Tribute is open in City Hall reception area Sept. 8-26

ATASCADERO — Atascadero City Councilmembers, work family, staff, and friends continue to mourn the loss of Paso Robles Mayor Steve Martin alongside their sister City of Paso Robles and others throughout San Luis Obispo County.

The City of Atascadero invites the community to a Celebration of Life Tribute to Paso Robles Mayor Steve Martin at the City Hall reception area from Sept. 8-26. This tribute is a way for the Atascadero community and its residents to bring a card or come in and leave a note for Martin’s family.

Martin was born and raised in Atascadero and is remembered with great fondness. It is well known that both former Atascadero Mayor Tom O’Malley and Martin had themed themselves as the Dos Alcaldes as they both served as mayors for two different cities at the same time, both with their roots here in Atascadero.

“For Steve, the Dos Alcaldes was more than two friends serving as mayor,” said O’Malley. “He has a vision for this region, and I appreciate that he and Mayor Heather Moreno continued that tradition, working together on things like expanding the reach of ECHO to Paso Robles and improving access to broadband for the North County.”

Martin was very involved in both communities and prior to his time serving as the Mayor of Paso Robles, he was the executive director of the Atascadero Main Street Association. He helped to establish events like Winter Wonderland and worked to create a synergy of Atascadero’s Downtown to help the local businesses succeed.

“Mayor Martin truly cared about Atascadero and not just because it was his hometown,” Moreno said. “He knew that collaboration would help our entire region thrive and he always made sure we were a part of the bigger picture from the beginning of any major project as opposed to an afterthought. He will forever be in our hearts.”

Martin was involved in many nonprofit organizations and most recently performed in the 2022 “Dancing with our Stars” to help raise money for multiple local nonprofits. He was thoughtful, compassionate, and always committed to helping others.

The tribute will provide the opportunity for residents, friends, work associates, and anyone who had the pleasure of working with Martin during his time here in Atascadero to send their regards to the family. The memory book and items collected will be brought to the Martin family on Sept. 26.

The city said its thoughts are with Martin’s family and loved ones: “We are forever grateful for all his hard work and dedication.”

Atascadero City Hall is located at 6500 Palma Ave. and open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.