Seven candidates vie for three Santa Maria City Council seats amid November election

Seven candidates are competing for three seats on the Santa Maria City Council in the Nov. 3 election, with two incumbents seeking to retain their seats and one open race. Facing a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, aging infrastructure and growing pressure to make housing more affordable, Santa Maria is now turning to voters for additional revenue. Measure C, a proposed half-cent sales tax increase that s projected to generate $13 million annually, will make its way onto the ballot this upcoming election. Voters in Districts 1, 3 and 4 will elect representatives to four-year terms, with the District 1 winner serving the remainder of a term ending in 2028. Against that financial backdrop, the next City Council will soon have to make some difficult decisions about what services the city can maintain, where it can afford to grow and how it can meet the needs of its residents. District 1 Three candidates are competing for the District 1 seat left vacant by former Councilm