Hamon, Martin enter race for 1st District Supervisor 

Two members of the Paso Robles City Council are throwing their boots into race arena for the 1st District seat on the SLO County Board of Supervisors.

Paso Robles City Councilmember John Hamon and Mayor Steve Martin both recently announced they want the seat that will be vacated by current Supervisor Frank Mecham. Mecham announced in March that he will not seek re-election and will retire at the completion of his second term. Before his 2008 election to the board, Mecham served as a City Council member and as mayor of Paso Robles.

Martin sat on the Paso Robles City Council from 1987 to 1996, serving as mayor from 1988 to 1990. Martin was again elected to the council in 2012, and became mayor in 2014 after running unopposed. Martin has a background in advertising, and currently owns an advertising and marketing firm, S.W. Martin and Associates.

“In the North County we are faced with many important regional issues including water, economic development, and job creation,” Martin said in a May 4 press release. “I am running for the Board of Supervisors to bring my skills and track record of bipartisan problem solving and coalition building to address these issues.”

Hamon, who was the frontrunner in a five-person race for two City Council seats in 2014, owns Hamon Overhead Door in Paso Robles. Hamon didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The current state of the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin, a sprawling aquifer that’s seeing water levels decline and irrigated vineyard acreage grow, and the questions of what to do about the situation has been a center of focus for Mecham and his peers on the board. It will likely play a significant role in the 2016 election.

The 1st District includes Paso Robles, San Miguel, part of Templeton, Shandon, and the rural areas in northeastern San Luis Obispo County. It’s the only district that doesn’t include a part of San Luis Obispo.

-- Melody DeMeritt - former city council member, Morro Bay