Redding City Councilor Michael Dacquisto will retire next month. He was reelected in 2022

Redding City Councilman Michael Dacquisto — who has sparred with the council's majority in recent months — is retiring with more than two years left on his term.

Dacquisto posted on Facebook that he has a medical condition that requires him to step down to reduce stress and spend more time with his family.

His retirement is effective June 30.

Dacquisto told the Record Searchlight he was diagnosed with the medical condition about a year ago. He declined to reveal the condition.

“Life is too short. I am 70 years old and need to move forward and spend time with friends, family, grandkids and not the city council,” he said.

The government code states the council must within 60 days of Dacquisto vacating the seat either fill it by appointment or by calling for a special election. The special election would have to be held on the next regularly established election date, which is Nov. 5.

Dacquisto said if the council appoints his successor, he hopes it will be someone who shares his values and represents all Redding residents.

Dacquisto was elected to a second term in November 2022 and was the highest vote-getter in the council race that year. His terms run through 2026.

Council seats held by Vice Mayor Julie Winter and Mark Mezzano also will be on the ballot this November.

The filing period to run for Redding City Council starts July 15.

Mayor Tenessa Audette is running for the California Assembly, so if she wins in November, her seat would be vacated.

In recent months, Dacquisto has butted heads with the council’s majority — Audette, Winter and Mayor Pro Tempore Jack Munns.

In December, Dacquisto ripped the council for voting Audette as mayor and called it the "Bethel juggernaut at work." Audette, Munns and Winter voted in the majority, passing over then-Vice Mayor Mezzano, who was next in line to be mayor.

Audette, Munns and Winter attend Bethel, a Redding megachurch with a membership that equates to about 10% of Redding’s population. Some in the community have expressed concerns that the church wields too much political influence.

Then in April, Dacquisto and Mezzano got into it with Audette and Winter, who attempted to dismiss Redding Planning Commission Chairman Aaron Hatch from a citizens' advisory group.

Both Dacquisto and Mezzano defended Hatch and his work on the commission.

The political battle boiled over to the May 7 council meeting as Hatch kept his job following an outpouring of support at the meeting from North State tribal leaders, influential community leaders and activists, educators and planning professionals.

In a statement he posted on Facebook, Dacquisto said, in part, that he hopes his successor will support a long-term lease for the Redding Rodeo Grounds.

The rodeo grounds, located behind the Redding Civic Auditorium, is part of the city's riverfront specific plan. Dacquisto and Mezzano are the only ones on the council who support giving the rodeo a 75-year extension on its lease, which they said removes doubt about its inclusion in the riverfront update.

David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on X, formerly Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding councilmember Dacquisto will retire June 30