City Council

A view of a typical City Council meeting. (2005)

The Davis City Council runs the show here in Davis. The city is governed by a five-member council elected at-large (there are no council districts). All city departments must answer to the council, and the council directs the actions of city staff.

The mayor presides at all meetings of the city council and is the official head of the city for all ceremonial purposes; the mayor pro tempore carries out the duties of the mayor in the mayor’s absence. City Council elections are held every two years, with councilmembers being elected to four-year terms. By ordinance, the person who receives the greatest number of votes in a council election serves the first two years of his or her term as Mayor Pro Tempore and the next two years as Mayor.

To submit an issue of concern to the City Council, either attend a regular meeting and speak out during the public comment period or submit your concern via their website. Public comment is accepted at the beginning of every meeting for items not on the agenda. For items on the agenda, public comment is accepted between the discussion and vote for that item. Public comment is generally limited to three minutes per person, but the council sometimes makes exceptions for people who have a large amount of expertise on the topic at hand.

The Davis City Council holds regular meetings beginning at 6:30pm on Tuesdays, except on the fifth Tuesday of any month and Tuesdays prior to a holiday. The council meets in the Community Chambers at City Hall (23 Russell Boulevard @ Russell Blvd. and B St.). Meetings are televised live on the City Government Channel (Comcast channel 16) and are replayed the following Wednesday at 9am, Thursday at 7am, 1pm, 7pm, and Saturday at 1pm. Streaming video (live and archived) is available online for additional convenience.

Current city council members:

• Ruth Asmundson — Mayor (2008-2010), Mayor Pro Tempore (2006-2008), Mayor (2004-2006), Mayor Pro Tempore (2002-2004) In Office: 2002-2010
  

• Don Saylor — Mayor Pro Tempore (2008-2010), Mayor (2010-2012), Councilmember (2004-2008), In Office: 2004-2012
  

• Sue Greenwald — Councilmember (2008-2012), Mayor (2006-2008), Mayor Pro Tempore (2004-2006) Councilmember (2000-2004) In Office: 2000-2012
  

• Lamar Heystek — Councilmember, In Office: 2006-2010
  

• Stephen Souza — Councilmember, In Office: 2004-2012

Also relevant are:

• Bill Emlen (bemlen@ci.davis.ca.us) — City Manager
  

• Zoe Mirabile (zmirabile@cityofdavis.org) — City Clerk
  

• Harriet Steiner (hsteiner@mhalaw.com) — City Attorney

On June 21, 1943, the Davis City Council approved a resolution supporting the mass removal of citizens of Japanese descent.

City Council agendas are available at the following locations:

• Posted on the bulletin board on the north side of City Hall, at 5pm on Friday before each council meeting
  

• By email
  

• On the Internet at http://www.ci.davis.ca.us/meetings/
  

• An agenda summary can be found in The Davis Enterprise on the Monday or Tuesday before the meeting

Complete City Council Agenda packets are available at the following locations:

• City Hall, 23 Russell Blvd., in the main hallway
  

• Davis Branch Library, 315 East 14th Street
  

• Shields Library, Government Documents section
  

• Kinko's Copy Shop, 313 F Street (corner of F & 3rd Streets)
  

• Navin's Copy Shop, 230 3rd Street (corner of Third St. & University Ave.)
  

• Postmark's, 417 Mace Blvd. (in the El Macero Shopping Center)

• JB Anderson from 1917 to 1917 (Mayor)
  

• SH Beckett from 1917 to 1918
  

• BT Brewster from 1917 to 1928
  

• CA Covell from 1917 to 1918 (Mayor)
  

• ES McBride from 1917 to 1918
  

• B French from 1917 to 1918
  

• John Jacobson from 1918 to 1923
  

• AG Anderson from 1918 to 1931 (Mayor)
  

• CB Porter from 1918 to 1923
  

• WR Pugh from 1918 to 1940
  

• F Hayes from 1923 to 1924
  

• JF Wilson from 1924 to 1926
  

• F Hayes from 1926 to 1938
  

• AJ Nickerson from 1928 to 1940
  

• CA Covell from 1928 to 1947 (Mayor)
  

