Tag: Chico City Council

City Council forms ad hoc committee on homelessness Lemner: "There isn’t a carpet big enough to sweep all these people under"

photo by Yucheng Tang
Margo Lemner was one of 18 people who asked City Council for action.

by Yucheng Tang
posted March 5

The City Council unanimously passed Mayor Kasey Reynolds’ motion to create an ad hoc committee to address homelessness at the March 4 meeting.

Reynolds noted that “the scope of the committee would be on the three items originally agendized,” including ordinances, code changes and programs distinct from anti-camping ordinance enforcement.

“The committee would have a time-sensitive due date of coming back in one of our June meetings,” Reynolds said, in making the motion for the ad hoc group. “We would bring a report back to Council with recommendations for the full Council to consider at that time.” read more

Redistricting issue may come back to Chico City Council City attorney rethinks his position

photo by Karen Laslo
Councilmember Addison Winslow

by Yucheng Tang
posted Feb. 24

Councilmember Addison Winslow complained at the Feb. 18 City Council meeting that there were “cockamamie” procedural objections that blocked his effort earlier this year to ensure there will be future discussion on redistricting and how it’s done.

“I wanna believe that this is the last time that we have an issue like that,” Winslow said from the dais during the public comments section of the meeting. “I think the least that we can do is maintain a legitimate public decision-making process.” read more

Conservatives win 4-person majority on City Council Mayor to be selected Dec. 4

photo by Karen Laslo
Councilmember Dale Bennett was re-elected.

by Yucheng Tang

Incumbent Dale Bennett has retained the District 3 seat, defeating challenger Monica McDaniel by only 93 votes in the closest race in the 2024 Chico City Council election.

The majority of the City Council remains conservative, but the number of progressive councilmembers has increased from one to three. A special meeting of the City Council will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 4 in the Council Chamber at 421 Main St. Newly-elected councilmembers will be sworn in and the mayor and vice mayor selected. read more

Key race in City Council election narrows to seven-vote difference District 3 race will decide which slate has majority

photo by Yucheng Tang
Monica McDaniel at the Green City Coalition watch party on election night.

by Yucheng Tang
posted Nov. 7

Nov. 8 UPDATE: The vote gap between Monica McDaniel and Dale Bennett narrowed to just seven votes as of 4:30 p.m. today, with Bennett receiving 3,009 votes and McDaniel 3,002. Updated vote counts will not be available until next week.

Whether challenger Monica McDaniel or incumbent Dale Bennett secures the District 3 seat has become the key question in the 2024 Chico City Council election.

The District 3 candidates are in a tight race; Bennett led McDaniel by only 40 votes Nov. 7, according to the Butte County Clerk-Recorder’s unofficial count that had been updated Nov. 6. The District 3 race will determine which slate will become a majority on the seven-member panel for the next two years. read more

The PAC behind the negative mailers "A Better Chico" launches attacks on two liberal candidates

photo by Karen Laslo
Candidate Bryce Goldstein is attacked in a recent PAC mailer that exploits the problem of homelessness.

by Leslie Layton
posted Oct. 22

It cost the political action committee (PAC) A Better Chico some $14,000 to taint election season with a bitter mood by sending out four mailers that attack two City Council candidates who are running for the District 3 and 7 seats.

The two women, candidates Monica McDaniel and Bryce Goldstein, were each targeted with two mailers that make misleading and false statements that exploit the issue of homelessness by showing pictures of tent encampments, piles of litter and needles. read more

District 3: The incumbent and the challenger Councilmember Bennett ducks interview opportunity with ChicoSol

Northeast Chico’s District 3 stretches from a piece of Lower Bidwell Park to the northern border of the City and westward to Cohasset Road.

by Yucheng Tang
posted Oct. 11

The District 3 City Council race feels like deja vu to many Chico voters.

Two years ago, Monica McDaniel and Dale Bennett both ran for the District 3 council seat, with McDaniel narrowly losing by about 200 votes. This year, the two are once again competing for the same position.

McDaniel remembers feeling incredibly nervous while waiting for the results and frustrated upon learning she had lost. McDaniel believes this year there could be a different outcome.

ChicoSol interviewed and photographed McDaniel on Oct. 3. Bennett did not respond to requests for an interview that were delivered in emails and phone calls. read more