Candidate for
Councilmember; City of San Luis Obispo

Tribune editorial, 10/13/02

Andrew Carter -- Tribune's choice

What We Like

Andrew Carter's road to candidacy for San Luis Obispo City Council began as the son of an Episcopal minister in The Plains, VA, a town of 450 residents. He graduated from Princeton University with a degree in political science, hiked the 2100-mile Appalachian Trail, worked with the United Way for several years and then went back to school, earning an MBA from Wharton. He went on to work with Young & Rubicam, the largest ad agency in the world at the time, and did an 8-year stint with Perrier. He's currently a freelance writer and stay-at-home dad for his four children.

All of this is to say that Carter, a relative unknown to those who don't frequent City Council or San Luis Coastal board meetings, has a varied background of life experiences that make him a viable candidate: fiscal know-how, public relations skills, concerns of a taxpaying parent.

Of all the candidates, Carter has brought forth the most detailed list of solutions to the city's housing crisis. He would like to see Cal Poly house more students on campus before increasing enrollment; have more land zoned for housing than for commercial; require commercial developers to pay a housing in-lieu fee or have the development include an affordable housing component; and encourage the county to pursue a "new town" at Camp San Luis.

In sum, Carter is smart and tenacious. He does his homework and then goes the extra mile to make sure the proper ears hear the message; he's made several important suggestions to City Council, for example, that have been adopted. He would challenge the council to look at new ideas.

Our Concerns

The qualities that make Carter a strong candidate can also work against him. His detail-oriented style may lose members of his constituency or fellow council members. We won-der if he can stake out an unpopular position and bring fellow policy-makers to his way of thinking.

Please Note: There are four candidates running for two City Council seats. The Tribune also endorsed John Ewan.