Nomination period for 2012 election continues to Aug. 10

ATASCADERO — The deadline to file papers to run for Atascadero City Council or mayor is rapidly approaching.

This year, there are two city council seats up for grabs, and one for mayor.

Atascadero’s City Clerk Marcia McClure Torgerson said that if two incumbents do not run for re-election, she must extend the deadline to file papers five days, from Friday, Aug. 10 to Wednesday, Aug. 15.

That doesn’t look like it will be the case, however. Mayor Bob Kelley has filed papers to run for city council and Councilwoman Roberta Fonzi has pulled, but not yet filed, papers to do the same.

Councilman Jerry Clay has stated that should Fonzi and Kelley run for city council, he will not. Togerson said he has neither pulled nor filed papers to run.

However, Mayor Pro-Tem Tom O’Malley has filed papers to run for mayor. At present, he is the only person who has pulled or filed papers for that position. In the likely chance he wins the election and becomes mayor, that will leave his seat on the city council open. He still has two years left on his four-year term.

Torgerson said that the city council has five seats and all five must, by law, be filled. So should O’Malley’s become vacant, the council can use a variety of methods to appoint somebody to that vacant seat, or a special election can be held so the citizens of Atascadero can fill that seat.

A plan of action must be made within 60 days of O’Malley vacating his seat on the city council.

Ann Ketcherside and Bret Heinemann, who have both run for council seats several times in the past, have both pulled, but not yet filed, papers to run for city council.

For more information on running for city office, contact City Clerk Marcia McClure Torgerson at 470-3400 or mtorgerson@atascadero.org.

For the Atascadero Unified School District, George Galvan, Corinne Kuhnle and Terri Switzer are up for re-election. All three have submitted papers to run again.

For Templeton Unified School District, Jeanne Hunt, Phillip Keohen and Margo Mosher are up for re-election. Only one person, Shirley Sigmund, has pulled papers for those spots.

There are three seats available in the California Valley Community Services District. Those up for re-election are Tammy Forrest, Lisa Marrone and Thomas Ortega. For Creston Hills Ranch Community Services District, Tom Blankenship and Michael Prowse are up for re-election.

For the Templeton Community Services District, Robert Bergman, Judith Dietch and Kevin Hunt are up for re-election.

One seat is available for the Santa Margarita Fire Protection District. Suzann Brandt’s seat is up for grabs.

For the Garden Farms Community Water District, three seats held by John Billings, William Miller and John Pinson are available. Only Pinson has filed papers to run.

To run for any office except for a city seat, contact San Luis Obispo County Clerk Recorder Julie Rodewald at 781-5080. Candidates are encouraged to make an appointment.



For the complete article see the 07-27-2012 issue.

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