Why I am endorsing Rivera and George for Paso Robles City Council

October 8, 2024

OPINION by CHRIS BAUSCH

Paso Robles, where I raised my children and gave my heart, is in great financial distress. It is more important than ever to not only vote, but to carefully consider who you select in the Nov. 5 election.

Ballots are being mailed out this week. Whether you decide to vote right away or later, by mail or in person, please vote this November. Regardless of what you have been told, every vote counts, particularly for the future of Paso Robles.

City council members are tasked with representing their constituents. They are responsible for approving the budget and prioritizing future goals. Our City Council’s primary goals for 2024 through 2026 are infrastructure, public safety services, homelessness response, community development, economic development, transportation, cultural, recreational, open spaces, and providing an engaged and responsive government. Lofty goals to be certain, but also quite expensive.

With a $42 million deficit in the draft budget, difficult decisions needed to be made. Through clever maneuvering by the talented Administrative Services Director Mr. Ryan Cornell, the city deferred nearly $30 million of needed services and projects. Another $13 million was pulled from budget reserves to attain a “balanced budget.” These budget issues began in 2022. The current $30 million shortfall cannot be deferred for long.

Measure I-24, the ½ cent sales tax measure already on the ballot, doesn’t have a sunset clause. And since the City Council did not dedicate I-24 to road repair, this money will flow into the city’s general fund. There isn’t anything to prevent this revenue and also potential bond revenue from being diverted from road repair to fixing the budget. Regardless of whether it fixes roads or the budget, approximately half of all future I-24 sales tax will have to be used to pay back the bond and won’t be available for future road repair. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Some would say the City of Paso Robles has a spending problem. Too many locals have shared how unhappy they are with our roads, the deferred maintenance of our buildings, the inability to hire enough police officers, the homeless camps and fires in the riverbed, the disproportionate influence of special interests, the over spending, the chronic use of consultants, and the recent battle over paid parking.  If the current City Council was capable of changing their entrenched behavior, they have had plenty of time to do so. If not now, when?

After being on the City Council for two years, I don’t see the current council as having the ability to differentiate spending on substance over style. For this reason, the time for change is well past due. If we want an engaged and responsive local government to focus on representing local citizens, we have to vote for change this November.

If you want a City Council that truly prioritizes local citizens, drivable roads, fiscal responsibility, public safety, small business, jobs, homes, our buildings and parks and will protect Prop 13 by thoughtfully, prudently, planning our future infrastructure needs and doing so within budget – please vote for Michael Rivera for District 3 and Linda George for District 1. Regardless of what you have been told, every vote, especially your vote, counts. Be sure to vote this November.

Paso Robles Councilman Chris Bausch represents District 2.