Atascadero City Council Member Susan Funk announces re-election bid
Two seats on the Atascadero City Council will be decided in the Nov. 2022 General Election
– Atascadero City Council Member and small business owner Susan Funk has announced her candidacy for re-election to the Atascadero City Council.
In her first term on the council, Funk has emphasized preserving Atascadero’s small-town feel while building a safe and vibrant community. She says she envisions Atascadero as a bustling community that attracts businesses, restaurants, and jobs, and offers opportunities for all ages. “We’ve put a lot of emphasis on business development,” said Funk. “Despite the pandemic, Atascadero is now seeing new restaurants, shops, breweries and mixed-use developments emerge downtown. I’m proud to be part of a City Council that works together constructively and respectfully to move our community forward.”
Funk also noted that there has been a major strengthening of finances in Atascadero, which historically has had the lowest tax revenue per capita in the county. “We had an honest conversation with voters about the revenue needed to fund public safety, infrastructure, and vital city services,” said Funk. “After Atascadero voters passed a sales tax measure in 2020, council members listened carefully to community input emphasizing public safety,” noted Funk. “I’m grateful that the city has now been able to hire new officers and dispatchers for our overstretched police department, and to replace fire engines and other essential safety equipment.”
Council Member Funk was an active supporter of the successful effort earlier this year for Atascadero to adopt community choice energy. “I’m delighted that Atascadero voted to join Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), and that in the end the vote was unanimous,” said Funk. “Soon our residents and businesses will have the same opportunity as those in nearby cities to have a choice in their electricity provider and seek a cleaner energy mix and savings on their power bills.”
In her first term on the council, Funk has made effective use of leadership and collaboration skills. As chair of SLO County’s Homeless Services Oversight Council, Funk is playing an important role in efforts to address homelessness locally and countywide, building consensus among the many government entities and social service agencies that must work together to achieve progress on this challenging issue. Her efforts to research issues, gather data, and communicate with stakeholders have achieved bipartisan agreements on politically difficult issues. She deals respectfully with constituents as well as colleagues, and works tirelessly to ensure that all residents have a voice in the decisions that shape our city’s future.
Funk’s stated priorities for a second term:
• Continue efforts to create a vibrant downtown
• Lead and collaborate to address the homelessness crisis
• Champion public safety for all of us
• Continue expanding opportunities for public input
Funk and her husband Gordon Fuglie have lived in Atascadero since 2008. Their son Jaron attended local public schools. The announcement of Funk’s candidacy for re-election was made at the April 30 Annual Brunch meeting of the Atascadero Democratic Club, in advance of a campaign launch event at Atascadero Lake Park on June 10th. Two seats on the Atascadero City Council, both at-large, will be decided in the November, 2022 General Election
