Did Paso Robles mayor violate state conflict-of-interest laws? Here’s what we found
The mayor of Paso Robles has been accused of violating California’s conflict-of-interest laws regarding two unrelated matters in recent years.
But did he in fact run afoul of state regulations, and how?
The Tribune looked into the allegations as part of its new Reality Check series.
Mayor John Hamon, who served on the Paso Robles City Council for 18 years prior to succeeding former Mayor Steve Martin earlier this year, did receive two warnings from the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission — in February 2019 and February 2024 — related to his actions on the council.
But in one case, he said the conflict of interest occurred without his knowledge, and in the other, the city disagreed with the state commission’s action.
In early 2019, Hamon voted on an update to the city’s short-term rental guidelines but failed to disclose his own involvement with a short-term rental property.
However, Hamon told The Tribune he was unaware of his involvement in the rental, because the property was owned by his mother’s estate, meaning he doesn’t currently have any financial ties to the property.
As such, the commission let him off with a warning. But it still decided in February to try to enforce the $1,500 fine associated with a violation.
“We did exactly what they told us to do, but it took them five years to get back around to looking at it again,” Hamon told The Tribune. “(State regulators) were trying to charge interest on those five years, even though everything was put to bed immediately and done correctly.”
More recently, Hamon’s involvement in the committee tasked with selecting the Paso Robles Municipal Airport’s next “fixed-base operator” — a privately contracted company that supplies the airport with fuel and maintenance — was scrutinized by San Luis Obispo County resident Julie Tacker.
Tacker asked the commission to look into a potential conflict because Hamon currently leases property at the airport and subleases some of his space to others, including his son, Hamon said.
In response, Hamon stepped down from the ad hoc committee in charge of selecting the next fixed-base operator, even though the city does not view his airport leases as a conflict of interest.
“The city does not believe Mayor Hamon’s leasehold interests create a conflict of interest under the Political Reform Act or other provisions of state law,” the March 5 staff report read. “To have a conflict, it would need to be reasonably foreseeable that the FBO contract would have a material financial effect on Mayor Hamon’s existing leasehold interest.”
Hamon said he and the city have since requested more information on the alleged violation from the commission, as this most recent complaint is yet to be resolved.
