Morro Bay considers skipping November election

Morro Bay is weighing whether to cancel its Nov. 3 municipal election entirely after just three candidates filed for three open seats — a move that would save the coastal city roughly $30,000 but that some residents argue would strip voters of a fundamental right.

The New Times SLO (Atascadero) first reported that an Aug. 19 staff report from Morro Bay city staff recommended the City Council cancel the election and instead appoint the three candidates running unopposed: Mayor Carla Wixom, who is seeking a two-year term, and council candidates Mike Gerson and Zara Landrum, who are vying for two four-year seats.

The city budgeted $30,000 for the election, and staff estimate that canceling it would cut Morro Bay's direct costs to approximately $250 — a near-total savings driven by the absence of any other city ballot measures this cycle.

How the process got here

The Morro Bay City Council called the election in June for one two-year mayoral term and two four-year council seats, according to the New Times report. Candidate nominations opened July 13 and closed Aug. 7 for the mayor's race. The filing period for the council seats was extended through Aug. 12 after an incumbent chose not to seek reelection to one of the open seats.

When nominations closed, Wixom was the sole candidate for mayor, and Gerson and Landrum were the only candidates for the two available council seats.

Under California election law, when the number of qualified candidates does not exceed the number of offices up for election, a city council may appoint those candidates to office rather than place their names before voters. The council also retains the option to hold the election anyway.

Wixom told New Times before the Aug. 19 meeting that the unusual situation presents an opportunity to avoid spending an estimated $25,000 to $30,000 on races without challengers.

"Since the candidates are running uncontested, there is an opportunity for the council to withdraw from the ballot, as we have no other city ballot measures," Wixom said.

This isn't the first time Morro Bay has faced this scenario. Wixom noted that two years ago, three candidates also ran uncontested — but because a city ballot measure still had to go before voters that year, the appointment option wasn't available.

Residents push back: 'Our right of choice'

Not everyone in Morro Bay is on board with skipping the ballot box. Several residents urged the council to proceed with the election anyway, arguing that casting a vote serves a purpose beyond choosing between competing candidates.

Morro Bay resident Ruth Ann Angus wrote to the council on Aug. 18, saying that while some government positions lend themselves to appointment, elected offices are different.

"In government, certain positions do lend themselves to appointment; however, positions such as mayor and council are meant to be accomplished by a vote of the people," Angus wrote. "Without your names on the ballot you deprive me and the voting citizens of Morro Bay our right of choice regardless if that choice is only for one person running for a position."

Another resident, Betty Winholtz, argued in her own letter that keeping the races on the ballot would allow voters to signal their support — or lack of it — for candidates who are otherwise guaranteed to take office. She described the uncontested vote as a form of a "vote of confidence," and noted that canceling the election would eliminate the possibility of a write-in challenger emerging if circumstances change before November.

Others raised concerns about losing candidate statements in the county voter information guide — particularly given that one new council member is poised to take office.

"I happen to know Mike Gerson since he is a brother in Rotary," Angus wrote. "However, my neighbors do not know him, and I assume many people in this community are not acquainted with him. We would like to hear from him."

Wixom said candidate statements would remain available online regardless of whether the election moves forward.

Who are the candidates?

Gerson is the only non-incumbent among the three. A Morro Bay resident of more than 20 years and a local business owner, he serves on the Morro Bay Maritime Museum board and the Lighted Boat Parade committee. In his candidate statement, he highlighted fiscal responsibility, public safety, and preserving Morro Bay's character as his priorities, according to the New Times report.

Wixom, the incumbent mayor, is seeking a two-year term. Landrum is running for one of the two four-year council seats.

Why it matters for Atascadero and the 805

For readers in Atascadero and across the North County, Morro Bay's dilemma is more than a coastal curiosity — it's a live example of a budget-and-democracy tradeoff that small California cities increasingly confront. Running a standalone municipal election is expensive, and when races draw no challengers, councils must decide whether tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars are best spent confirming a foregone conclusion.

The appointment route is fully legal under state law and used periodically across California when candidate fields are thin. But the resident objections in Morro Bay illustrate the counterargument: elections function not only to select leaders but to inform voters, introduce new officeholders to the public, and provide a formal check — even a symbolic one — on those seeking power.

Morro Bay residents and observers can follow the outcome through the city's official meeting agenda and staff report, the primary documents underlying the recommendation. The decision rests with the City Council, which could confirm the appointments, proceed with the Nov. 3 election, or take other action consistent with state election law.

Whatever the council decides must be resolved in time for San Luis Obispo County election officials to prepare — or stand down from — the November ballot, meaning the clock is running on a choice that will define how roughly $30,000 in public funds and three seats of municipal leadership are settled this fall.