that developed a county-wide strategic plan to address homelessness for the next five years that was unanimously approved by the SLO County Board of Supervisorsearlier this month.

"We can make serious, significant improvements in homelessness. We can't solve it. Not in five years," Funk said. "The aim is to cut it in half and that will make a huge difference in terms of relieving suffering both as individuals who are unhoused and of the community."

Candidate Heinemann didn't respond to emailed requests for comment. Δ