Front Page  »  

SLO Mayor Heidi Harmon resigns, denies connection to FBI case

August 27, 2021

Mayor Heidi Harmon, photo by Richard Bastian

By KAREN VELIE

Amid allegations she took gifts from a marijuana businessman, San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon announced Thursday she is stepping down to battle climate change.

First elected mayor in 2016, Harmon said she plans to continue living in SLO while she works as a senior public affairs director for the Romero Institute’s Let’s Green CA initiative, a nonprofit affiliated with electric provider Central Coast Community Energy. During Harmon’s tenure, the SLO City Council voted to contract with Central Coast Community Energy to provide electricity to residents.

Harmon suggested she has to choose between having a job or serving as mayor, even though the vast majority of mayors in SLO County have full time jobs.

Photo by Richard Bastian

When asked if an FBI investigation into corruption and the arrest Wednesday of marijuana kingpin Helios Dayspring had influenced her decision to step down, Harmon said she is not under investigation and that she properly reported Dayspring’s donations.

In 2018, Dayspring and his marijuana brand Natural Healing Center hosted a fundraiser for eight politicians including Harmon. While Harmon accepted multiple donations from people affiliated with the marijuana industry during the event, she listed those donors as retired or under a non-marijuana related occupation on her financial report.

Harmon also failed to disclose Dayspring’s non-monetary donation until after CalCoastNews reported on the issue.

Shortly before Harmon voted for a resolution establishing criteria for city staff to rank marijuana shop applicants, Dayspring allegedly ordered his staff to give Harmon two bags containing approximately $1,000 worth of complimentary marijuana products, according to one of Dayspring’s former business partners. Harmon did not respond to email questions about the alleged gift.

Following Harmon’s Sept. 26 resignation, the SLO City Council will have 30 days to appoint a new mayor or to call for a special election. In the interim, Vice Mayor Erica Stewart will serve as mayor.


Loading...
Related:


51 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Hopefully someone fiscally responsible will be elected


36

“ Harmon said she is not under investigation and that she properly reported Dayspring’s donations.”


How would she know if she is under investigation or not? Typically people suspected of a crime don’t know they are the subject of an investigation until investigators show up with an arrest warrant.


If investigators are using electronic surveillance methods they most assuredly wouldn’t tell her or her attorney she is a target, although one could infer she is based on Helios Daysprings’ statements.


79

The collapse of the corrupt Fauxgressives continues. Good riddens…


142

Let’s see:


– Harmon installs Central Coast Community Energy as the electrical provider for the City of SLO, without the consent of the voters, which generates significant revenue for Central Coast Community Energy.


– Harmon takes a high paying lobbying job with a firm associated with Central Coast Community Energy.


Nothing to see here, Comrades, now move along.


152

Hum, interesting connection. Pretty shady practices by HH. Add to that the Dayspring connection, and we can thank our lucky stars she moving on…


91

San Luis Obispo city/county government: Come for the weather, stay for the money and perks – with the option of leaving if it gets too hot.


129

Stepping down to battle climate change. Hilarious Heidi.


147

Gee. Who could have seen this coming? Heidi “Hands-Out.” Anyone else noticing how many of those folks who tried to bring down Velie and kill CalCoastNews are instead themselves dropping like flies on meth? Perhaps karma is real.


159

Good riddance, and take your violent, ignorant racists with you!


132

I can’t say I will miss her, but I do wish her well in life. I wonder if she will come up with a solution to climate change that is something other than more taxes to bureaucrats? Thank you Calcoastnews for providing us with local, mostly non-opinionated reporting.


41

Yes, I thought very fairly reported.


19
1 2 3 4