A group of Chico residents led by former Mayor Ann Schwab is suing current Mayor Kasey Reynolds, alleging she had a conflict of interest when she voted against the city’s Downtown Revitalization Project.
The lawsuit alleges that Reynolds violated the California Political Reform Act by failing to recuse herself from the vote.
Reynolds owns Shubert’s Ice Cream and Candy, a downtown business on Seventh Street between Main and Wall streets within the project area.
The Watergate-era law prohibits public officials from making governmental decisions that could affect their personal finances.
“I think those that represent us should not be biased on their decisions because of financial reasons,” Schwab said.
A judge scheduled a hearing for May 27.
Reynolds told NSPR that she has hired a lawyer but declined to comment on the allegations.
“Out of respect for the court process, I'm not going to litigate the case in the media,” Reynolds said. “I was elected to serve the people of Chico, and that's what I'm going to keep doing while this works its way through the courts.”
Reynolds previously told the Chico Enterprise-Record she follows guidelines set by the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission and that the city attorney hasn’t advised her to recuse herself on downtown issues.
Schwab said she stepped away from votes when she was on the City Council because she also owned a downtown business. The lawsuit isn’t personal, she said.
“It's a hot button topic, and Mayor Reynolds was the swing vote,” Schwab said. “People don't understand why she didn't recuse herself, and I'm looking for some guidance.”
On April 21, the council's vote on the redesign project ended in a 3-3 tie, leaving the proposal in limbo as a June 22 deadline approaches for a key state grant.
The project would reduce the number of traffic lanes on Broadway and Main streets from three to two while creating protected bike lanes and wider sidewalks.
The lawsuit asks a judge to rescind Reynolds' vote and approve the project “so that City staff can meet the grant deadline,” according to a press release sent out by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Peter Washington.
