Five candidates are running for City Office, and nine are running for the Atascadero Unified School District

ATASCADERO — All official Atascadero candidates are now in for the upcoming Nov. 8 elections. The ability to file as a candidate closed on Friday, Aug. 12, with a total of five candidates running for City Office and nine candidates running for the Atascadero Unified School District (AUSD).

Of the four seats open for election at Atascadero city offices this year, only the two available seats for City Council are challenged. Those two seats, currently held by Mayor Pro Team Heather Newsom and Susan Funk, have three candidates running to fill them.

Funk filed her nomination paperwork for re-election on Aug. 9 and qualified for the ballot on Aug. 11.

Newsom is also running for re-election and turned in her nomination paperwork on Aug. 10, qualifying for the ballot on Aug. 11.

Bret Heinemann also filed his nomination for one of the two open City Council seats. The local businessman and writer filed his nomination paperwork on Aug. 12 and qualified for the ballot on the same day. 

Mayor Heather Moreno is running unchallenged for re-election as Mayor of Atascadero.

Current Treasurer Gere Sibbach is also running for re-election and is the only candidate running for that office. Sibbach filed his nomination paperwork on July 22 and qualified for the ballot on Aug. 1.

Positions on the Nov. 8 ballot are as follows:

 • One (1) Mayor for a full term of two (2) years.

 • Two (2) Members of the City Council for full terms of four (4) years.

  • One (1) Treasurer for a full term of four (4) years.

While other school districts in the county have switched to by-trustee voting for the Nov. 8 election, AUSD will continue with “at-large” voting in 2022, which means that everyone of voting age in the city where the school district is held can vote.

The Atascadero Unified School District (AUSD) also has four four-year-term seats to fill. The seats up for re-election are currently held by George Shoemaker, Tami Gunther, Ray Buban, and Donn Clickard.

Candidates officially running for the open AUSD seats are as follows:

Gunther is running for re-election and qualified for the election.

Rebekah Koznek, who is a parent involved in the AUSD, has qualified for the election.

Tracy Ellis-Weit, a retired teacher from the district, has qualified for the election.

Vy Pierce, a parent from the district, has qualified for the election.

Shoemaker has qualified and will be up for re-election as well.

Dan L. Hathaway, a retired security officer, has qualified for the election.

Denise McGrew Kane, a parent and local business owner, has qualified for election.

Chris Collins, a retired educator, has qualified for election.

Scott Staton, a rehabilitation therapist, has also qualified for election.

At the Aug. 16 AUSD meeting, the Board Of Trustees voted to fill the two-year board member vacancy (left by Mary Kay Mills when she resigned earlier this month) by provisional appointment. Applications must be turned in by Monday, Sept. 19, no later than 4 p.m. Interviews will then be conducted at a special board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 5:30 p.m.

For general voting information, please go to: slocounty.ca.gov/Departments/Clerk-Recorder/All-Services/Elections-and-Voting/Elections-Conducted-by-County-of-San-Luis-Obispo/November-8,-2022,-General-Election.aspx