Get to knowChico’s candidates for City Council

CHICO » As Chico residents are getting their ballots in themail for the Nov. 3 election, 10 candidates have prepared their case for consideration to the Chico City Council.

This is the first election by district in the city. The 10 candidates are running for four different district spots.

District 1

Incumbent Sean Morgan is challenged by Curtis Pahlka. Morgan said after eight years on the council, he plans to run on the same platform of public safety and fiscal conservatism as in the past, and is concerned with handling the city’s budget and financial obligations carefully during the pandemic.

Pahlka has 10 years of experience working in public service for public safety. He has said he is running against what he called “vicious stereotyping” from Morgan and to “change the culture” on the council, as well as with his experience in public safety emphasizing city improvement of essential services such as roads and infrastructure.

District 3

Incumbent Ann Schwab faces Steven Breedlove and Kami Denlay.

Schwab took on a third term as mayor in March after the council called to unseat then-Mayor Randall Stone. She said she is running with experience and a continued focus on public safety, parks and greenways and roads, with an emphasis on experience handling the budget, city financing and planning.

Breedlove is a local organizer who formerly served on the Airport Commission. He is focused on tackling poverty in the city, particularly mental health services for those who are homelessness and prioritizing affordable housing. Breedlove described himself as a fiscal conservative, looking for creative ways to save city money.

Denlay said her focus is on public safety, although she has no official experience in local government. She said her concern is with the city’s crime rate and banning needle access programs in Chico and has also said she wants more city support of local businesses and families.

District 5

Incumbent Randall Stone is running for reelection with two challengers, Andrew Coolidge and Lauren Kohler.

Stone has been on the council for eight years, including serving as mayor until March. His main goals are pushing formore affordable housing incentives, fixing roads and infrastructure and addressing homelessness with a community court model and more resources for drug addiction and law enforcement.

Andrew Coolidge was previously on the council four years. He has also expressed the need to fix roads in the district and use a community court model to address drug-related crimes, and is most focused on frugally handling the city’s finances during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lauren Kohler does not have experience in local government, has worked with Butte County Behavioral Health and is running to address housing and homelessness in Chico using the “housing first” model community outreach. She also is concerned with city climate change policy and police reform using more de- escalation training and more community oversight.

District 7

Rich Ober runs for District 7 with experience on several city commissions, supporting affordable housing strategies like Simplicity Village and expanding shelter bed capacity. For public safety, he emphasized better maintenance of the urban forest, parks and greenways and seeking more deescalation training, implicit bias training and crisis worker partnerships for Chico policing.

Deepika Tandon, a local business owner, has no experience in local government but said she is most concerned about local safety. Her goals include finding solutions for the homeless while enforcing more accountability, protecting local businesses and attracting more businesses to the area.