Pasquale announces run for YC District 3 seat

Robert Summa, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
·3 min read

Aug. 11—With the deadline for candidate filings just days away, Mike Pasquale announced Wednesday that he is officially running for the Yuba City City Council District 3 seat in the upcoming Nov. 8 general election.

Current at-large Councilmember Grace Espindola, who resides in District 3, announced her intentions to run last week for the newly created district. After making the transition to district-based voting from at-large elections earlier this year, this is the first time some current Yuba City councilmembers will be vying for seats on the council as representatives of their established districts.

As a result of the changes, Yuba City Mayor Dave Shaw resides in District 1. Councilmembers Marc Boomgaarden and Shon Harris reside in District 2. Espindola resides in District 3 and Vice Mayor Wade Kirchner resides in District 4. No current councilmember resides in District 5.

With the new boundaries, District 1, District 2 and District 3 representatives will be decided in November for their respective council seats, the Appeal previously reported. District 4 and District 5 elections will occur in 2024.

Because councilmembers are elected to four-year terms, both Kirchner and Harris will remain at-large councilmembers until 2024. District 4 and 5 will still be represented by Kirchner and Harris because of their at-large status.

Pasquale, a self-described fifth generation Yuba City native, said he officially filed paperwork to run for District 3 because he wants to help continue the forward progress happening in the city.

"I am not a politician. I just really want to see Yuba City continue to grow and thrive," Pasquale said in a statement. "I live my life on the core tenets of honesty, respect and responsibility. I would be honored to serve as your Yuba City representative."

Pasquale, along with his wife Stephanie, have owned and operated New Adventures Preschool since 1999, he said. In 2003, the business was moved to its current location in Yuba City.

"Giving back to our youth, our community, and our region, is at the core of everything I do," Pasquale said. "My experience running a successful local business and serving for decades on local boards and committees has prepared me to take this next step and run for city council."

Outside of being a small business owner, Pasquale said he served eight years as an elected Yuba Community College District Trustee and served seven years and seven terms as treasurer for the "Yuba-Sutter Regional Arts Council Board." In 2020, Pasquale lost a race for Yuba Community College Trustee Area 4 to Juan Delgado.

Pasquale said he also has been a volunteer for the Special Olympics for 22 years.

"We live in an amazingly diverse community with amazingly similar values," Pasquale said. "We value our law enforcement, we want a safe community to raise our children, and we want to know that our hard-earned tax money is being spent wisely. As your next city councilmember, I will strive every day to uphold these values."

Pasquale said he attended Yuba City Unified School District schools throughout his childhood in the area and earned an associate degree from Yuba College and a bachelor's degree from Chico State.

Pasquale is running for the District 3 seat against Espindola, who was first elected to the Yuba City City Council in 2018. As of Wednesday, no other candidates have officially announced their intentions to run for the district.