List of mayors of Chico, California


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.

Presidents of the Board of Trustees (1872–1923)

The city became incorporated on January 8, 1872. In that year, the first Chico Board of Trustees was established. 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. 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. 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
NameBeginning of termEnd of term
George W. Dorn18721873
Hiram Batchelder18731876
Charles Ball18761879
Newman Johnson18791882
Charles Ball18821885
George Snook18851886
James Davison18861888
Michael Mery18881889
John Wayland18891890
Michael Mery18901891
Jonas Hoyl18911892
George Snook18921894
Frederick C. Williams18951897
J. Ellis Rodley 18971899
Oliver Lovell Clark18991907
William Robbie19071919
Sherman Reynolds19191923

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.
NameBeginning of termEnd of term
Clarence Colin Richardson19231927
Archie Robert Waters19271929
Stephen Levi Bainbridge19291933
Othel Kilpatric19331935
John Vaughan19351937
Stephen Levi Bainbridge19371938
Thomas Richards19381939
Frank William Seydel19391941
E.L. Meyers19411943
Earl Bevins19431949
Ted Meriam19491957
Ross Lawler19611963
Harry McGowan19631967
Gordon Casamajor19671971
William Nichols19711973
Eugene Ringel19731975
Ronald Stewart19751977
James Evans19791981
Margaret Worley19811983
Karl Ory19831985
Georgie Willis19851986
Charles Nelson19861988
Shelton Enochs19881990
Mary Andrews19901992
James Owens19921994
Michael McGinnis19941996

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

NameBeginning of termEnd of term
Rick Keene19971998
Steve Bertagna19982000
Dan Herbert20002002
Maureen Kirk20022004
Scott Gruendl20042006
Andrew Holcombe20062008
Ann Schwab20082010
Ann Schwab20102012
Mary Goloff2012August 6, 2013
Scott GruendlAugust 6, 2013December 2014
Mark SorensenDecember 2014December 2016
Sean MorganDecember 2016December 2018
Randall StoneDecember 2018March 2020
Ann SchwabMarch 25, 2020Current