Incumbents Face Challenger Under New Single-Vote System
San Luis Obispo, Calif. (San Luis Obispo Online) – Voters in San Luis Obispo will be choosing between three candidates for two of the City Council members in the general municipal election on November 3, 2026. Brett Cross, neighborhood advocate, will be challenging incumbent City Council member Michelle Shoresman and incumbent Vice Mayor Emily Francis. Voters will be selecting council members through a new procedure for this year, when they are allowed to vote for only one City Council candidate with the two candidates receiving the most votes winning the two four-year seats.
The city council is listed on the certified ballot starting with Brett Cross, designated as a Neighborhood Advocate, followed by Michelle Shoresman, who is an incumbent and Emily Francis, who is also designated as an incumbent. Michelle Shoresman and Emily Francis are the incumbents currently sitting in the two seats that are up for renewal by voters on November 3. City council members of San Luis Obispo serve four-year terms and can serve for two consecutive terms at the maximum.
The upcoming election is taking place against the backdrop of a number of city challenges, such as housing costs, homelessness, infrastructure needs, livability of neighborhoods and budgeting challenges, as well as population increase and significant investment in transportation, parks, water facilities and public safety.
New Method for Choosing Council Members
Starting from the November 2026 election, the City of San Luis Obispo will conduct city-wide elections using the so-called Citywide Single Vote to elect the City Council. Unlike the current method of allowing the voters to vote for up to two candidates, under the new method each voter will vote for just one candidate, and the two candidates receiving the largest number of votes will win the two available seats. The mayor of San Luis Obispo is a separately elected position.
The decision was made following a Voting Rights Act case and subsequent settlement, which gave the city the option of continuing citywide elections rather than switching immediately to geographic council districts. The City Council unanimously voted to move forward with the new system, and an ordinance implementing this method was introduced in January 2026. The officials hope to review the results of the new method in 2026 and 2028 election cycles.
Historical Background of San Luis Obispo
Before the modern city was established, the San Luis Obispo area was inhabited by Indigenous populations, including Chumash Indians. The city recognizes the heritage of the Salinan Tribe and the yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash.
The first Spanish settlement was established in 1772 with the founding of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa by Junípero Serra. In 1856, the town was incorporated as a General Law city and chartered in 1876. The arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1894 helped to strengthen ties with the rest of the state and facilitate development.
Nowadays, San Luis Obispo uses a form of government known as the Council-Mayor-City Manager. The city council consists of five members, which are the directly elected mayor and four city council members. The city is run professionally by the City Manager Whitney McDonald, appointed in August 2024. The City Manager supervises over more than 480 employees in the organization with a total budget of about $225 million.
San Luis Obispo by the Numbers
According to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates as of July 1, 2025, the city’s population is estimated to be 50,636 people, compared with 47,063 as of the 2020 Census. The city occupies roughly 13.31 sq mi of territory with an average population density of approximately 3,537 per sq mi as of 2020.
According to the Census Bureau estimates for 2020-2024, 62.7% of population aged 16 years or older were in the civilian labor force. The median household income was estimated to be $73,685 with the per-capita income of $48,106. In 2022, retail sales in San Luis Obispo reached approximately $2.19 billion reflecting the role of the city as a commercial center for the Central Coast, as well as a university and tourist city.
The adopted fiscal year 2025-26 budget is $217.6 million, out of which $117.6 million are allocated in the General Fund. The budget was balanced without cutting any services, but with recognition of slowing revenue growth, increasing expenses and the possibility of budget deficits in the future.
Accomplishments during the current Council term
During the past four years, the city has made significant progress in addressing housing, transportation, environmental issues and infrastructure.
The 2025 State of the City Report notes 474 affordable housing units that are occupied, under construction or permitted. According to the 2025 General Plan Report, 198 homes have been built during 2025, including 104 accessory dwelling units, with 2,183 housing units added in five years.
San Luis Obispo adopted its first Homelessness Response Strategic Plan in March 2023. As of mid-2024, the city programs and partnerships resulted in providing over 150 hotel-room shelter nights, removing over 150,000 pounds of debris from areas affected by homeless encampments, reunifying over 90 homeless people with families or social service providers through the Mobile Crisis Unit and acquiring $32.8 million of state funds associated with 152 temporary or permanent supportive housing units.
However, despite all of the efforts, the problem of homelessness remains an operational issue for the city. According to the City statistics for 2025, city crews responded to 247 homeless encampments and removed 47 tons of trash.
Significant investment is also taking place in the sphere of transportation. A comprehensive paving and mobility initiative of 2025 brought the completion of Tank Farm Road, Sacramento Drive, Broad Street, Madonna Road and Prado Road paving, as well as ADA curb ramps, pedestrian facilities and buffered bike lanes. In 2026, pavement, sidewalk and waterline projects will continue in various neighborhoods of the city.
In late 2025, the project of groundwater enhancement was completed with the help of the $7.8 million grant from the State Water Resources Control Board, opening a new local water source for the city.
