The Chico police union has spent more in local politics this year than it has in the last five years combined, an analysis of campaign finance data shows.
As of Oct. 25, the Chico Police Officers’ Association (CPOA) was the largest financial contributor in this year’s Council election, according to Chico’s NetFile database, the city’s election finance site.
Through direct and indirect contributions, the CPOA, the police department’s labor union, has contributed $19,500 in support of the campaigns of Mayor Kasey Reynolds, Councilmember Tom van Overbeek and candidate Tracy Vincent. Reynolds and van Overbeek belong to the conservative majority.
While the police union has traditionally endorsed and contributed to races in the past, CPOA hasn’t contributed more than $8,000 in a single year over the past 11 years. Records available online go back to 2015.
In September, the union reported an $18,000 contribution to the 4-month old political action committee (PAC) Common Ground Chico, which has spent roughly $33,000 supporting Reynolds, van Overbeek and Vincent, according to an Oct. 22 filing. The union has also given $500 directly to each of the campaigns of Reynolds, van Overbeek, and Vincent — the maximum-allowed contribution to a campaign.
As of the most recent filing, Common Ground Chico has spent $19,870.26 in support of Reynolds, $12,466.95 in support of van Overbeek and $95.95 in support of Vincent. Common Ground spent more than $11,000 to oppose Hebert, who is running against the mayor.
Campaign filings show MWS Properties, Bill Webb Construction, Randy McLaughlin of Old Durham Wood, and Epick Homes as tied for the second largest contributors this election, each giving $5,000. The four contributions were given to Common Ground Chico.
While the union represents the police department’s labor force, it neither speaks for nor is politically connected to the city’s police department, according to Chico PD.
In a Feb. 18 email obtained by ChicoSol, Captain Omar Peña reminded staff to keep politics away from the force. Peña explained that officers are prohibited from engaging in politics while in uniform or on duty.
“As we enter the election season, this is a reminder that while you retain the right to participate in the political process as private citizens, there are clear limitations when acting in an official capacity,” Peña wrote in the email.
All three candidates endorsed by CPOA told ChicoSol in phone interviews that they were grateful to have CPOA support, but that they were unaware of CPOA’s contributions to Common Ground.
With four conservatives and three progressives, Council decisions on police-related matters are often split down ideological lines.
Union president Austin Jones declined to comment on the increased contributions, citing ChicoSol’s “biased news articles.”
Since the last Council election in 2024, Chico PD has faced controversy, including on-duty sex scandals and the sharing of surveillance data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that was first revealed by ChicoSol.
Labor unions have been active in Chico politics for years, campaign filings show. In 2022, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021, a statewide union, contributed $49,999 in support of Measure H, which passed. Measure H is a general sales tax that was designed to improve infrastructure and emergency response. That same year, the Chico Firefighters Legislative Action Group contributed $12,500 to support the same measure.
PACs in City Council election
Chico municipal codes limit contributions to a campaign to $500, so some donors have turned to political action committees that have no contribution limits to support and oppose candidates.
Political action committees cannot coordinate with candidates, but they can spend money to support or oppose candidates.
As of Oct. 25, Common Ground Chico had received $79,350 in total contributions and had spent more than $60,000 in this year’s election.
Campaign filings list Jody Gallaway as the principal officer of Common Ground Chico. Gallaway is an environmental consultant who helps development projects navigate environmental regulations.
Apart from the $18,000 received from the police union, Common Ground Chico has received roughly $33,000 from individuals and companies who self-associate with real estate, development and construction industries, campaign finance records show.
Recently, District 2 candidate Shelby Hebert called out Common Ground Chico for an attack mailer that Hebert says used artificial intelligence to doctor her image.
Common Ground could not be reached for comment.
Police politics at Council
In August, the City Council voted 4-3 to approve a four-year contract with the CPOA. Councilmember Addison Winslow, the incumbent running for reelection against Vincent, joined the two other progressives in opposing the new contract. Winslow voiced concern that the new contract spanned four years, when the previous contract spanned only three.
In an Oct. 29 statement to ChicoSol, Winslow said if progressives were to take a majority on the Council, he would expect the police contract to be scrutinized. Winslow said if the progressives held a majority, the police union might “anticipate they would get less generous pay packages.”
In March, Council voted 4-3 to approve a $1.3-million purchase of additional military equipment by the police department. Reynolds and van Overbeek were among the four voting to support the motion.
Elias S. Myers is a contributor to ChicoSol. Katherine Kihiczak is a California Local News fellow reporting for ChicoSol.