I am writing to urge residents of Los Osos to vote no on Measure B-26 on June 2! No to more taxes, not for this limited purpose!
I support Julie Tacker’s opinion piece (“Los Osos residents should fund fire protection, not parks,” April 16) stating that tax funds should instead be used to 1) strengthen fire protection of Los Osos homes and the multiple parklands that surround our small city and 2) improve Los Osos’ quality and supply of water.
I count six internal parklands within our community that total 618 acres (Elfin Forest, 90 acres; Monarch Grove, 18 acres; Sweet Springs, 32 acres; Oaks Preserve, 85 acres; Los Osos Community Park, 4 acres; and the new Cuesta Inlet, 13 acres). The Morro Preserve includes another 286 acres. In addition, Montaña de Oro State Park is just 4 miles from the center of town and encompasses more than 8,000 acres.
I find Deborah Howe’s opinion letter (“Pitting fire protection against parks is a false choice for Los Osos,” April 23) to be inflammatory and uninformed—to only count the smallest park of 4 acres and to omit 8,614 acres of parklands where all are free to walk, hike, and enjoy the outdoors. Spending limited tax funds to purchase an outdated school and remediate the grounds and buildings for CSD offices and recreational ball fields will not serve the full community wisely. It would prevent development, which the surrounding landowners reject. I suggest private landowners who are interested should purchase the school with their own funds and create the recreational ball fields they believe are needed. Tax funds should be reserved for our most important threats—fire and lack of water.
Barbara Bonifas
Los Osos
This article appears in Best of SLO County 2026.