• TE Cooper from 1931 to 1936
  

• CE Howell from 1936 to 1939
  

• A McDonald from 1938 to 1947
  

• Ben A Madson from 1939 to 1948 (Mayor)
  

• FL Davies from 1940 to 1948
  

• R Donnell from 1940 to 1946
  

• J Fairbank from 1946 to 1950
  

• Clay S Quessenberry from 1947 to 1950 (Mayor)
  

• Vernard B Hickey from 1947 to 1960 (Mayor)
  

• Arthur F Weaver from 1948 to 1952 (Mayor)
  

• Frank Elliott from 1948 to 1952
  

• Jack Hibbert from 1950 to 1954 (Mayor)
  

• Harry B Walker from 1950 to 1951
  

• EB Roessler from 1951 to 1957
  

• Clement F Dixon from 1952 to 1956
  

• James B Kendrick from 1952 to 1956
  

• Harry J Whitcombe from 1954 to 1958
  

• Jim F Givens from 1956 to 1957
  

• James Tommy Kunze from 1956 to 1958
  

• Ben A Madson from 1957 to 1960
  

• Miles Nicholson from 1957 to 1964
  

• Kathleen Green from 1958 to 1962
  

• Robert McChesney from 1958 to 1960
  

• Clyde E Jacobs from 1960 to 1964
  

• Norman E Woodbury from 1960 to 1964 (Mayor)
  

• Ernest F Harz from 1962 to 1962
  

• Edgar H Markham from 1962 to 1966 (Mayor)
  

• John L McMurdie from 1962 to 1966
  

• Ralph A Aronson from 1964 to 1972 (Mayor)
  

• Kent Gill from 1964 to 1968 (Mayor)
  

• Robert McChesney from 1964 to 1968
  

• Maynard Skinner from 1966 to 1974 (Mayor)
  

• Norman E Woodbury from 1966 to 1972
  

• Vigfus A. Asmundson from 1968 to 1972 (Mayor)
  

• Harry Miller from 1968 to 1972
  

• Robert N Black from 1972 to 1978 (Mayor)
  

• Richard S Holdstock from 1972 to 1976
  

• Joan G Poulos from 1972 to 1976 (Mayor)
  

• Richard G Weinstock from 1972 to 1974
  

• James L Stevens Jr. from 1974 to 1984 (Mayor)
  

• Thomas J Tomasi from 1974 to 1986 (Mayor)
  

• William D Kopper from 1976 to 1984 (Mayor)
  

• Sandy Motley from 1976 to 1984 (Mayor)
  

• Richard Farrell from 1978 to 1980
  

• Gerald Adler from 1980 to 1992 (Mayor)
  

• Ann Evans from 1982 to 1990 (Mayor)
  

• Deborah Nichols-Poulos from 1984 to 1988 (Mayor)
  

• David Rosenberg from 1984 to 1996 (Mayor)
  

• Michael Corbett from 1986 to 1990 (Mayor)
  

• Maynard Skinner from 1988 to 1994 (Mayor)
  

• Susie Boyd from 1990 to 1994
  

• Lois Wolk from 1990 to 2002 (Mayor)
  

• Julie Partansky from 1992 to 2002 (Mayor)
  

• Stan Forbes from 1996 to 2000
  

• Jerry Kaneko from 1996 to 1998
  

• Susie Boyd from 1996 to 2004 (Mayor)
  

• Sheryl Freeman from 1998 to 2002
  

• Ken Wagstaff from 1998 to 2002 (Mayor)
  

• Michael Harrington from 2000 to 2004
  

• Ted Puntillo from 2002 to 2006
  

• Sue Greenwald from 2000 to 2008 (Mayor)
  

• Don Saylor from 2004 to 2008
  

• Stephen Souza from 2004 to 2008
  

• Ruth Asmundson from 2002 to 2010 (Mayor Pro Tempore)
  

• Lamar Heystek from 2006-2010