Voters have until Tuesday, Nov. 5 to make their decisions for the general election. NSPR has been interviewing candidates vying for seats on the Chico City Council.
Here is an abbreviated introduction to the five candidates NSPR interviewed, meant to provide their basic background and viewpoints. Please click on the candidates’ names to link to their complete interview.
Mike O’Brien joined the Chico Police Department in 1992 and was Chief of Police from 2015 to 2020. A year and a half ago, he was selected to fill a vacancy in the Chico City Council.
O’Brien believes the most pressing issue facing Chico is homelessness. As a former police officer, Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force commander, and chair of the board for the Jesus Center for eight years, he believes he sees the issue from both sides.
“When I say both sides, there's something that most community members want, and maybe in different quantities depending on your perspective,” O’Brien said. He understands concerns about public safety and supports the removal of urban encampments.
“Generally, people want to see compassion and some accountability. They want that somehow blended together. That is my perspective of balance.”
Mike Johnson has been a military officer for 26 years so far and still serves as a reservist to this day. Raised with a service mindset, he realized his passion for local government when he sat on the Red Bluff School Board.
Johnson said the failure of the current city council to serve Chico residents is the most pressing issue facing Chico today. He cited a 6 to 1 conservative supermajority as the cause of the problem. He would like to see more balance in the council’s makeup and a more transparent decision making process.
He worries about the effects homelessness has on the local community, and believes in supporting the organizations that specialize in sheltering and serving unhoused Chico residents, such as Chico Housing Action Team, True North Housing Alliance, and the Jesus Center.
“As I look at how the city continues to manage their priorities, I know we can do better. I'm a military man, I'm a businessman,” Johnson said. “I think there are ways that we can actually be a little more wise as we make those decisions. And I just don't get that sense from the council. That's why I think they need to go.”
Monica McDaniel has lived in Chico for 30 years and has served in city governance for 15 years. As a parent and civil servant, she views homelessness, fire safety and recovery, flood danger and community disenfranchisement as the most pressing issues facing Chico today.
“I work hard. I work tirelessly to support the community,” McDaniel said, citing her participation in five different councils, including the Chico Arts Council and the Police Community Advisory Board.
She is running for city council because she wants to continue to give back to the local community she is so passionate about. She feels Chico is a place where people care about each other, know each other by first name, and care about what happens to their neighbors. In order to allow these community values to continue to thrive, ensuring public safety is her number one priority.
“I would like people to vote for me if they live in District 3,” McDaniel said, “because I believe in the Chico way, and I believe in the goodness of my fellow citizens, and that's why I stepped into doing this.”
Katie Hawley is in the process of completing her Master’s degree in political service and has been attending Chico City Council meetings for two years. She works with Butte Resilience Collaborative, Oakway Community Garden, distributing locally grown and free food, as well as with smart growth advocates in Chico.
Frustrated by the council’s inaction on climate resilience and homelessness, she said she seeks to contribute a progressive viewpoint to municipal deliberations, while standing up for her often overlooked district.
Hawley said due to a controversial redistricting plan adopted in 2022, the council member representing District 5 does not even live in the current district. Hawley said that has resulted in neglected streets and neighborhoods, as well as unsafe conditions for residents.
“I am a forward thinker as someone in their mid 20s who wants to live here for the rest of my life,” Hawley said.
Bryce Goldstein is from the North State and moved to Chico to work for the city on climate related planning and outreach. She has served on the city of Chico Planning Commission for four years, and now serves on the city of Chico Climate Action Commission.
Goldstein believes homelessness and housing, transportation, sustainability and climate action are the most important issues facing Chico today.
If elected, she said she plans to advocate to repair the streets in core neighborhoods, which she says are largely ignored in lieu of development at the northern edge of town. She said, “We need to be focusing on developing sustainable, walkable and affordable infill development and figuring out how we can remove those barriers to letting people live in the best areas of our city.”
Goldstein feels that her opponent doesn’t represent the residents of her district, oftentimes voting against their best interests. In response, Goldstein said, “I'm not running to represent me. I'm representing my community in District 7 … I want to know what's going on in my community so that I can agendize fixing those things on the city council.”
Editor’s note: District 3 candidate Dale Bennett, District 5 candidate Melissa Lopez-Mora, and District 7 candidate Deepika Tandon did not respond to multiple requests from NSPR for an interview.
