Templeton Community Services District board of directors, with two seats up for election in the Nov. 3 general election.
According to the San Luis Obispo County Elections Division’s unofficial candidate list, incumbent Eric Mortensen and newcomer William Nowinski have filed nomination papers to run for the two available seats.
The seats are currently held by Mortensen and Wayne Petersen, whose term expires in December. New Times reached out to Petersen to ask whether he plans to seek reelection, but he did not respond before publication.
The filing period remains open through Aug. 7. If an eligible incumbent does not file by the deadline, the nomination period for that seat will be extended through Aug. 12 for non-incumbent candidates.
The Templeton Community Services District is governed by a five-member elected board that oversees water, wastewater, fire and emergency services, parks and recreation, solid waste, drainage, and street lighting for roughly 8,000 residents.
Mortensen, who moved to Templeton in 2019 after living in San Luis Obispo, was appointed to the board after serving on district committees, including the administration and finance committee. This marks the first time he’ll appear on the ballot.
“I figured I would want to remain on the board and continue the work I’m doing up in Templeton,” Mortensen told New Times.
He currently serves as a backup representative to the North Coast Advisory Council, participates in the district’s fire committee, and serves on its water and wastewater advisory committee.
Mortensen said one of Templeton’s greatest strengths is its close-knit atmosphere.
“We go to the parks a lot; we go to the concerts in the park, the farmers market on Saturdays,” he said. “The walkability of being in downtown Templeton is absolutely amazing.”
Nowinski, a retired Caltrans transportation engineer who has lived in Templeton for about eight years, said his decision to run grew out of years of attending district meetings and serving on citizen committees, including the Measure A oversight committee and the district’s former sports and recreation committee.
“I’d like to be more involved,” Nowinski said. “It’s something that I can do now that I’m retired.”
He said he also hopes contested elections encourage greater public participation.
“I thought I’ll put my name in just to give people a chance to know there’s other people out there,” he said. “If there’s three names and you vote for two, at least people have a choice.”
Nowinski said preserving Templeton’s small-town character is one of the reasons he wants to serve.
“It looks really beautiful when you drive down Main Street,” he said. “I have no problem with additional businesses moving in, but I want them to maintain that same feel when you drive through Templeton.”
