An Interview with Michael Dacquisto, Who Will Resign From the Redding City Council in June.​

Michael Dacquisto in 2022. Photo by Annelise Pierce.

On Tuesday, May 21, Redding Council member Michael Dacquisto told the public he’ll resign in June due to medical reasons. We reached out for an interview. Here’s what he had to say.

Scout: You’ve announced that you’re resigning from City Council. Can you share when you’re resigning, and why?

Dacquisto: The effective date of my resignation is June 30. There’s two more council meetings between then and now. The reason I decided to step down is that I’ve been advised from a medical perspective to reduce my stress level, and to spend more time with my friends and family. I took some time and thought about what I was going to do and I decided I’m seventy years old and life is short, and I think it’s good advice. I’ve got two granddaughters and a third grandchild  in the oven, and I’m going to spend some time with my family and friends and enjoy life.

Scout: I’ve been hearing from a lot of people who are concerned that you’re leaving the Council. I think that says something about how some people have felt very represented by you.

Dacquisto: I think they just appreciate somebody that tries to be honest and straightforward and not shovel a bunch of horse hockey around. 

Scout: When did you first run for Council and how long is left in your current term?

Dacquisto: I was first elected in 2018 and then ran for reelection in 2022 so my current term doesn’t end until November 2026. There’s about two-and-a-half years left on my term.

Scout: Your resignation will leave an open seat on the Council. How will your replacement be chosen? 

Dacquisto: That’s a good question. I think it’s going to come back to the Council at the second meeting in June to decide what process they want to follow. As I read the law, the council has two choices, they can leave the position vacant and call a special election, which I would not be in favor of because special elections cost a lot of money. Or they can appoint a replacement temporarily and put my seat on the ballot in November 2024 so that the remaining two years of my term would go to whoever is elected. I think that’s the best way to go.

Scout: So you think that they can appoint a temporary replacement until the next election rather than appointing until the end of your term?

Yes, because the government code says that if you resign in the second half of your term, then the Council can appoint a replacement for the balance of your term and they don’t have to have an election.

( Editor’s note: this is Dacquisto’s understanding of the law, we are reaching out to the city attorney to confirm.)

Scout: Interesting. So was that part of your thought process when you chose when to resign?

Dacquisto: Yes, it actually was. I think it’s more fair to have an election and have the citizens decide who they want.

Scout: That’s of interest to me, because a critique recently from some county board members is that they believe some politicians in Shasta County have left office mid-term so they are more likely to influence who takes the role next. 

Dacquisto: Well, I’m not in the majority on the Council. So the odds that they would appoint somebody like me are slim to none.

Scout: Fair enough. So I guess in a way the timing of your resignation may increase the public’s trust. You’re resigning now knowing that whoever might be appointed short term likely wouldn’t represent your interests but that this fall people will have the opportunity to choose their own candidate for the role. 

Dacquisto: That’s what I think and actually, I was talking to somebody and they said, ‘What if the Council appoints somebody who agreed not to run in November and just held the office for a very short-term interim appointment. And then that way, whoever wants to run can run but they don’t get any advantage from being on the council for the months leading up to November . . .  so that isn’t an advantage for them.’ I like that idea.

Scout: If you could hand pick your replacement, who would you pick? Or what qualities would you seek out in the person who replaces you? 

I  think the person who replaces me should try to view the world the way I do, which is to make your decisions in the best interest of all the citizens of Redding, not one particular group or another. I think he or she should be open and honest and transparent and speak in plain English, not political jargon. 

I endorsed Marcus Partin at the last election. I would appoint him but I don’t think his wife will let him run. 

Scout: As you’ve pointed out multiple times recently, you’re one of only two people on the five-person Council that don’t have a connection to Bethel, a local megachurch. What concerns does that present for you, especially as you resign? 

Dacquisto: The concern that I’ve always had about Bethel, and my use of the phrase “Bethel Juggernaut”, is not so much directed at their religious beliefs which, you know, you can believe whatever crazy stuff you want to believe and that’s your right under the Constitution and the law. 

But my concern is that Bethel-connected people are about 10% of the overall population but they make up 60% of the council. And I think that’s way over-proportionate representation. They clearly won the right to represent the people. They followed the system and were validly elected. So I don’t fault that part. But I would like citizens to actually see and understand what’s going on. I’d like them to understand that level of influence.

Scout: Bethel-connected Council members have said he phrase “Bethel juggernaut” is bigoted. Can you respond to that?

Dacquisto: Well, they all go to Bethel Church where they teach the seven mountain mandate. And one of the seven mountain mandates is to infiltrate the political system in the city or county or local government where you live. And I think that’s what they’re doing. The phrase “Bethel juggernaut” gets them fired up and gets under their skin. Okay, well prove that I’m wrong. Show us that you don’t vote as a unified block in support of what Bethel believes. I think they don’t want to do that so they call me bigoted. But I want them to explain to me why they didn’t let Mark Mezzano become the mayor in January when he was next in line and instead chose Tenessa Audette who had only been in office six months.  I want them to explain to me why they dragged Aaron Hatch’s name through the mud instead of talking to him about their concerns in private. Why humiliate him like that? Did they do those things because they’re part of Bethel? I don’t know. But let them show us that they’re not a juggernaut, that they each think for themselves. 

