Leo Trujillo is leaving the Santa Maria City Council this month, and one of his greatest legacies to the people of Santa Maria will be toilets.
“I was instrumental in making sure we had permanent restrooms installed in all the city’s parks,” Trujillo said during an interview with the Sun. “We planned to do about one a year.”
The city has 17 parks, and so far “seven or eight of them have restrooms,” he said.
However, Trujillo credits the inspiration for the decision to his wife, Eileen.
“My wife hates Port-a-Potties,” he explained. “She used to tell me, ‘If you had to sit on them, you’d hate them too.’”
Forever the faithful husband, Trujillo took action against the city’s free-standing, temporary lavatories.
But Trujillo—who missed out on reclaiming his City Council seat in the November election by only 48 votes—will be remembered for far more than fortifying Santa Maria’s sanitary options.
Trujillo’s versatile background in farming, business, and the military made him a solid addition to the Santa Maria community.
Trujillo grew up in a farming community in Colorado. During the Vietnam War, he was commissioned as an ensign into the U.S. Navy, and eventually retired as a captain. His studies brought him a bachelor of science degree in business administration, then a master of business administration degree.
He went on to apply his education as a businessman at Litton Industries and TRW, Inc. In 1998, he retired from TRW, Inc. and moved to Santa Maria. By 2000, Trujillo had become fully entrenched in the local community—and the minds of voters—with his election to the City Council. He gained voter approval again in 2004 and was re-elected to a second term, which is set to expire in January 2009.
Trujillo and fellow councilmember Bob Orach were both up for re-election this year. Both incumbents were challenged by Santa Maria police lieutenant Mike Cordero, who secured a spot on the council with approximately 41 percent of the vote. The two incumbents were left to duke it out. In the end, Orach received 29.79 percent and Trujillo received 28.48 percent.
Such a close race might prompt a modern-day politician to demand a recount, but Trujillo accepted the voters’ decision.
“I fully understand the American democratic system, and I respect the people of Santa Maria,” he said. “That’s the way it goes.”
Despite the loss, Trujillo said he still has a lot to be proud of. As a council member, he was involved in overseeing the city budget and implementing hundreds of city projects. He lists the city’s continually balanced budget—and ample fiscal reserve—as one of his greatest accomplishments.
Other projects Trujillo played an instrumental roll in include the establishment of the Breeze transit service to Lompoc and Vandenberg Air Force Base, the development of the new Santa Maria Public Library, and the land purchase for the city’s regional landfill.
Mayor Larry Lavagnino apparently had some hesitations about purchasing the 1,800-acre plot for the landfill, but Trujillo said he used his skills as a businessman to appease the mayor’s doubts.
“I told him, ‘This is a good business opportunity. If the city doesn’t buy [the land], I will. And I’ll call it Trujillo Meadows,’” he said.
Trujillo also had a significant impact on the city’s water supply. He served as chairman of the Central Coast Water Authority—the agency responsible for providing imported state water throughout San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties—and is the city of Santa Maria’s representative.
“He did a great job as chairman of the water authority,” Lavagnino said.
Lavagnino added that Trujillo “had a large hand” in settling the decade-long litigation between the city and the Santa Maria Valley Water Conservation District, which disputed water rights in the Santa Maria Valley area.
“It’s his best legacy, and I don’t think there is anything more important to Santa Maria than water,” Lavagnino said.
Trujillo also has a legacy in the nonprofit sector. He’s served as director or advisor to nearly 25 charitable civic and professional organizations over his lifetime, and has received numerous awards for his community involvement. He is also a member of the Santa Maria Rotary Club.
During his retirement, Trujillo said he plans to spend more time “giving back to the community.”
“I plan on devoting more time to military veterans, their families, and their widows,” said Trujillo, who served on the governor’s veterans board. “We as a country owe that to the veterans.”
“I also want to focus more in the area of affordable housing for seniors,” he said. “Seniors are a neglected group in this community. A lot of attention goes to youth because the city is so young.”
Trujillo added that he doesn’t plan on taking any official positions—he wants to use his connections to help.
“I’ll be around. Not in the same capacity that I have been before, but I’ll be around,” he said.
Contact Staff Writer Amy Asman at aasman@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 18-25, 2008.