Still deciding who will get your vote in the Santa Maria City Council race? All seven City Council candidates have been invited to a forum on Sept. 29 to discuss their platforms and answer questions from the public. The forum, conducted by the League of Women Voters and co-sponsored by Santa Barbara County Action Network (SBCAN), will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Betteravia Government Center, Administration Building, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway, in Santa Maria. The candidates for this year’s election include incumbent Alice Patino; former City Council member Marty Mariscal; former Santa Barbara County Planning Commissioner Jack Boysen; local dermatologist Dr. Michael Moats; District Attorney’s Office program supervisor Terri Zuniga; nonprofit employee Jose Vargas; and machinist Tom Davidson. There are currently two council seats up for election. City Council member Hilda Zacarias will not be running for reelection because she’s vying against San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Katcho Achadjian for the 33rd District Assembly Seat formerly held by Sam Blakeslee. The League of Women Voters and SBCAN don’t support or oppose candidates, but do take positions on issues the organizations have studied.
This article appears in Sep 16-23, 2010.