The Council approved the $13.6 million construction contract for the Righetti Community Park, the largest new park project in the last two decades for the city. The construction started in 2026 and is expected to finish in 2027.
Police, Fire and City Recognition
According to the San Luis Obispo Police Department annual report of 2025, officially accepted by the City Council on September 1, 2026, there was a significant decrease in crime rates due to the improved staffing levels. Although the public version of the report does not mention any particular percentage point, the decrease was attributed to staffing recovery, enhanced technology and community-based policing methods.
The problem of neighborhood livability remains, especially in the vicinity of Cal Poly. As per city reports, noise complaints are down about 45% citywide from 2010, but neighborhoods continue to complain about student housing, parties, parking and noise in the areas surrounding Cal Poly campus.
The San Luis Obispo Fire Department has four stations with a target of four minutes or less travel time for 90% of calls. About 60% of city firefighters are also paramedics, and 75% of emergency calls are for medical assistance. The department provides the primary fire and emergency medical services to the Cal Poly campus, although it is located outside city limits.
San Luis Obispo received several outside recognitions, including the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority Risk Management Award for best overall performance in the liability program among participating cities with police departments in 2025.
In 2025, the city celebrated 42 years of Tree City USA status. It also holds Gold-level status as a Bicycle Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists. The budget process of San Luis Obispo has received the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award multiple times.
Unresolved Issues for the Next Council
Nevertheless, despite the accomplishment, the next council faces several unresolved issues.
Firstly, there is an issue of housing affordability amid increased housing production. Second, the issue of homelessness requiring substantial public safety, sanitation and regional social services continues to exist.
At the same time, the city needs to make plans for accommodating future costs of population growth, which have been outlined in the long-range financial outlook and include, for example, the need for a fifth fire station. In addition, slower revenue growth and increasing operating costs squeeze the city’s budget.
There are issues with aging water, sewer, roads and public safety infrastructure, which requires ongoing capital expenditures. Nevertheless, at the same time, the construction necessary to replace it brings traffic and other inconvenience for residents and businesses.
All of these issues define the background against which the three candidates will compete for two council seats.
Brett Cross — Neighborhood Advocate
Incumbent status: No.
The candidate qualified for the ballot on August 5 by filing candidacy in the summer. The ballot designation of Cross is Neighborhood Advocate.
Cross is active in Residents for Quality Neighborhoods, the organization advocating for neighborhood, housing, parking, student and quality of life issues. The city records show Cross serving as a Representative of this group in the Student Community Liaison Committee, the body connecting the city, Cal Poly, students and neighborhoods’ representatives. At least since 2024 and still in 2026, he represented this organization.
Earlier press coverage identified Cross as the vice chair of Residents for Quality Neighborhoods and involved in the debates regarding student housing and neighborhood impacts near Cal Poly.
The candidate does not have any experience of working on the San Luis Obispo City Council, making him the challenger against two incumbents.
Campaign contact: No direct public information was found. Election-related questions and candidate filing information may be obtained via San Luis Obispo City Clerk at 805-781-7114 or cityclerk@slocity.org.
Michelle Shoresman — Incumbent Council Member
Incumbent status: Yes.
Michelle Shoresman joined the City Council in October 2021, having been unanimously appointed to fill the vacant seat of the Council after being a member of the San Luis Obispo Planning Commission for more than a year. Then she was re-elected to the Council for four-year term in November 22022.
Out of City Hall, Ms. Shoresman worked in the programs related to the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department for almost 25 years. Currently she is a division manager. Her background includes public health emergency preparedness, HIV prevention and administration of health programs.
In 2026, her campaign focuses on affordable housing, homelessness coordination, open space preservation, child care, inclusiveness and transportation/infrastructure of neighborhoods. Those are campaign priorities and should not be treated as independent evaluation of her performance on the Council.
City Council contact: 805-888-1973; mshoresman@slocity.org.
Campaign website: michelleshoresman.com.
Emily Francis — Incumbent Vice Mayor
Incumbent status: Yes.
Emily Francis joined the City Council in November 2022 and has been the vice mayor since then. Her first four-year term is scheduled to end in December 2026.
Before becoming a City Council member, Emily Francis worked on the San Luis Obispo Planning Commission. According to her 2022 candidate statement, she is a public school social studies teacher, and her community work involves being a Master Gardener and Neighborhood Harvest lead with Glean SLO.
The priorities for 2026 outlined in her campaign include affordable housing, economic vitality, childcare, transportation and safer streets, sustainability and climate resilience, as well as parks and community spaces. Those are stated as campaign priorities and should be considered as such separately from the city’s independently provided performance data.
City Council contact: 805-503-5316; efrancis@slocity.org.
Campaign contact: 805-457-4898; francisforslo@gmail.com; emilyfrancis.org.
Election Day
The general election of San Luis Obispo will take place on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For the City Council race, the voters need to remember about a new rule: select only one candidate, with the two top vote getters elected.
Contact the San Luis Obispo City Clerk at 805-781-7114 or cityclerk@slocity.org. For voting, ballot and polling place information contact the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s Elections Office at 805-781-5080.
