Ten months after being elected, Heather Moreno sworn in on new-look SLO County Board of Supervisors 

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - A long wait finally came to an end Tuesday morning for new San Luis Obispo County Fifth District Supervisor Heather Moreno.

When Moreno was officially sworn in during a ceremony at the Board of Supervisors Chambers inside the Katcho Achadjian Government Center, it ended an extended wait that lasted nearly one year for the former Atascadero mayor to take the seat.

"It was ten months of anticipation," said Moreno. "It was nice to be able to complete the job of mayor and I thoroughly enjoyed that, and then it gave me time to get up to speed on county issues and meet with various departments."

Also sworn in with Moreno were First District Supervisor John Peschong and Third District Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg, who both earned re-election last March while running unopposed.

Ortiz-Legg was also voted as new Board Chair, while Fourth District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding was voted as Vice Chair.

Moreno, who beat fellow Atascadero City Councilmember Susan Funk in a tight race for the District Five seat, replaces longtime supervisor Debbie Arnold.

Arnold decided against seeking a fourth term, and while serving as Board Chair, finished her last meeting Tuesday morning by leading the proceeding, which include the swearing-in ceremony.

"I loved this job," said Arnold. "I loved representing the county. It was it was wonderful 12 years. The bitter part is leaving, of course, but the sweet part is I'm ready to go home. I look forward to helping my family with the ranching business and being back out in the field."

After officially handing off her seat to Moreno, Arnold expressed her confidence in Arnold and said the Fifth District will be in good hands.

"We've known each other for many years," said Arnold. "She's done a fantastic job as the mayor of Atascadero, and I was just very grateful that she was ready and willing to step up and run for this office.  I'm a citizen of this county like everyone else, and very grateful that she was willing to step up and run."

After earning election 10 months ago, Moreno patiently waited for this day to arrive. As she continued to serve as Atascadero mayor up until last month, she also used the time to gain valuable insight into how San Luis Obispo County government operates.

"It gave me time to get up to speed on county issues and meet with various departments. whether it was legal, HR planning, public works, the airport, really getting up to speed on some issues, paying attention to the board reports, meeting with the CAO (Matt Pontes)," said Moreno. "It's given me time to where I feel more prepared than I would have been if I was heading, getting into office six weeks later."

With Moreno now on board, the Board of Supervisors has its first new member since Paulding was sworn in Jan. 2023.

As the new year begins, all of the supervisors acknowledge San Luis Obispo County enters 2025 facing significant challenges.

"Really what we're what we're focused on is we're talking about rebalancing the county," said Ortiz-Legg. "We've really got to be looking at how efficient are we? What can we do better? What are we doing that we don't need to be doing. A whole bunch of things like that in order to really get us into a healthy and sustainable budget. I think the top things we have are the workforce and the housing. Those two things are important, not only for the county, but for the county's health."

While admitting there are serious issues to tackle, Ortiz-Legg also shared her confidence solutions can be attained if all five supervisors work together for the betterment of the entire county.

"We are very excited about the new year and the new board," said Ortiz-Legg. "I think it's a great opportunity. We have a lot of smart folks that work with us and amongst us. We see the world in different ways and I feel that we're going to be a very collaborative board. I think that we are very optimistic on what we can accomplish. When we stay focused on the affordability of being able to live here and making sure that people can thrive, then we can we can say that we've got something done."

As Moreno gears up for 2025 and the four years that follow, she said she is ready to get to work and represent the Fifth District and all of San Luis Obispo County.

"I am thoroughly excited about this," said Moreno. "Being an elected office is truly the honor of a lifetime, and I'm so grateful for the support. It is a job that is so worth doing, and I look forward to engaging with all my constituents over the coming years."

The first regular meeting with the new-look San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 9 a.m.