The ballot grows

The race for Chico City Council just got a bit more interesting, with two new residents filing paperwork announcing intentions to run for office. That makes nine candidates vying for four open seats.

Among the most recent additions are 26-year-old Mercedes Macias, a relative unknown who announced on Facebook late last month that, “I welcome the opportunity to serve our community (and thus, the surrounding communities, etc.) and look forward to thoughts, questions, concerns and most other input.” The second new candidate is Joel Castle (pictured), best known for his advocacy regarding medical cannabis and homelessness issues.

Each of the incumbents—Sean Morgan, Tami Ritter, Ann Schwab and Randall Stone—already has started campaigning. The others in the race are Lisa Duarte, Loretta Torres and Jovanni Tricerri. Candidates have until Aug. 12 to finalize their paperwork to appear on the November ballot.