Why should you care who is elected mayor? Maybe you’re just a guest in this small college town, acquiring a little knowledge before moving on to the bigger and better that the real world has to offer. But if you love San Luis Obispo and plan on coming back to show your kids your old college ‘stomping grounds,’ you might want to have a say in who will be running the show for the next two years.
And what exactly does a city mayor do besides cut the ribbon at new store openings? To put it bluntly, a mayor is basically a glorified city council member, acting as the head of the city’s municipal government and officiating over ceremonial events like ribbon cuttings.
The two candidates running for San Luis Obispo mayor’s this year are incumbent Dave Romero and challenger Terry Mohan.
In terms of experience levels, the two are like oil and vinegar: Romero is retired besides his job as the current mayor, Mohan drives a truck for a company called Unisource Worldwide. What the two have in common is a genuine love for their town and a desire to see it flourish.
Mustang Daily: Why are you running for mayor?
Terry Mohan: “I wanted to get my issues out. I know a lot of people who are anti- Dave Romero and wanted to give people a clear choice if they wanted to vote for mayor.”
MD: What are your issues?
Mohan: “I’m a slow growth advocate. I don’t like all this development. Ever since Dave got into the mayors office all these annexations and big projects are coming in. I’m afraid that overgrowth, that its going to hurt the livability of the city.”
MD: What do you think the biggest local issue is for Cal Poly students?
Dave Romero: “The frictions that occur between some of the students’ lifestyles and some of the residents.”
MD: Is Mardi Gras ever coming back?
Romero: “(It’s) probably never coming back. It started out as a fun event and then just kept getting wilder and wilder and it eventually became a danger here.”
Mohan: “Mardi Gras is a problem within itself whereever you go.”
MD: What do you love most about Cal Poly students?
Romero: “I love the students’ vitality. It’s the thing that makes San Luis Obispo different. Students bring in lots of interest and lots of excitement.”
Mohan: “I like that they get out and volunteer in the community. Most of them are good ambassadors for the university.”
MD: Is there anything that can be done for students that want to be able to stay and live here after they graduate?
Romero: “I don’t think there is much that can be done. A lot of students have been able to find a way to stay. Because we are a slow grow city the cost of living is high. It’s a desirable place to live, but it does restrict the ability of people that are just starting out to be able to find housing and stay here.”
Mohan: “Well I don’t see too many Cal Poly students that want to stay here, but I would like to see more workforce housing. I came here because I wanted to live here and did what it took to do that. If you really want to live somewhere you can make ends meet and you can get by.”
MD (to Romero): You said that you want to protect city revenues from being lost to shopping in neighboring cities. Does this mean that you want to build more buildings and shopping centers?
Romero: “We need to modernize. People are leaving San Luis Obispo and going to neighboring cities to do their major shopping. and we are loosing that sales tax revenue. But we are certainly watching out for downtown. In fact, my emphasis hopefully during this term will be to upgrade and finish beautifying the downtown.”
MD(to Mohan): You are opposed to this?
Mohan: “People don’t have to go anywhere.To say that you have to go to those places (to shop) is a fabrication. People do go. and we may loose that sales tax to it but there’s no saying that we really needed that money in the first place.”
MD (to Romero): What is your favorite part about being mayor?
Romero: “I get to contact lots of citizens on a regular basis. I am very fortunate to be in such a well-run city. I get very few criticisms about what the city is doing. I have a personalized feeling about the city because I have been here so long, everything is mine to some degree. Everywhere I go I see something that I had a hand in. The city of San Luis Obispo makes my job a pleasure.”
MD (to Mohan): What do you think the qualifications to be mayor are?
Mohan: “You have to have a basic knowledge of city rules and regulations. You are a representative of the people. You have to have common sense and an ear to listen to what the people want done.”
MD: Why should students vote for you?
Romero: “I’ve spent a lifetime being public works director and virtually every public improvement of a civic city that has been installed in the city or serving Cal Poly has been done under my jurisdiction. There is no reason at this stage in my career that I would change and want to do something else with my life. I often say if you love San Luis Obispo, you love my life’s work.”
Mohan: “My intent is to keep the city the way it is, ‘save the SLO life.’ If you like the small town atmosphere, if you like the community we are in and would like to stay or come back at some point and raise your family here.”