Progressives are set to take control of the Chico City Council for the first time in over five years.
Updated election results released Friday show all three council seats up for grabs will likely go to left-leaning candidates.
If the leads hold when all the votes are counted, the council will have a 5-2 progressive majority.
That has liberal councilmembers looking at possible actions to take on some of the city’s most controversial issues, including homelessness and construction to make downtown more walkable and bike-friendly.
Progressive councilmember Bryce Goldstein, whose district includes the Chapman and Barber neighborhoods, said she expects the new council to agree on several key topics.
“We support better funding for infrastructure, especially roads,” Goldstein said. “Better usage of Measure H tax dollars to align with why the voters initially approved that sales tax.”
Progressive councilmember Katie Hawley, who represents downtown and the Nord Avenue area, said she’s looking forward to a new era of action instead of delays.
“We have continued to see extended deferral of decisions being punted,” Hawley said. “And I think the attitude that the supermajority is going to bring to the table is not continuing the pattern of extended deferral.”
Butte County’s registrar of voters, Keaton Denlay, said election updates will come twice a week until Nov. 30, when his office can certify results.