Scout: What current or upcoming city issues do you most wish you could continue to have a say in?

Dacquisto: I think the most important issue is going to be the riverfront: the Rodeo and the Civic Center and what they’re going to do with that area. I think the Rodeo is one thing the majority of people in this town want to have stay at the riverfront. But when the City came back with their vision statement for the Riverfront Specific Plan there was no mention of the rodeo. They said, don’t worry, it will be included in the next phase. What I think will happen is that they’ll probably put something about the Rodeo in the Riverfront Specific Plan. And it’ll talk about making a new arena and making everything fancier and better. And then if they ever get the money for riverfront development, and I don’t know if they will or not, the Rodeo will have to be relocated for some period of time while they do the construction. And then after they’re relocated, they just won’t come back. 

You have to realize that both Julie (Winter) and Tenessa (Audette) spoke highly in favor of the McConnell/K2 riverfront deal. And I don’t think they’ve changed their view of the world. What we’d be doing as a Council if we chose to give the Rodeo a long-term lease at the riverfront is saying, we want you there. I brought that up at the last Council meeting and Julie (Winters) said she has no interest in a long-term lease with the Rodeo and that Mark (Mezzano) and I are trying to do an end run around the Riverfront Specific Plan, which in her mind is going to be God’s gift to all mankind. And it’s just going to be another silly plan that’s going to sit on the shelf and gather dust.

Scout: You’ve said that Winter and Audette have Bethel as a special interest. It kind of sounds like the Redding Rodeo is your special interest. 

Dacquisto: It’s true. I’m supporting the rodeo. I just think that it’s one of the few events in town that has huge majority support. I mean look at how many people go there. It’s been here for 76 years. The other reason that I’m supporting it is I think that those two want to tear it down. I don’t think they want to give it the time of day. And I think that’s wrong.

Scout: Do you have any future plans to work towards positive change in the city?

Dacquisto: I will spend the majority of time with my family and friends and traveling and doing what I enjoy. But I will say when there are issues in the city that I think are important, like what happens with the Rodeo Grounds, I will certainly use my three minutes at the podium like any other red-blooded citizen.

Scout: What didn’t I ask you that you’d like to share? 

Dacquisto: One of the things that I’ve learned on the Council is that government, as it presently exists, is an unsustainable business model. That’s because the government can’t generate money except by taking it from the people in taxes or fees. And in a place like Shasta County, where people don’t trust the government, the people don’t want to raise taxes. So if we keep giving raises to all our employees we’re going to wind up the way Redding has now, with 91 percent of the general fund income going to police and fire. That leaves about five to seven million dollars left in the budget to mess around with, which is almost nothing. So then what happens? 

In the current city budget the city is using almost $19 million in federal COVID relief money. Without that money we wouldn’t have as many police officers and we also wouldn’t have the money to spend on the Riverfront Strategic Plan. The City took a lot of one-time money and it’s gonna run out. And when you’re paying police salaries with one-time money what do you do when the money runs out? I don’t know the answer to that. I mean, realistically, the way the system is set up the only answer is to have a tax increase. But those are going to be the hard decisions for the people who come after me. 

I also want to say, it’s been an honor to be on the city council. It’s one of the highlights of my life. It’s been enlightening, encouraging, sometimes frustrating, and I think I’ve always tried to do a good job for the citizens; that’s how I’ve always tried to frame my decisions. I wish more politicians were like that. I don’t like how it’s now all about who’s ‘far left and ‘far right’. You don’t have to change your views, but let’s talk. Some things you have to be adamant on but other things you don’t have to be adamant on and you can come to some resolution and agreement. 

The other part is you’ve got to have some decorum. And that goes back to the Aaron Hatch situation. Treat people like human beings, like you want to be treated, with respect, and it reflects better on your governmental body. And people will trust in you more if you act like a human being and aren’t fighting all the time, like a bunch of kids throwing food around. 

Scout: Okay, one last follow up question. You said people should have decorum and not fight, but what about your use of the term Bethel Juggernaut . . . what makes that different from fighting?

Dacquisto: That’s a good question. I used the term “Bethel juggernaut” that night, because it was the second time that somebody was up for their turn for mayor and wasn’t chosen. The same thing happened to me two years earlier, and I got over it, I wasn’t harboring resentment over it. But you don’t forget it. But then it happened a second time. And I wanted people to know that. I wanted them to see how that disenfranchises the people who voted for Mark (Mezzano) and who wanted him to have a turn representing them as mayor. That’s just unjust and wrong, and not fair.

Scout: Thank you so much. Have a nice weekend. 

Dacquisto: You too, please clean this up and take out all the bad words I said. 

Scout: Yep, I will.

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