It heartens me that former SLO County 4th District Supervisor Caren Ray is throwing her hat back in the political ring. During the time we were privileged to have her in county government and I was serving as land use committee chair of the South County Advisory Council, I got to know her well and learned to respect and admire her. She was that anomaly, a true public servant: intelligent, accessible, responsive, evenhanded, and an articulate spokesperson for the people she represented, those without a voice or “friends in high places.”
She worked with her fellow supervisors to get things done and is sorely missed to this day.
I do not live in the city of Arroyo Grande so I cannot vote for her myself, but I urge those of you who can vote in this election to not, through apathy or inattention, miss the opportunity to put this good public servant back in a position to serve you.
Get out and vote for Ray for Arroyo Grande City Council!
This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 4, 2016.