List of mayors of Chico, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Chico
Seal of Chico
Incumbent Kasey Reynolds since December 4, 2024
Term length	4 years
Formation	1923
First holder	Clarence Colin Richardson

The Mayor of Chico, California is like the main leader of the city's government. They are the head of the Chico City Council, which is a group of people who make important decisions for the city. Chico uses a special way of governing called a council-manager system. This means the City Council hires a professional manager to run the city's daily operations.

The City Council meets for the first time after elections in early December every two years. At this meeting, the council members choose one of themselves to be the Mayor. The Mayor serves for two years. Being a mayor in Chico is a non-political party job, meaning they don't represent a specific political party. If the Mayor and the Vice Mayor (the second-in-command) are both away, the Council can pick another member to be the temporary Mayor, called a Mayor Pro Tempore.

Early Leaders: Presidents of the Board of Trustees (1872–1923)

Chico officially became a city on January 8, 1872. In that year, the first group of city leaders was formed, called the Chico Board of Trustees. This group was the early version of today's City Council. The person in charge of this board was called its President, and they acted like the mayor.

The first city election was on February 5, 1872. People voted for trustees who represented the whole city. Elections happened every year, and a trustee served for two years. The President of the board was chosen by the other members of the board.

Later, in 1897, the city started having elections where people voted for leaders from specific areas, or "wards," instead of the whole city. By 1899, city elections were held every two years.

Mayors of Chico (1923–1996)

In 1921, Chico held an election to create a new City Charter, which is like a city's constitution. On April 16, 1923, under this new charter, elections went back to voting for leaders from the whole city. The Board of Trustees was renamed the Chico City Council, and its leader was officially given the title of Mayor.

Temporary Mayors (1996–1997)

In 1996, something unusual happened. A council member named Ted Hubert, who was also the Vice Mayor, passed away before he could be sworn in again. This happened before the new mayor was chosen. The City Council was split and couldn't agree on who should be the next mayor.

Because of this, for about six months, the council members took turns being the temporary Mayor, called "Mayor Pro Tempore." They each served for about two weeks. This continued until a new council member was appointed, and then a new mayor was chosen.

Mayors of Chico (1997–Present)

Here are the Mayors of Chico from 1997 to today:

See also

• History of Chico, California