Know your ballot: What Paso Robles voters will decide Nov. 3

Paso Robles voters face one of the fullest ballots in recent memory this fall: a new mayor, two City Council seats, three school board races, a $205 million school facilities bond, contests for Congress and the state Legislature, seven statewide offices, and 14 statewide propositions — all decided Nov. 3.

Ballots began mailing to San Luis Obispo County voters Sept. 30, and the county's 18 official ballot drop boxes opened Oct. 1, according to the Paso Robles Daily News. That means voting is effectively already underway, and residents who want to study the measures — particularly the school bond — have a window of a few weeks to do so before returning their ballots.

An open mayor's seat for the first time in years

Mayor John Hamon is not seeking reelection, guaranteeing Paso Robles a new chief executive. Three candidates are running for the at-large seat: Bill Britton, listed as a technology small businessman; Dr. Faith Frankel, a medical doctor; and Chris Rogalla. Candidate statements of qualifications are posted on the city's elections page.

The mayor's race tops a ballot that also reshapes the City Council. Voters in Districts 1 and 2 will elect council members this cycle — and because Paso Robles elects its council by district, residents in the city's other districts will see no council race at all. It's a structure worth remembering: which local contests appear on your ballot depends on where you live within the city.

In District 1, incumbent Kris Beal, a nonprofit consultant, faces challenger Linda C. George, a lobbyist/community advocate. The District 2 race is a three-way contest: incumbent Chris Bausch, listed as a city councilmember/businessperson, is challenged by small business owner Michael Massey and financial systems administrator Robert Simoni. The Paso Robles & Templeton Chamber of Commerce hosted candidate forums for both races, and video of the council forum is available online for voters who missed the events in person.

Three school board seats and a $205 million question

The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District has three trustee seats on the ballot — Trustee Areas 1, 2, and 4 — each carrying a four-year term.

• Trustee Area 1: retired educator Thomas Apkarian challenges incumbent Jim Cogan.
• Trustee Area 2: Randy Kwiatkowski, who serves on the San Miguel Joint Union School District board, faces business owner/CEO Brian Maxted.
• Trustee Area 4: Jennifer Hamm, a parent and compliance director, faces John Rowins.

A small portion of Paso Robles falls within the Templeton Unified School District; those voters instead will see a Templeton board race with three candidates — incumbents Jennifer Grinager and Janel Armet, and teacher Forrest Pearson — running for two at-large seats.

The biggest local money question is Measure G-26, a $205 million school facilities bond placed before voters within the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District. According to the ballot question, proceeds would renovate and expand classrooms and career technical training facilities and repair leaky roofs and inefficient heating and air-conditioning systems — maintenance items that have long dogged aging campuses across the district.

The measure's stated terms include average levies below $50 per $100,000 of assessed value, raising roughly $12.2 million annually while the bonds are outstanding, with audits and taxpayer oversight required. The measure states that no funds would go to administrator salaries, pensions, or benefits. As a school bond, it needs 55% of the vote to pass — a higher bar than a simple majority.

Timing matters here: in September, the school board approved a districtwide facilities master plan that depends on voters approving the bond, meaning a failed measure would likely force the district to revisit how it addresses its facilities backlog. The full bond text, impartial analysis, tax rate statement, and arguments for and against are printed in the county voter information guide, which voters are encouraged to read before deciding.

Congress, the Legislature, and statewide offices

Paso Robles residents also weigh in on federal and state contests. In the U.S. House's 19th District, Democratic incumbent Jimmy Panetta faces Republican business owner Peter Coe Verbica. In the state Assembly's 30th District, incumbent Democrat Dawn J. Addis, listed as an Assemblymember/teacher, faces Republican Shannon Kessler, a children's advocate and businesswoman.

The statewide slate is extensive. For governor, Democrat Xavier Becerra, a voting rights attorney, faces Republican small business owner Steve Hilton. Other contested statewide offices include lieutenant governor (Democrat Fiona Ma vs. Republican Gloria Romero), secretary of state (Democrat Shirley N. Weber vs. Republican Donald P. Wagner), controller (Democrat Malia M. Cohen vs. Republican Herb P. Morgan), treasurer (Democrat Eleni Kounalakis vs. Republican Jennifer Hawks), attorney general (Democrat incumbent Rob Bonta vs. Republican Michael E. Gates), and insurance commissioner — an open-seat race between two Democrats, state senator Ben Allen and attorney Jane Kim.

The nonpartisan superintendent of public instruction race pits Richard Barrera against Sonja Shaw, a contest with direct relevance to how California schools — including those in Paso Robles — are governed. Voters will also decide 14 statewide propositions.

What comes next

With ballots already in mailboxes, the practical deadline is Election Day, Nov. 3. Voters can return ballots by mail, deposit them at any of the county's 18 drop boxes, or vote in person. Candidate lists were drawn from the San Luis Obispo County Elections Office, the City of Paso Robles, and the California Secretary of State; residents can verify their exact districts — and therefore which local races appear on their ballot — through the county elections office.

Between a mayoral transition, potential shifts on both the City Council and school board, and a nine-figure facilities decision, this election will shape Paso Robles' civic direction well beyond November.