County Supervisor Mary Rickert Says Recent Elections Results Won’t Prompt Her Resignation: “I’m Not Going Anywhere”

Correction: December 13, 9:27 am: We have corrected this article to clarify that while the the new supervisors will be sworn into office on on December 13, they won’t take their seats on the board until January.

Local business owner and rancher Mary Rickert has served on the Shasta County Board of Supervisors for only six years but she’s about to become its senior member. 

Last year Rickert and two other county supervisors faced attempted recalls, largely for supporting state COVID mandates. One of the three supervisors, former police chief Leonard Moty, was successfully recalled. Another, Joe Chimenti, decided not to run for re-election, saying he felt he could accomplish more as a private citizen.

COVID-related political changes in the board began in 2020 when Supervisor Patrick Jones beat out incumbent Steve Morgan, running on a platform that centered on opposition to state COVID mandates. This fall, political campaigns for the two open seats on the board pitted two candidates with considerable experience in local government, Erin Resner and Baron Browning, against two political outsiders, Kevin Crye and Chris Kelstrom.

Last week’s final vote tallies showed the seats going to Crye and Kelstrom, who both oppose COVID mandates and were part of an informal political slate that came to be known as anti-establishment. In the primaries both received significant campaign support from political action committees associated with former recall attempts against Rickert.

Their election expands a board majority that has vocally advocated for significant change in how the county is governed. But Rickert says the election of Crye and Kelstrom hasn’t changed her interest in continuing to serve.

“I’m not planning on going anywhere. I’m going to see what happens. There’s a lot of unknowns and a lot of education ahead for the two new supervisors and I want to give them the opportunity to see, once they get their feet underneath them, what direction they might start heading and kind of see how they might react to various issues that come before us.”

If Rickert did choose to resign she would be replaced by an appointee chosen by Governor Gavin Newsom, County Elections Clerk Cathy Darling Allen confirmed Friday. And Rickert said she has considered the option of stepping down because of how disrespectfully she feels she’s been treated as a woman on the board, particularly during closed sessions.

“I’ve been told by one supervisor that if I don’t do this or that, they’ll ruin me on Facebook. I think it’s extraordinarily disappointing that a supervisor would exhibit that kind of behavior. But I want to be clear that I will not let that kind of threat influence any kind of decision I make. . . and that only makes me more resolved to stay and represent the female population of this county.”

“I now have the most institutional and historical knowledge, even though I’ve only been on the board for six years,” Rickert continued, saying she’s reached out to both Crye and Kelstrom in the hopes of developing relationships and providing help as they transition to their new roles as supervisors. 

“I think context is really important and we have to rely heavily on past information . . . and solid critical thinking. Everyone has a different style,” Rickert said. “My style is that we need to look at the bigger picture, what’s important for the county as a whole. Personal agendas are really something I try to avoid.”

Crye confirmed that he’s been in text communication with Rickert over the last few days and said he’s excited to work with her as he takes his seat on the board. While there are absolute truths he won’t compromise on, Crye explained, most of those relate to his faith, and the board doesn’t vote on moral and spiritual topics. 

“When it comes to policy and how we govern,” Crye explained, “if there is a better way to spend money or manage people, I have to be open to those things. That’s a must. I won’t go into the meetings in the position of having my mind made up on a whole bunch of things. I’m going to make sure I govern in a way that honors people and treats them fairly.”

Kelstrom said while he hasn’t communicated with Rickert yet, he’s also open to learning and working with her and others. “I don’t know why I wouldn’t be,” he said, explaining that while he won’t back down from his morals or beliefs, he agreed with all of Rickert’s votes at the last board meeting and isn’t looking for an argument.

“I will say it’s a lot more complicated than people give you credit for,” Kelstrom emphasized. He said he’s already learning that things aren’t quite as cut and dried as they look from a distance which is why, he says, “I want to listen to every side and every opinion and look at things from every perspective as far as I can.”

Rickert expressed a similar stance as both Crye and Kelstrom on collaboration, saying she’ll never compromise on her principles or what she considers to be best for her constituents, but she wants to work well with others.

“Especially in the last two years, I may not agree with my fellow board members very often. But that’s what makes life interesting and what makes government work in its own quirky way,” Rickert said.

This week, on December 13, Crye and Kelstrom will be sworn in. They’ll officially take their seats on the board in January. That’s when they and other supervisors will also vote to determine the board’s next sitting chair, who will be responsible for running the county board meetings and appointing supervisors to committee positions within the county.

Kelstrom said he is most interested in taking on committee obligations related to access to water and fire mitigation, while Crye said he’d like to engage more deeply on issues related to the county’s unhoused community and mental health access. County supervisors will also be responsible for choosing a new county chief executive officer in the months ahead.

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