The list of potential candidates vying for special district seats in the Nov. 4 general election continued to grow this week, with the candidate filing period set to expire next Friday.
Santa Barbara County Elections staff saw multiple incumbents from local water conservation districts stop in throughout the sunny, dry week to begin the filing process. Jeffrey Newton began his candidate paperwork last Monday, trying to work his way onto the ballot and possibly back into his seat on the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District. Art Hibbits, Kevin Walsh and Jonathan Mundt previously filed papers to again run for their seats overseeing the water district’s efforts.
Incumbent Deborah Askew filed papers this week to begin her run at the Santa Maria Valley Water Conservation District’s 5th Division seat, with Casey Tuttle Conrad running for the 6th Division. Candidates have yet to file papers for the district’s 3rd and 4th Divisions.
Outside of the water districts, Roger McConnell pulled his papers early in the week to run for another stint on the Lompoc Valley Medical Center’s board, possibly joining Linual White Jr. and incumbent Mary Sharp on the ballot.
About 20 miles east, David Higgins and David Seymour have begun the paperwork to once again campaign for their seats on the Santa Ynez Community Services District, with Stephen Daugherty and Barry Marks pulling papers for short term seats at the service district. The short-term seats are good for two years, with the traditional terms stretching to four years.
And incumbent Chuck Damiano, a pilot and aerospace engineer, filed his candidate papers Friday to run for a spot at the Santa Maria Public Airport District.
Interested residents have until 5 p.m. Aug. 8 to file their candidate paperwork. The races in which incumbents do not file on or before Aug. 8 will remain open until 5 p.m. Aug. 13. Candidates can file their paperwork at the Santa Barbara Elections Office, 4440-A Calle Real in Santa Barbara, or at the Santa Maria Elections Office, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway. The Lompoc Branch Office is not collecting candidate materials.
Voters will also see Measure O, which could raise the county’s Transient Occupancy Tax rate, on the Nov. 4 ballot as well as Measure P, which could ban new high-intensity oil operations in the county’s unincorporated areas.
For more information on the upcoming election or filing candidate paperwork, visit sbcvote.com or call 568-2200.
August 1, 2014 • Erin Lennon elennon@leecentralcoastnews.com