Former LAFCo chair Carl Leverenz dies

CHICO » Local legend Carl Leverenz died at his Chico home April 25, 2022.

Leverenz, 82, served in the Butte Local Agency Formation Commission for 40 years, since 1975, and was the chairman until recently.

“He was fair and evenhanded. We had a big project once for the Tuscan Water District. He ran a structed meeting and addressed everyone’s concerns,” said friend Ed McLaughlin. “Everyone who worked with him is going to miss him.”

Steve Lucas served on LAFCo with Leverenz for 27 years. “He was one of my bosses and he became a friend,” Lucas said. “He was one of those great people who committed his entire life to public service for all the right reasons. He wasn’t looking for glory or power. He always wanted to fix a problem. Many people don’t even know the extent of the work he did because he wasn’t looking for fame. Community was very important to him. It’s important to work with the talents you have.”

Lucas got to know Leverenz very well when they worked together.

“On a personal level, he has always been a mentor, ” Lucas said. “He had a vast amount of knowledge. He joined LAFCo in 1973 and served as chair from 1975 until now. Hands down he served twice as long as anyone has ever served. He always used to say to me as a mentor or chair, ‘Let’s just look at the mechanics. Before you get worked up, let’s see how this is constructed.’ He said, ‘Let’s just look at the mechanics’ a thousand times. That was his way of breaking things down. He kept emotion and politics out of everything. He’s been a mentor and I took that to heart.”

Leverenz had many community interests.

“He was a man of all trades. He served on the Enloe Medical Center board and had a prominent legal career. He volunteered for everything. He was a member of the Butte Creek Country Club and played golf. He was also a longtime member of the Caribou Piscatorial society. I knew him very well,” said Leverenz’s friend Ed Anderson. “Carl was a 1965 graduate of (what is now the Berkeley) School of Law and practiced for 57 years in real estate and business law. He was a longtime member of the Chico Noon Exchange Club and in 2018 was the recipient of the Chico Rotary Club’s Community Service Award.”

Lucas said when you’re selected to chair, it’s because people think you will be a good leader.

“We haven’t had another chair since 1975. He kept politics out and solved problems. He was elected by other officials from around the country. It was a huge statement as to how valuable he was. Ironically, next week at our meeting we will be electing another chair for the first time in a long time,” Lucas said.

Lucas said Leverenz was extremely loyal.

“A lot of people come and go when they work for different committees, they’ll serve for four years and then move on. It’s not often you spend your entire career with someone at the helm. I feel grateful I had the opportunity to know him. He always had everyone’s back,” Lucas said. “He was my primary contact and my boss. I had the opportunity to work with him and he made my job easier. He was a solid person to work with. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to know Carl. Outside of work he provided me a lot of guidance.”