Congrats are in order

Speaking of the City Council, we’d like to congratulate Mayor Ann Schwab upon her reappointment Tuesday (Dec. 7) as mayor for another two-year term, ditto Councilman Jim Walker for his appointment as vice mayor. We also want to give a shout-out to exiting Vice Mayor Tom Nickell in recognition of his four years of service, and to newly elected (and re-elected) Councilmembers Mark Sorensen, Mary Flynn and Scott Gruendl.

Mayor Schwab had made no secret of her enjoyment of the job of mayor and her desire to continue doing it. Had she been less successful in the role, that might have seemed presumptuous, but she’s done an increasingly good job. Her pride in Chico and city government and her sincere desire to make this a better place to live for all its residents come through loud and clear.

When Tom Nickell took his council seat in 2006, he had a lot to learn, as anyone new to the job does. It soon became obvious that he worked very hard to master the many details that go into council decisions. He was also a regular presence at City Hall as he worked to solve the problems he discovered on his frequent forays about town. By the time he left the council after four years, two of them as vice mayor, he had become a knowledgeable and confident elected official.

He never stopped speaking his mind, even when it might have been better to do so. His last-minute public endorsement, during his farewell statement Tuesday night, of Bob Evans to take Councilman Larry Wahl’s place when he leaves office later this month was, well, awkward at best. But that’s Tom Nickell—passionate, spontaneous, honest to a fault. We’ll miss him.