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San Simeon Community Services District in dire straits

July 22, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

Amid a financial crisis, the San Simeon Community Services District general manager and one of four remaining board members quit effective immediately during the past two days.

Former Interim General Manager Geoff English submitted a letter of resignation on July 21. In his letter, he apologized for his sudden departure related to issues with his status as a government retiree.

“Given my status of a public retiree, I am unable to serve in the role of Interim General Manager or enter into any contractual arrangement for services,” according to English’s letter of resignation. “I sincerely apologize for the circumstance and will do my best to assist the Board of Directors on your next management transition.”

The next day, on July 22, San Simeon CSD Director Jacqueline Diamond sent an email announcing her resignation.

“I hereby resign my position on the Board of the San Simeon Community Services District, effective immediately, due to ongoing health issues and recent changes to district dynamics,” Diamond wrote in here email. “Thank you for the opportunity to serve.”

Currently spending $25,000 a month from its reserves, the district is in the danger zone. Since 2018, hotel tax revenues are down 47% and the district’s water sales have declined 35%.

The district has considered raising sewer and water rates by 30 to 50%, however, district directors worry a rate increase will harm the disadvantaged community and struggling businesses.

A string of mudslides led to multiple year closures of Highway 1, preventing people from driving from San Luis Obispo County to Monterey on the scenic highway, leading to fewer hotel guests.

During a meeting CalTrans held on July 19, public officials and members of the business community discussed the financial issues caused by the lengthy road closure. One hotelier said his hotel was $250,000 in the red last year.

Multiple hotel owners blamed President Donald Trump for the lack of foreign tourists in 2025.

Plagued by years of mismanagement, the San Simeon Community Services District Board of Directors voted unanimously in March 2024 to dissolve the district and have the county take over all services.

The district then prepared and sent a formal application for dissolution to the San Luis Obispo Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO).

Following a 30-day review, LAFCO reported it could not finish processing the application because it was inadequate. The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors then voted to proceed with a study to dissolve the district and either make it a county service area or have it merge with Cambria.

One current proposal is to have Cambria take over wastewater treatment while having the county manage water, lighting and road maintenance.

However, the proposed dissolution could take several years, while the district risks financial insolvency because of a lack of leadership, staff and revenue.

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So Cambria as advised by Bruce Gibson will be seeking assistance from the very body of government that Bruce Gibson helped to bankrupt causing layoffs of people who worked for the county?… Good Luck!!!


0

County officials will do everything they can to avoid taking over for the failing San Simeon CSD. They love CSD’s because it shifts more of their workload to anothers, they get to do less work with no change in compensation, and they have a layer of deniability and can blame issues on the CSD.


4

This situation is really sad. Geoff English was on a good path. Very few GM’s have the skills he has. He will be missed. Vice Chair Diamond is a huge assest to the community, compassionate and wicked smart. Her contribution will be missed.


It’s time for the County to step in.


The burden of mismanagement and tiny voting districts (preventing candidates from stepping up to govern) have been costly blows to this disadvantaged community. Compouned by the impacts to the community from the HWY 1 closures that could not be predicted. There’s no easy fix!


8

Someone needs to step in and put the Cambria CSD on a good path. Wish Geoff could become General Manager for the CCSD.


8

Yeah, who would want to step into to run for the CSD board given all the extra scrutiny and criticism from those outside the district. Wink wink.

It sad, that the locals don’t want to step up. But even so the pool of entrants is so small they would be hard pressed to find someone competent, right?

I think most want to avoid the legal bills that come with the torches and pitchforks that inevitably come out. Thankless jobs are harder to fill these days.


3

Where the hell has Gibson been?! It’s his district! He’s so busy sticking his face in the business of the other county districts—Paso and the groundwater grab and facilitating the “dust” fraud by the APCD at Oceano Dunes, to name just a couple—that he has neglected his own backyard.


24

He has more important things to do, like meet with Hearst, travel to Sacramento and Washington, DC and prepare to run for Assembly.


7

The whole coast and at least 1 mile inland post Cambria and up to Big Sur should be a protected space under state control imo. Last thing that area needs is to be developed as a playground for the rich (which is already happening to SLO county) :/


-4