No matter what, this year, Grover Beach residents will elect a female mayor for the first time since 2014.
Stacy Korsgaden—a two-time candidate for San Luis Obispo County supervisor and insurance company owner—and long-running Grover Beach City Councilmember Karen Bright are fighting for the top city spot this November, as current Mayor Jeff Lee terms out of office.
Both Korsgaden and Bright told New Times that addressing homelessness is one of their primary concerns.
Korsgaden turned to her insurance background when devising plans to reduce homelessness, and she sees insurance companies’ ability to respond to disasters as a potential way forward. As an example, she cited their response to the 2018 Camp Fire that ravaged the town of Paradise and became the most expensive natural disaster in the world that year in terms of insured losses.
“The insurance companies came in and offered immediate shelter. I would like to incorporate the insurance idea. Call an emergency in Grover Beach, have a triage center where we can incorporate our wonderful nonprofits. Maybe, incorporate the Salvation Army. Right behind it, have a city ordinance that says you can no longer sleep in public places because we have a place for you to sleep,” she said. “If we’ve followed the law, which is Boise v. Idaho, and we’ve provided a place for them, then they can no longer sleep in our public parks. I want our parks where our kids can play without the fear of being poisoned by a needle.”
A 2021 Grover Beach community survey (mailed out at random by staff to a handful of residents) showed that 35 percent of respondents believed homelessness was the most important issue that needed tackling. Along with that, one of the city goals is to boost public safety, and Korsgaden is all for it, especially because it goes hand in hand with solving homelessness.
“I am unwavering in my support for police and fire,” she said. “Our poor police force does not have the teeth to say, ‘You can’t sleep where you want on El Camino Real.'”
Bright, too, wants to make a dent in reducing the city’s homelessness rate. She said that she wants more attention to be on transient people who aren’t as visible.
“The homeless population isn’t just those folks that you see walking down the street,” Bright said. “There are many who are living in their cars with their children, doing their homework from a dashboard light. It almost makes me cry talking about it.”
Bright’s presence has peppered City Council over the last decade. Appointed to the Planning Commission in 2007, she was elected to City Council in 2008 and again in 2012 before she termed out.
Bright told New Times that former mayors and council members become reeligible for office after 18 months. So, she made a comeback in 2019 when she was appointed to fill a sudden council member vacancy. Bright ran for election in 2020 and currently represents District 4 in Grover Beach.
She highlighted some of Grover Beach’s ongoing plans to alleviate homelessness, including affordable housing projects.
“The incongruent housing will be available in the very near future on county land in Grover Beach. Then, we also purchased a piece of property at the south end of the city and have initiated a lease back to 5 Cities Homeless Coalition,” she said. “That is the first step, and it’s to help those who really want to get out of their current situation and to get them healthy. The other is to do public-private partnerships for low-income housing.”
While the two mayoral candidates agree that homelessness and affordable housing are top issues, they also believe that they are at opposite ends of the political and social spectrums.
Bright criticized Korsgaden’s Jan. 6, 2021, trip to Washington, D.C., where she attended the “Save America” rally prior to a pro-Trump mob’s invasion of the U.S. Capitol.
“I believe that Biden was legitimately elected and that he’s our president. She had described to us that the insurrection was a peaceful and beautiful thing,” Bright said.
Korsgaden, self-styled as a truth finder, called her D.C. rally participation the “elephant in the room.”
“Do I believe that Biden is our president? Yes,” she told New Times. “What I questioned were the change of election laws that occurred because of the COVID pandemic in key states that were not passed by their legislature, and that is stated in our Constitution. The Constitution is our contract. If you look at Article 1, Section 4, all voting law should be determined by the state legislature, and that didn’t happen in some of our states. I think the problem was that I probably didn’t articulate that very well in the past.”
At the local level, she acknowledged that Jimmy Paulding won the 4th District county supervisor seat after the recount request from some in the local Republican Party.
Bright also questioned her opponent’s lack of government experience and noted Korsgaden’s absence at many council meetings. Korsgaden admitted she spends more time reading the staff reports than attending the meetings in person, though she said she attends all the county supervisor meetings via Zoom.
“I think the real question is, is the person that’s running in tune to the community? Without a doubt, the answer for me, is yes,” Korsgaden said. “There are a lot of people who attend those meetings who may not be qualified to run for mayor. But I’m fully informed and willing to learn a heck of a lot more to be prepared to run for mayor.”
Korsgaden and Bright are now gearing up for weeks of campaigning. Korsgaden favors door-to-door meetings, “shaking hands and kissing babies.” Bright, however, thinks that’s the least effective strategy for herself.
“Many people aren’t home during the day. I don’t want to be interrupting people when they’re having their dinner or family time,” she said. “For me, it’s my name recognition. I’ve been around a long time and part of a lot of different organizations. Just getting my name out there, whether it’s through meet-and-greets and word of mouth. We’re not gonna have a ton of money, … but I’m gonna plod along like I normally do. It’ll be up to the voters. We have two totally different styles.” Δ
Reach Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal at brajagopal@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Sep 1-11, 2022.
Let’s point out that Korsgaden was at the “Stop the Steal” rally as well as on the US Capitol primeses during the insurrection attempt on January 6th. That sort of character should prove that she is unqualified to run for Mayor.
Using Stacey’s analogy to the homeless problem would be to get the insurance companies to provide shelter for the homeless because an ‘emergency was called’.
Then a coalition of sorts would be formed incorporating the non-profits and maybe even the Salvation Army would be activated. And the motivation for the insurance companies is?
There already is a coalition in Grover Beach. The 5 Cities Homeless Coalition is currently building housing for the homeless. The GB council and Mayor Pro Tem Karen Bright have also allowed for the city to purchase property in a continuing effort to support the homeless.
And Stacey incorrectly names a legal precedent (it’s Martin vs. Boise) that prevents the homeless from sleeping in public if enough housing is provided.
It sounds like Stacey’s solution is to give the ‘toothless GBPD’ the power to arrest the homeless. In reality where do the homeless go once her new ‘ordinance’ is implemented.
This is a perfect example of someone who has no governmental experience what so ever and believes the mayoral position is “an on the job training program”.
Karen Bright has over 10 years of city government experience serving on the Grover Beach City Council as well as numerous county boards and community organizations.
Karen Bright will be ready to go as Mayor of Grover Beach on day one.
Before you let Stacy Korsgaden shake your hand or kiss your baby be sure and ask her if she’s vaccinated.
Before you let Stacy Korsgaden shake your hand or kiss your baby ask her if she is vaccinated.
Most people who attended the January 6 insurrection are not vaccinated against Covid.
I think Karen may have too Much history with Grover. She seems to be saying stick with the status quo – I think Giving someone like Stacy Korsgaden a chance might be just what is needed. She has some fresh ideas and different approach than that of a career candidate- just the next one in line, whether or not they actually fit.