This November, three city leadership positions are open. Two city council positions are available, and for the first time in a decade, the city is guaranteed to have a new mayor.
Mayor
After a decade as Mayor of Pismo Beach, Ed Waage is not running for re-election, leaving the seat open for one of these three candidates: Scott Newton, Shelby Bowen and Cynthia Replogle.
All three candidates said they see room to improve on the responsiveness and accessibility of city leaders.
Pismo Beach has approximately 9,400 full-time residents, according to Census data, making it one of the smallest cities on the Central Coast.
Replogle said she’s running because residents feel they’ve lost their voice.
“A lot of residents feel like even if they do speak up, the city is not listening," Replogle said. "Their comments are ignored. It shouldn't be that hard. The city should be more responsive to people and their concerns, and it also should be more proactive, for instance, in identifying areas where improvements are needed.”
Newton said one of his biggest concerns is how much local control the state has taken from cities like Pismo Beach and he said it's a top reason he's running.
“The city really has to take a stand against the state and has to stand up for itself," he said. "So much of our local power has been taken away, and if we don't react to it, we won't have a city left.”
Bowen said she won’t come into office with a set list of goals if she’s elected. Instead, she’s inviting residents to voice their priorities so she can see where the problems lie.
“I really want to encourage the community to start to become more involved in giving us the ideas and solutions that they desire, not necessarily me bringing that to the table, because my job as mayor is to take your ideas, to take your initiatives, to take your concerns, and to take your solutions and propose them to a council that then votes in the favor of this community," Bowen said.
Tourism is one of the biggest sources of revenue for Pismo Beach. It is also one of the most contentious issues among residents. According to REACH, Pismo Beach gets around two million tourists a year. Each candidate said they plan to maintain the balance between resident and tourist needs differently.
“At the end of the day, you have to have a good balance of the residents and tourism and the way you can tell when you're on the right side of that is when the residents support the level of tourism that you have," Newton said.
Newton said the new fire and police stations were paid for in part thanks to the money tourism generates. In 2023, tourism alone generated $19.9 million in visitor spending.
Replogle believes the city puts the needs of tourists ahead of its own residents. She said if elected, her first priority will be to set up a resident advisory panel to inform city decisions as a counter-balance to the city’s convention and visitors bureau.
“It'll never give residents an equal voice to a city department, but it will help to bring a lot more balance and make residents feel like they are being heard and involved in the government," Replogle said.
Bowen said there is a group — not quite tourists, not permanent residents — that pays property taxes and supports local businesses. According to the 2024 Census Data, around 25% of the houses in Pismo Beach are second homes. Bowen said the city should pay attention to this group.
“As I started talking to the community, I actually found myself talking to a lot of the second homeowners," Bowen said. "One of my initiatives as mayor that may be unique is I really want to get them more vested in our city besides just coming here and spending their money.”
City Council
Four candidates are running for the two open city council positions: Clare Malone Prichard, Stacy Inman, Gianni Scangarello and Manuel Olivas.
Inman is running for re-election after being elected in 2022. She said her top priority is enhancing and maintaining the quality of life for locals in Pismo Beach.
Olivas is a local law enforcement officer. His priorities are safe neighborhoods, investing in strong infrastructure, supporting local businesses for economic vitality and preserving the natural beauty of the city.
Scangarello is a real estate agent. He said if he's elected, he will focus on responsible growth for the city, preserving the city's character, prioritizing the needs of residents and securing the city's water future.
Prichard is an architect who has served on the city's planning commission since 2021. She said she's prioritizing critical infrastructure, responsible growth and a more responsive city.
