An Insight on Morro Bay’s Mayor: Carla Wixom

I recently had the opportunity to shadow the Mayor of Morro Bay, Carla Wixom, and it was a fascinating experience. I learned numerous things about the job, how to actually become mayor, and strategies that anybody can implement into their personal lives.

Every other Tuesday, the Morro Bay City Council hosts a meeting in Morro Bay’s Veterans Memorial Building, where city policy and current issues are discussed in front of a public audience, who are able to input their opinions during specified times, and bring up their own issues. Throughout this meeting, I realized that the mayor acted as less of a person of power and more as a mediator between the council and citizens. She stayed relatively neutral throughout the meeting, and was clearly loved by the citizens present in the audience. 

This is probably due to how present Mayor Wixom has been in the community for decades, owning a business near the Embarcadero for the past thirty-six years, “Carla’s Country Kitchen”. When I asked her how she recommends becoming mayor, her biggest piece of advice was to, “get involved in the community, coach sports or serve on a local community board, just be involved in your community”. This is evident in Mayor Wixom’s past, having been heavily involved in the Morro Bay community for decades now, even serving on Morro Bay council between 2008 and 2012, and the overwhelming support she received when she was elected into the position of mayor. 

Finally, stress management is an important part of any career, so I asked her about how she deals with what can be a very stressful job. “I love to spend time with my family and friends… We live in the most beautiful place, and I have a walking group where we walk by the beach 2 to 3 times a week.” Having people you are close with and can talk to is an important part of anyone's life, and it is something that anyone from high school students to mayors should fit into their lives.