Capital is king — that’s the new mantra for community banks the country over.

In the Tri-Counties, Solvang-based Los Padres Bank is on the brink of a possible takeover, as regulators placed it under a new order telling it to shore up its capital levels, be merged or acquired, or potentially face regulatory seizure.

Other banks in the region are working their way through the ever-expanding web of banking regulations and trying to restore a sense of normalcy to their balance sheets.

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