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Paso Robles City Council candidate sign wars getting ugly

September 6, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

Two Paso Robles City Council members spared with each other during Tuesday evening’s city council meeting, exposing the vitriol in the races. Both candidates gave inaccurate statements regarding the argument over space for their signs.

During public comment, Michael Rivera, a candidate for the District 3 seat, said he witnessed Councilwoman Sharon Roden remove his sign, and then place her sign where his had been and attach it to a fence owned by the city, a violation of election law. He said Roden, a District 1 candidate, also violated the city’s code of civility.

Roden responded, saying the owner gave her permission to use the coveted spot, and that Rivera did not know who the owner was. She then said she never touched Rivera’s sign, and that the owner had removed his sign because he had promised her that spot.

However, it appears neither was completely accurate in their description of the incident.

Both candidates said they received permission from an owner to place their sign in that spot, with Roden saying Garett Manion gave her permission several weeks earlier.

However, Manion, who co-owns the business with his mother Marlene Lincoln, said Roden spoke to his wife several weeks earlier, not him.

The prior week, Marlene Lincoln gave Rivera permission to place his campaign sign outside
Taps Truck & Auto Accessories.

While Rivera said Roden moved his sign, Manion actually physically moved the sign.

On Monday, while the shop was closed, Roden asked an employee to get Manion, Kyle Hogue said. Roden then told Manion his wife had promised her that spot. Roden went on to degrade Rivera prompting Manion to move the sign, Manion said.

After learning Rivera had permission from an owner, he was provided another spot to place his sign.

Roden, who had violated campaign rules by attaching the sign to a city owned fence, later removed her sign from the property.

In the future, Manion said he will no longer allow campaign signs at his business.

 


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Candidates, your signage is basically blight. There’s way too many & just ugly. I’m sure most people would love seeing em all pulled out. Now your petty bickering over your already saturated sign postings makes you look childish… Banning will never happen (unfortunately) so maybe limit it to a few spots around high traffic areas and that’s it. Hold public stumps like the old days… radio, whatever. Let’s just rid ourselves of the overdone sign ugliness.


13

Small town politics, funny!


9

This sounds like children throwing a temper tantrum because the other child took their toy. Their actions and maturity seem to show they shouldn’t be representing anybody.


23

Wow! How many CEO’s can a small business have? Apparently too many, and none of them know what company policy is. Glad none of this fight over advertising space led to fisticuffs….yet.


16