November’s election will determine a new mayor in Arroyo Grande for the first time since 2018.
After eight years in the seat, Mayor Caren Ray Russom chose not to run for reelection, making way for fresh leadership.
Russom’s preferred candidate, commercial property manager and real estate broker Glenn Martin, shares her roots in public service as a city planning commissioner.
“I’ve been a supporter of Caren Ray Russom. … She actually contacted me and said, ‘Glenn, I think you need to consider running for mayor,’” Martin, 74, said. “I gave it an awful lot of thought and checked with some of my dear friends and associates within that local world and decided that this is probably the right time for me to step up.”
Martin has lived in Arroyo Grande since 1990. Self-professed to be quieter in style than Russom, he was the president of the Grover Beach Chamber of Commerce in 2008, an Architectural Review Committee member for a brief term, and is the current chair of the Arroyo Grande Planning Commission.
As a mayoral candidate, Martin wants to finalize and implement the improved general plan that last underwent a comprehensive update in 2001. He called the update the most important land-use decision Arroyo Grande would make in years.
Martin pointed to the land conversion of a residential development on East Cherry Avenue as the most significant instance of a project affected by the current general plan.
“The local ordinance required that with the reduction of ag land within the city limits, the developer needed to find replacement ag land that was going to be protected,” he said. “I think under this new general plan, that requirement will go away.”
He also backs two local measures that will appear on the November ballot—one that authorizes Arroyo Grande to purchase state water without requiring a citizen vote each time it needs to backfill its water supply, and the other establishing a tax on cannabis businesses operating within the city.
“It’s a mechanism that will allow us to start generating some additional tax off the sale of cannabis within city limits,” Martin said. “Arroyo Grande is one of the only two cities within the county that doesn’t currently allow that, and in my mind, we’re modernizing.”
Martin has started making door-to-door stops to speak with constituents. So far, the top issues on their minds are the water reliability of Lopez Lake, which faces litigation, and improvements to the local roundabouts to boost traffic safety and circulation. He encouraged voters to get in touch with him through his website glennmartin4mayor.com.
At home, Martin’s handling a “crazy” atmosphere because his wife, Lucia Mar Unified School District board member Colleen Martin, is in the thick of her own election campaign to retain her seat.
Other local elected officials who have endorsed him include all sitting Arroyo Grande City Council members and San Luis Obispo County 4th District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding.
Martin said that he doesn’t have a party preference and is ready to serve all residents.
“I believe the most important job I have as mayor is running the City Council meetings,” Martin said. “To be able to run an efficient, friendly, open, transparent, balanced, and welcoming council meeting is more important than what my personal opinions may be on an individual issue.”
The planning commissioner contends for the mayoral seat with mortgage advisor Sean Schuur.
Schuur, 57, runs his campaign on “faith, integrity, and service.”
Over the course of the 27 years he’s lived in Arroyo Grande, he set up Sure Mortgage Solutions (a play on his last name), became president of the South County Chambers of Commerce at one point, got involved with local groups like the 5 Cities Men’s Club and 5Cities Homeless Coalition, and won the 2015 Citizen of the Year award.
The time has come to give back, he told New Times.
“When somebody’s been as blessed as I have been with the community, … much is required when much is blessed,” Schuur said.
Since Labor Day weekend, he’s approached around 500 homes to chat with voters about issues as small as a pothole to larger concerns surrounding water availability.
“Years back, Arroyo Grande had voted not to take state water, and that was a decision of the citizens at the time,” he said. “Now, the citizens are getting another chance to decide if they even want to entertain a discussion. … Everybody’s getting nervous because of Lopez Dam and the lawsuit that has ensued. That’s a county issue, but it directly affects Arroyo Grande because 60 percent of our water comes from that.”
Schuur added that he would be voting in favor of the ballot measure concerning state water purchases and plans to attend the town hall meeting about it on Sep. 29.
“The position I take as trying to be the mayor for Arroyo Grande is to work for Arroyo Grande. We need to hear from our citizens,” Schuur said.
Regarding the cannabis tax measure and state water, he said that residents will speak up.
“I will work for whatever position the [majority of] citizens take.”
He said that if he wins, he hopes to help reinvigorate the city for new business. The solution to bring in more revenue isn’t imposing more taxes, Schuur said, but welcoming more businesses. Arroyo Grande already has vacant structures that businesses can occupy, according to Schuur.
“An example is Office Max that went out. That’s a lot of square footage right there in the shopping center that we need to get filled,” her said. “Without the private sector being able to promote their businesses and do business in our town, you only get so much through the taxes on the property.”
Schuur’s other priorities include working with law enforcement and fire services to boost public safety and preserving the small-town and agricultural character of Arroyo Grande.
He declined to provide a list of endorsements and stated he isn’t affiliated with any political party. Voters can contact Schuur through his campaign website schuurformayor.com.
“My slogan is, ‘We’re focused on your future,’” Schuur said. “We have faith in our community, we have faith in our process. … We need to continue to service our citizens, and the next step would be for me to be mayor of Arroyo Grande to continue that process.” ∆
Reach Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal at brajagopal@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Sept 17-24, 2026.
The headline misses the mark!
Sean Schurr is a registered Republican who has lived in Arroyo Grande for a little over 2 years!