List of mayors of Chico, California

Mayor of Chico
Seal of Chico
Incumbent
Andrew Coolidge
since December 8, 2020
Term length4 years
Formation1923
First holderClarence Colin Richardson

The Mayor of Chico, California is the chair of the City Council of Chico, California. The city of Chico has a council–manager form of local government. The city council holds its first meeting after the election of new and re-elected council members on the first Tuesday in December of even-numbered years. At this meeting, the mayor is chosen by and from among the members of the Chico City Council. The mayor serves for a term of two years. The office of mayor is a nonpartisan office. In the absence of both the Mayor and Vice Mayor, the Council may choose one of its members to act as Mayor Pro Tempore.[1][2]

Presidents of the Board of Trustees (1872–1923)

The city became incorporated on January 8, 1872.[3] In that year, the first Chico Board of Trustees was established.[3] This body was the predecessor of the modern Chico City Council, and its president acted as mayor. The first municipal election was February 5, 1872 with 217 votes cast for trustees elected at-large.[3] Municipal elections were annual and the term for a trustee was two years. However, the first trustees had to draw lots to determine who would serve for a one, two or three-year term.[3] This was to provide that there would only be either two or three seats up for election in any given year henceforth. The chair of the board was chosen by and from among the board's members and titled its President.

On April 12, 1897, the city had its first election under the ward system. Beginning in 1899, municipal elections would be only held every two years

Name Beginning of term End of term
George W. Dorn[3][4] 1872 1873
Hiram Batchelder[4] 1873 1876
Charles Ball[4] 1876 1879
Newman Johnson[4] 1879 1882
Charles Ball[4] 1882 1885
George Snook[4] 1885 1886
James Davison[4] 1886 1888
Michael Mery[4] 1888 1889
John Wayland[4] 1889 1890
Michael Mery[4] 1890 1891
Jonas Hoyl[4] 1891 1892
George Snook[4] 1892 1894
Frederick C. Williams[4] 1895 1897
J. Ellis Rodley[4][a] 1897 1899
Oliver Lovell Clark[4] 1899 1907
William Robbie[4] 1907 1919
Sherman Reynolds[4] 1919 1923

Mayors from 1923 to 1996

On June 4, 1921, an election was held to choose a Board of Freeholders charged with framing a City Charter. On April 16, 1923, at-large elections were reinstated under the charter. Under the charter, the board of trustees was renamed the Chico City Council, and its chair was titled the Mayor.

Name Beginning of term End of term
Clarence Colin Richardson[4] 1923 1927
Archie Robert Waters[4] 1927 1929
Stephen Levi Bainbridge[4] 1929 1933
Othel Kilpatric[4] 1933 1935
John Vaughan[4] 1935 1937
Stephen Levi Bainbridge[4] 1937 1938
Thomas Richards[4] 1938 1939
Frank William Seydel[4] 1939 1941
E.L. Meyers[4] 1941 1943
Earl Bevins[4] 1943 1949
Ted Meriam[4] 1949 1957
Ross Lawler[4] 1961 1963
Harry McGowan[4] 1963 1967
Gordon Casamajor[4] 1967 1971
William Nichols[4] 1971 1973
Eugene Ringel[4] 1973 1975
Ronald Stewart[4] 1975 1977
James Evans[4] 1979 1981
Margaret Worley[4] 1981 1983
Karl Ory[4] 1983 1985
Georgie Willis[4] 1985 1986
Charles Nelson[4] 1986 1988
Shelton Enochs[4] 1988 1990
Mary Andrews[4] 1990 1992
James Owens[4] 1992 1994
Michael McGinnis[4] 1994 1996

Mayors Pro Tempore (1996–1997)

In 1996, the recently re-elected council member and Vice Mayor Ted Hubert died prior to being re-sworn in, and more significantly, before the selection of mayor had occurred. The evenly, and deeply divided council stalemated on the selection. At its first meeting on the first Tuesday in December, they named Ted Hubert as honorary mayor. However, the stalemate resulted in a rotating Mayor Pro Tempore system for about six months. The remaining six council members each took turns serving as meeting chair until they appointed Bill Johnston to fill the council vacancy, and Rick Keene mayor. During that period, the following council members served as Mayor Pro Tempore for about two weeks each:

Name
Rick Keene
David Guzzetti
Kimberly King
Steve Bertagna
Coleen Jarvis
Mary Andrews
Rick Keene
David Guzzetti
Kimberly King
Steve Bertagna
Coleen Jarvis
Mary Andrews
David Guzzetti
Rick Keene
David Guzzetti

Mayors from 1997 to the present

Name Beginning of term End of term
Rick Keene 1997 1998
Steve Bertagna 1998 2000
Dan Herbert 2000 2002
Maureen Kirk 2002 2004
Scott Gruendl 2004 2006
Andrew Holcombe 2006 2008
Ann Schwab 2008 2010
Ann Schwab 2010 2012
Mary Goloff 2012 August 6, 2013
Scott Gruendl August 6, 2013 December 2014
Mark Sorensen December 2014 December 2016
Sean Morgan December 2016 December 2018
Randall Stone December 2018 March 2020
Ann Schwab March 25, 2020 December 2020
Andrew Coolidge December 8, 2020 Current

See also

Notes

  • a In 1899, Mayor J. Ellis Rodley, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of perjury in the witnessing of a forged will offered for probate. He was granted parole in 1906.[5]

References

  1. ^ Chico City Charter, Section 603
  2. ^ Chico City Council Website, February 2019 http://www.chico.ca.us/city_council/home_page.asp
  3. ^ a b c d e Debra Moon, Chico: Life and Times of a City of Fortune
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq City Clerk's Office, City of Chico; Roster of City Council Members
  5. ^ "Rodley Released From State Prison," San Francisco Chronicle, February 11, 1906, page 37 Library card required