Four candidates seek two Atascadero City Council seats
By Hayley Mattson · Thu Oct 15 2026
ATASCADERO — Housing affordability, road improvements and the city’s economic future are among the issues facing Atascadero voters as they prepare to choose two City Council members in the Nov. 3 general election. Incumbent Susan Funk is seeking a third term against Mike Avila, Emily Baranek and Ian Denchasy. Voters may select up to two candidates for the four-year seats currently held by Funk and Heather Newsom, who is not seeking reelection. Mayor Charles Bourbeau is running unopposed for another two-year term. The candidates bring experience in business, housing construction and public service, along with different ideas about how to maintain Atascadero’s character while meeting residents’ needs.
Mike Avila
Avila and his wife, Kellie, have lived in Atascadero for more than 20 years, raising their two children and buildingbusinesses in the community.
According to his campaign website, their first business was a construction contracting firm specializing in federal public works and telecommunications projects. They later established a company producing roadway safety signs, structures andequipment, growing it to more than 100 employees.
Avila represents District 5 on the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission. His campaign points to that experience, along with his work managing businesses and creating jobs, as preparation for serving on the council.
“He believes local government should focus on the basics: keeping neighborhoods safe, maintaining roads and infrastructure, supporting a strong local economy, and protecting the character and quality of life that residents value,” his campaign website states.
His priorities include public safety, wildfire preparedness, road maintenance, parks and economic development. He also supports streamlining permits and attracting businesses that provide well-paying jobs.
Emily Baranek
For Baranek, a fourth-generation Atascadero resident and Atascadero High School graduate, the decision to run is rooted in her family’s history of community service.
Her husband, Chris, also grew up in Atascadero, and the couple are raising their daughter, Camber, here. On her campaign website, Baranek credits her grandparents with teaching her the importance of volunteering through local schools, civic organizations and community institutions.
“They taught me that when you care about your community, you show up and care for it in return,” Baranek writes.
Baranek has more than 20 years of experience in homebuilding and community development. She works as a senior construction manager for People’s Self-Help Housing and has served approximately six years on the city’s Design Review Committee.
Her campaign emphasizes housing affordability, support for local businesses and investment in infrastructure, alongside protection of oak trees, open spaces, established neighborhoods and historic places.
“My family’s roots in this region stretch back many generations,” she writes. “They remind me that we’re each just one chapter in a much longer story, with a responsibility to leave this place better for those who follow.”
Ian Denchasy
Denchasy, owner of A-Town Humble Pies, is campaigning on affordability, business opportunities and a stronger identity for Atascadero.
He describes himself as an independent and an outsider candidate, with a platform that includes local housing, affordable utilities, downtown investment and improvements to tourism infrastructure.
“I am running for City Council to bring a solid identity back to Atascadero, ensuring that every resident’s voice is heard and every business thrives in our beautiful community,” Denchasy writes on his campaign website.
He supports streamlining business regulations and making it easier to add housing. He also wants more well-paying jobs and opportunities for younger residents to remain in the city.
“As a dedicated resident of Atascadero, I believe our city’s future is built on the foundation of service and community,” he writes.
Susan Funk
Funk, first elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022, is seeking to continue the city’s work on downtown revitalization, public safety and infrastructure.
A former hospital administrator and healthcare management consultant, she holds an MBA from Stanford University. Her campaign emphasizes preserving Atascadero’s small-town character while creating opportunities for businesses, young people, families and seniors.
Her campaign website describes her approach to council service as focused on results: “For Susan, it’s not about putting on a show or who gets the credit, it’s about getting the job done.”
The website identifies three guiding priorities: “Keep Atascadero Moving Forward,” “Stand Up for Shared Values” and “Work Hard for Atascadero.”
Funk has identified housing options for young people, working families and downsizing seniors as a priority. She also supports investment in roads, parks and essential infrastructure, along with efforts to attract jobs and expand the commercial tax base that supports city services.
Bourbeau unopposed for mayor
Bourbeau is seeking his second term as mayor after winning election to the office in 2024. He served on the Planning Commission before joining the council in 2016.
His professional background includes nearly three decades as an Army National Guard officer and work as San Luis Obispo’s finance director. He has emphasized continued economic development, additional housing options, infrastructure improvements and fiscal responsibility.
Bourbeau has said he expects a second mayoral term, ending in 2028, to be his last.
School board incumbents face no opposition
Atascadero Unified School District’s four available board seats drew no challengers this year.
Incumbents Vy Pierce, Denise McGrew-Kane, Rebekah Koznek and Tracy Ellis-Weit filed without opposition. The county lists those seats for appointment in lieu of election, so they will not appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. All four trustees were elected in 2022.
Pierce’s background includes nonprofit work, school volunteering, PTA leadership and service with the Atascadero High School Band Boosters. McGrew-Kane, the board president, is a business owner whose initial campaign emphasized budgeting, transparency and parental involvement. Koznek, the board clerk, has advocated for families of students with disabilities. Ellis-Weit is a retired AUSD teacher with more than 30 years of classroom experience.
Recent board discussions have focused on district finances, attendance and special education. During a September budget discussion, Pierce asked how the district could recover attendance-related funding when students miss class. Koznek and Ellis-Weit asked about opportunities for trustees to support special education staff and participate in professional development.
The district is also preparing to change how trustees are elected. In August, McGrew-Kane announced that the board unanimously approved a settlement to transition from at-large elections to trustee-area elections beginning in 2028.
Under that system, voters within each designated area would elect a trustee who lives in that area. The settlement requires the district to pay $120,000 in plaintiff attorney fees and costs.
Newsom announces 2028 Senate bid
Newsom, meanwhile, has announced her candidacy for California State Senate District 17 in 2028.
The two-term councilmember said her campaign would focus on fiscal responsibility, economic opportunity and the pressures facing local employers and working families.
“Our communities are facing complex challenges, from the rising cost of living to the burdens placed on our local employers and working families,” Newsom said in her announcement. “State governance requires practical, ground levelsolutions.”
Newsom brings more than 22 years of accounting and tax experience, according to the announcement. Her public service includes time as mayor pro tem and work on regional boards addressing transportation, finance and local government coordination.
“Strong communities are built by working together,” she said. “Whether it is a family trying to make ends meet, a small business trying to keep its doors open, or a farmer working through complex regulatory hurdles, the people of this district deserve a state senator who listens, understands the economy, and works collaboratively to solve problems.”
Her State Senate bid is for the 2028 election, separate from this November’s local races.