If you believe that local leadership of Morro Bay is important, then now is a great time to run for office. Three seats will be up for election in November: The mayor’s and two council seats. The filing period for these three positions opened on July 18 and runs through August 12th.
As I near the end of my four-year term as a city council member, my awareness of how fortunate I am to have been elected to office in our small town is acute. Rather than fretting over decisions made by elected officials in Washington, D.C. or Sacramento, or SLO County, we all have the tremendous opportunity to actively participate in how our city is run. No prior experience necessary. No financial support from a major party required. One just needs the desire to learn and have ideas on how to make things better for our residents.
Naturally we all have reasons why we can’t possibly run. I did, too. It will take too much time; I don’t understand anything about it; What if I don’t like it, etc. But I eventually concluded that I could not ignore the remarkable opportunity to actively participate in our democracy. Our entire system depends on average people like me stepping up and jumping in. So, I ran for a council seat, and much to my surprise was elected in 2018. Although I will not be running for re-election, I urge each of you to consider jumping in. The city is in a strong position right now. We need your vision and leadership to sustain us going forward.
The filing period for these three positions opens on July 18 and runs through August 12. Contact our City Clerk (Dana Swanson) at dswanson@morrobayca.gov for assistance with the paperwork.
Thank you for the opportunity you’ve given me to serve!
Jeff Heller
Morro Bay City Council