Shasta County Supervisor Tim Garman Will Hold Town Hall Meeting For District 2

3.21.23 2:43 pm: We have updated this article to correct the date of the town hall and to add the time and location. We apologize!

On Thursday, March 23, Shasta County will see its second Supervisor Town Hall in a week.

This one is organized and hosted by Shasta County’s District 2 Supervisor, Tim Garman, who said in a press release yesterday that he’s holding the event to share information about what has been, and will be, happening within the County’s District 2 area. 

This is Garman’s second town hall in the last year. His previous event was held in late June 2022 at a church in Igo, a few months after his election, he says, and followed a similar format to the one planned for this week.

“I’ve done this before and I’ll do it again,” he told Shasta Scout by phone Thursday, explaining that the purpose of his town halls is to bring together the community and County leaders to discuss issues of key importance to his constituents. 

In order to so so, his meeting agenda includes a number of Shasta County Department Heads including Acting CEO Mary Williams, Sheriff Michael Johnson, Health and Human Services Agency Assistant Director Christy Coleman, Fire Chief Sean O’Hara, Public Works Director Al Cathey and Resources Management Director Paul Hellman.

After these individuals present their briefings as part of a panel, there will be time for audience questions. Garman says questions for the panel will be limited to District 2 residents, but anyone is welcome to attend the event.

He says the leaders he’s included in Thursday’s event will be key for responding to some of the most frequent questions he gets from the voters in his District, including questions about illegal marijuana cultivation, wildfire danger, Clear Creek clean up, and fall-out from the Carr Fire burn scar.

“I’d rather be proactive than reactive in response to some of these items,” Garman said. “This is a chance for our county leaders to express that we’re actually doing good work in Shasta County.”

Garman became a Shasta County Supervisor a little less than a year ago, after former long-term District 2 Supervisor Leonard Moty was recalled from his Board seat, largely over local disputes about state COVID mandates.

Shortly before winning Moty’s seat, Garman rose to visibility in Shasta County when, as President of the Happy Valley Union Elementary School District Board, he led that Board in a decision to allow COVID testing rather than vaccines for teachers, a decision which made him popular with the same constituents who later recalled Moty. Garman made the decision in efforts to protect the school’s financial viability, according to statements made to KRCR in 2021.

Garman’s school board vote related to COVID mandates has led many in the County to view Garman as politically similar to Supervisor Patrick Jones.

But Garman has consistently voted in opposition to Jones on recent issues, including a Board decision to cancel the County’s contract with Dominion Voting Systems, Inc., and a recent Resolution in Support of the 2nd Amendment, which would have empowered County employees and officials to decide for themselves what gun laws are Constitutional.

Both of his votes on those issues were driven largely by his concerns about the Country’s financial stability. He’s told the public repeatedly that he worries about Board decisions that increase the County’s risk of legal action, and its financial risk.

Garman’s informational town hall follows a similar event hosted by the County’s District 1 Supervisor, Kevin Crye, last week, although Crye’s event did not include any panel speakers, was advertised as being for District 1 residents only, and included a request to show proof of District 1 residency for admission.

Asked if his decision to hold a town hall this week was affected by Supervisor Crye’s meeting last week, Garman said no. 

“I hate the politics of it,” he said. “I don’t want to talk about Dominion voting machines. I know it will come up, but it’s not what I want to talk about.”

“I think it’s important to get all our department heads at one table for the public to talk to,” he continued. “That’s what leadership looks like.” 

The town hall meeting will be held Thursday, March 23, from 7-9 pm at Grant Elementary School.

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