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 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 decisions for the city. Chico uses a special way of governing called a council-manager system. This means the City Council makes the big decisions, and a city manager handles the daily running of the city.

The City Council holds its first meeting after an election in early December of even-numbered years. At this meeting, the mayor is chosen by the other members of the Chico City Council. The mayor serves for a term of two years. The mayor's job is nonpartisan, meaning they don't represent a political party. If both the Mayor and Vice Mayor are absent, the Council can choose one of its members to act as Mayor Pro Tempore for a short time.

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

The city of Chico officially became a city on January 8, 1872. In that year, the first Chico Board of Trustees was created. This group was the early version of today's Chico City Council. Its president acted like the mayor.

The first city election was on February 5, 1872. People voted for trustees from the whole city, not specific areas. Elections happened every year, and a trustee's term was two years. The first trustees drew lots to decide if they would serve one, two, or three years. This made sure that only a few seats were up for election each year. The leader of the board was chosen by its members and was called the president.

On April 12, 1897, the city had its first election using a ward system. This meant people voted for trustees who represented specific areas of the city. Starting in 1899, city elections were held every two years instead of annually.

The First Mayors of Chico (1923–1996)

On June 4, 1921, an election was held to choose a group of people called a Board of Freeholders. Their job was to create a new plan for how the city would be run, called a City Charter. On April 16, 1923, elections for the whole city were brought back under this new charter.

Under the new charter, the Board of Trustees was renamed the Chico City Council. Its leader was then officially called the Mayor.

A Special Case: Mayors Pro Tempore (1996–1997)

In 1996, a council member named Ted Hubert passed away before the new mayor could be chosen. This caused a problem because the remaining council members were split and couldn't agree on who should be mayor.

For about six months, the council used a system where each of the six remaining members took turns being the meeting chair. They were called "Mayor Pro Tempore" for about two weeks each. This continued until they appointed a new council member, Bill Johnston, and then chose Rick Keene as the mayor.

Recent Mayors of Chico (1997–Present)

See also

• History of Chico, California