Amid a mounting budget crisis, three seats will soon open up on the five-member Redding City Council, and these two candidates believe they’re up to the task.
Russ Wenham, a former chair of the Redding Planning Commission and long-time civil engineer, announced his candidacy in the upcoming city council race, which is set to take place during the Nov. 3 general election.
Also running is incumbent Councilmember Tenessa Audette, whose term expires December 2026.
In a statement released June 18, Wenham said, “I’m running because this city deserves focused, experienced leadership that has the courage to make hard decisions and the experience to make them right.”
Wenham said his first priorities are budget accountability and transparency, roads and infrastructure, public safety, and jobs and economic growth.
In a text sent to the Record Searchlight, Audette said she plans to run for re-election “because I believe Redding needs experienced leadership committed to fiscal responsibility and honest government.”
Audette said her top priorities are to “protect public safety and core services, put the city on a sustainable financial path, and ensure transparency and accountability in every major decision.”
Councilmember Jack Munns, whose term also expires in December 2026, did not respond to a message asking whether he plans to run for re-election.
In addition to the opening of Audette’s and Munns’ seats on the council is the opening of Councilmember Erin Resner’s, who, after finishing her term on city council in December 2026, is set to begin her role as the newly elected District 1 representative on the Shasta County Board of Supervisors in January 2027.
Audette and Munns were both elected to city council in November 2022 to serve four-year terms, while Resner was elected in November 2024 to serve a two-year term following the retirement of former Councilmember Michael Dacquisto.
Candidates can start to circulate their nomination petitions in mid-July and will need at least 20 valid signatures before filing their paperwork at the City Clerk’s Office. The term on the council is for four years.
New councilmembers will be tasked with finding solutions to a myriad of issues impacting Redding, including finances that indicate expenses are outpacing revenues and public amenities struggling to turn a profit.
Drew Askeland covers Redding and Shasta County government issues, as well as anything else that needs reporting for the Record Searchlight and USA Today Network. Reach him at drew.askeland@redding.com or (530) 225-8247. Please subscribe today to support our newsroom’s commitment to public service journalism.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Two candidates emerge in race for Redding council seats
Reporting by Drew Askeland, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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By Drew Askeland, Redding Record Searchlight | USA TODAY Network
