After Santa Maria Public Airport District directors failed to elect a fifth member to their board, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors decided to fill the vacancy with a familiar face, thereby avoiding a possibly expensive special election.
The supervisors unanimously voted on Sept. 6 to appoint Santa Maria industrial welder Donald Lahr to the board. Lahr, owner of Lahr Industrial Welding in Santa Maria since 1982, was one of six candidates to apply for the spot.
The district board had unsuccessfully tried to fill the vacancy brought on by the death of long-time board member Ted Eckert, who passed away in June.
“It was unfortunate that the airport board was not able to come to a consensus themselves, but I was just glad that we had someone of Don’s caliber that had replied,” 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino told the Sun.
“Don served well. The last time he ran [for airport director], he was the No. 1 vote-getter,” Lavagnino said. “He’s got a lot of experience. I know he’s going to do a great job.”
Lahr will finish Ekert’s term, and will be up for re-election in November 2012. He had not been officially sworn in as of press time.
“One of the reasons I was so interested in the position is that Ted was a personal mentor of mine,” Lahr told the Sun. “When he passed on, I just felt that it was the right thing to do.”
Lahr is already well known to district personnel, having previously served a single term in 2004—a year when the board was tasked with finding a new airport general manager. Lahr was one of the members responsible for recruiting current general manager Chris Hastert.
“Helping to find Chris was probably what I consider my best accomplishment during my time on the board,” Lahr said.
Lahr said he chose not to seek a second term due to a then-upcoming back surgery.
“But I’m past that now, and ready to get back to work,” he said.
When asked about his recent appointment, Lahr said it was likely prior experience set him apart from other candidates in the supervisors’ eyes.
Lahr ran for the seat against California Air National Guard satellite operator Denis Breslin, private pilot and entrepreneur Ken Dally, computer technician Richard Jensen, Realtor Tim Larson, and Santa Maria dentist Girard Brenneman.
Brenneman had twice previously sought the seat, most recently in the November 2010 election, finishing behind current director Chuck Damiano and Eckert.
The Board of Supervisors made the recent appointment after the airport’s board of directors in July deadlocked twice in a 2-2 split between Lahr and Brenneman.
According to state law, the county supervisors then had the choice of making the appointment from the given pool of candidates, appointing a candidate of their own, or ordering the district to hold an election for the position, which would tentatively have been set for June 2012.
That was a costly option many people throughout the county wanted to avoid.
“There was no way I would’ve voted to send it to a special election. I don’t think spending taxpayer money on something like that [is] a good idea,” Lavagnino said.
Lahr predicts the next few years will be crucial for the airport, given the ongoing runway extension project, which will allow the airport to accommodate larger planes. He added the increased traffic will offer the airport—and the North County in general—a greater international presence, and hopefully be a boon to the local economy.
Lavagnino said he was confident the county made the best choice.
“Don was approved by voters before, and I’m sure they’re going to be pleased with him again,” he said.
Lahr said he plans to be at the next scheduled district meeting on Sept. 22.
This article appears in Sep 15-22, 2011.