Redding Chamber of Commerce endorses Wenham and Prosperi for City Council. 

The Redding Chamber of Commerce released its first general election guide for the Redding City Council with Russ Wenham and Christina Prosperi winning the highest score out of seven participating candidates. 

Wenham rose to the top, receiving a score of 9.2. Prosperi followed with a score of 8.6. 

Endorsements for candidates were based on interviews and forums conducted by the Redding Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee along with input from additional chamber members. The participating candidates received their final scores based on their responses to questions about economic development, public safety, regulatory and business climate, fiscal responsibility, and governance and decision making. 

Taking the lead in the fiscal responsibility category, Wenham advocated for labor cost reductions through city salary freezes and strategic furloughs to address increasing budget pressures, according to the election guide. 

A community service centered business owner, the chamber said Christina Prosperi’s approach centers practicality and unity. Public safety was Prosperi’s highest placing category at a score of 8.8. 

At the forefront of her approach is sustainable public safety, the chamber said. She believes this is accomplished through strong emergency response along with a variety of  prevention tactics ranging from enhanced code enforcement to increased youth programs, according to her written response. 

The chamber’s general election guide serves as an alternative to highly scrutinized Political Action Committee donations. From 1998 to 2022, the chamber allocated PAC donations to endorse business-friendly political candidates. The practice caused political tensions within the business community and was ended in 2022.

The guide also features recommendations on statewide ballot initiatives, suggesting opposition to propositions 40 and 3, which address taxes for high income earners. The criteria for how the chamber assessed ballot measures was based on their “potential effects on employers, workers, public services, and the long-term strength of our community,” according to the guide.

No endorsement was made for a candidate to fill the  Shasta County District 5 supervisor seat. Instead, the guide gave Mike Gallagher an overall rating of 7.7 and incumbent Chris Kelstrom, 6.6. 

“Our rubric was designed to measure competence over confidence,” said chamber president and CEO Todd Jones in a press release on Monday. “We looked for candidates who had done their homework, understood the challenges facing our community, and were prepared to offer practical solutions.” 

The chamber’s endorsements centered on the same two candidates that were also endorsed in September by a newly-formed group calling itself Redding Good Governance, a coalition of 11 community leaders.

Redding voters will have their say on the contested three open Redding council seats on Nov. 3. 

Other Shasta County voters can also participate on general election day by casting their choice for Shasta’s District 5 supervisor along with votes for school boards and local and statewide ballot measures. 

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