Schwab seeking another term on council
Current (and former) mayor looking to improve relationships with public and on council
CHICO » Ann Schwab is seeking re-election in the seat representing Chico’s District 3 on the Chico City Council.
In this first citywide district election in November, Schwab will run to represent the newly drawn third district, which runs through east Chico from Floral Avenue to Manzanita Avenue and west to Mangrove Avenue. She thinks it represents “the typical Chico resident,” as a district containing “teachers, police officers, nurses, grocery store clerks, retired folks, young families and single people.”
After two terms as mayor, Schwab became mayor again this year after supporting a vote of no confidence in Councilor Randall Stone in an emergency meeting March 25. The council will select the next mayor sometime after the November election.
Schwab said as she prepares to run for reelection, she brings “A lot of experience and perspective at this time that we are going through with a tremendous amount of changes and challenges in our community.
I’ve been able to forge a lot of partnerships and demonstrated working across the aisle in ways that are civil and productive.”
She plans to run on a platform of “a continued focus on public safety, parks and greenways and roads, as we’re looking to build our way out of the Camp Fire and to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Having worked through difficult financial periods during the 2008 recession, Schwab hopes to bring experience to helping with city financing and planning. She expressed a focus on more housing and land use planning with the “opportunity to create jobs for our new economy” in building new homes and for development.
She also hopes to improve relationships with the public and on the council.
“We’re lucky to have that level of public engagement but the culture begins with individuals,” she said. “I look at the matters in front of us as issues, not whether or not they are Republican or Democratic issues. They are challenges we need to work together to solve.” She said she hopes for more listening and understanding and “to be an example of being calm, a representative for the entire community.”
“All councilors ran with the idea that they wanted to improve our community,” she said. “Too many times we look to find fault in one another or a proposal instead of trying to find common ground and being able to say yes, and find a compromise … instead of arguing.”
Schwab added she thinks it is “exciting” to have a district election in Chico for the first time.
The system “makes my job more accountable … and gives me an opportunity to focus on particular area of the city and in some ways makes it more focused,” she said.
“I have a vision of us coming out stronger because of all the challenges we faced,” Schwab added.
Filing to run for the November election began Monday. Candidates for the Chico City Council (and all other vacant seats) have until Aug. 7 to file through the Butte County Clerk-Recorder’s Office. More information can be found at buttevotes.net.