How power works in Williams

This page makes one argument and tests it against the record. In Williams, the people with the most day-to-day control over the city are appointed and work full time. The body that is supposed to check them is elected, part-time and paid a stipend, and it gets most of its information from the people it checks. Every other check depends on that council acting, or on residents spending their own time and money. Each section below states a claim, shows the documents, and marks Our reading: where we interpret. Boxes marked What I've seen are the site author's own experience and views, labeled as such.

Unofficial education, not legal advice. Statutes are quoted from unofficial copies; confirm on leginfo before you rely on a deadline.

1. The argument in brief

This is a claim about structure and incentives, not about anyone's character. It would hold no matter who sat in the seats.

• The gap in time and pay. The City Manager is "a full-time, exempt employee" Verified1 paid $178,500 a year after the October 2026 amendment Verified2. Council members receive $420 a month and the mayor $560 Verified3. The people who oversee the manager are paid for part-time work.
• The council holds the formal power. It decides by three of five votes Verified4, and it can remove the manager "at any time, with or without cause, and for any reason" (WMC §2.06.090) Verified5.
• It rarely has to use it. A check that is legal but costly to use tends to go unused. Our reading: removing a manager means finding a new one and paying severance Verified2, so a part-time council relying on staff information has every reason to approve and little reason to dig. Sections 3 through 5 test that against the record.
• The other checks are slow. Grand juries, state agencies and resident petitions all exist. Each one works after the fact, on a deadline, or only if the council chooses to cooperate (Section 8) Verified6,7,8.

2. Where the power sits

The council has the legal authority. The manager and the attorney hold the tools that shape what the council decides. Williams is a general law city, so this structure comes from the state Government Code, filled in by the Williams Municipal Code (WMC) Verified9,10. See the three layers of law.

• The council. It has five members elected at large for four-year terms Verified3. The council picks the mayor from its own members Verified11,3. Mayor Dunlap and Mayor Pro Tem Belmontes Leyva hold those roles in 2026 Verified12.
• The City Manager. Yvonne Kimball has held the office since February 19, 2026 Verified1. The manager runs the staff, drafts the budget, recommends ordinances, and acts as planning director unless the council names someone else (WMC §2.06.040) Verified5.
• The City Attorney. The job is contracted to the firm Best Best & Krieger. Partner Andreas Booher serves as City Attorney Verified2,13. He approves resolutions and contracts "as to form" Verified2 and decides case by case whether a code violation is a crime or an infraction (WMC §1.12.010) Verified14. We have not reviewed the firm's contract with the city Unverified15.
• Who answers to whom. The council alone hires and fires both officials Verified16,17,5. The manager can discipline any employee "excepting elective officers and the city attorney" (§2.06.040(C)) Verified5.

The rules: votes and appointmentsGov. Code §§36501, 36505, 36506, 36801, 36810, 36936, 36937; WMC ch. 2.06

• "A majority of the council constitutes a quorum for transaction of business" (Gov. Code §36810) Verified18. "Resolutions, orders for the payment of money, and all ordinances require a recorded majority vote of the total membership of the city council" (§36936) Verified4. With five members that is three votes Calculated4,3. An urgency ordinance needs four of five (§36937(b)) Calculated19,3.
• The council "may appoint a city attorney" (§36505), and appointive officers "hold office during the pleasure of the city council" (§36506) Verified16,17.
• The manager is "the administrative head of the government of the city under the direction and control of the city council" (WMC §2.06.040), with power "to order, control, promote, demote, discipline and discharge any and all officers and employees of the city, but excepting elective officers and the city attorney" (§2.06.040(C)) Verified5.
• The 2026 employment agreement says the manager "serves at the will and pleasure of the City Council and may be terminated with or without cause" (§6.A) Verified1.

The rules: budget and contractsWMC chs. 3.20 and 3.28

• The manager submits the proposed budget by May 1 and "may require any department head or employee to furnish whatever information is deemed necessary" (WMC §3.20.020-.030). The council holds hearings and adopts the budget by June 30 (§3.20.040-.060) Verified20.
• Public works projects of $60,000 or less "may be awarded by the city administrator ... by any alternative procedure." Above $60,000 the council awards them, and above $200,000 they need formal bidding (WMC §3.28.050) Verified21.
• In a public works emergency the manager may spend up to $125,000 before council approval, and must report at the next regular meeting for work over $30,000 (§3.28.130(a)) Verified21.

3. Who writes what the council sees

A part-time council votes on what full-time staff put in front of it. Who writes the report, what it leaves out, and what legal advice frames it decide much of the outcome before the vote.

• One kind of item, two different reports. On February 18, 2026, the report appointing the City Manager was "Prepared and submitted by: City Attorney, Andreas Booher." It had no fiscal impact section; the salary appeared only in the attached contract Verified1. On October 21, the report on her contract amendment named no preparer. Its recommendation read: "Staff and the City Attorney recommend the City Council review, discuss, and consider adoption" Verified2.
• Who started it. The October report says that after the manager's "positive performance review" in August, "the City Council directed the City Attorney to negotiate an amendment" Verified2.
• The cost line left out the largest change. The October report put the fiscal impact at $6,500 a year: $3,500 in salary and $3,000 in vehicle allowance Verified2. The amendment itself sets the allowance at $500 a month, or $6,000 over a full year by our calculation, and the report doesn't say why it counted $3,000 Calculated2. Severance doesn't appear in the fiscal impact at all Verified2.
• Severance, priced. The amendment raises severance from three months' base salary to four months until February 18, 2027, five months for the next year, and six months from February 19, 2028, "or the remaining term of this Agreement (whichever is less)" Verified2. Our calculation: that is $43,750 under the old terms (3 × $175,000 ÷ 12), $59,500 now, and $89,250 from 2028 Calculated2. State law caps severance at the months left on the contract, never more than 18 months' pay (Gov. Code §53260) Verified22.
• Legal advice sets the options. At the August 19, 2026 meeting, the minutes record that Mr. Booher "stated that staff and himself had looked at that and SB 707 does not apply to the City of Williams." He suggested a request to translate agendas into Spanish come back as a discussion item Verified12. The minutes show the conclusion, not the reasoning Verified12. At the same meeting the mayor thanked Mr. Booher "for putting together" the city's answer to the grand jury Verified12.
• No written rule for the agenda. The WMC leaves meeting procedures to a council resolution (§2.04.020) Verified23. We have not found that resolution, or any posted rule on who decides what goes on the agenda Unverified23.
• The grand jury's view of preparation. The 2025-2026 Colusa County Civil Grand Jury found that "Multiple members appear to be insufficiently prepared at meetings to discuss agendized subjects" (F9) Verified24. The city "disagrees wholly," saying members prepare "in a variety of ways" Verified25.

Our reading: none of this requires bad faith. A report that leaves out a cost is still a choice about what the council sees, and the council has no staff of its own to check it.

4. The checks: on paper and on the record

Each check below exists in law. The last column shows what the Williams record says about how it has worked.

• The strongest single fact. On R1, the council declined a check on itself, on the record, using the response the law allows (Penal Code §933.05(b)(4)) Verified6,25.
• Read the findings as findings. Grand jury findings are the jury's conclusions, not court rulings. The city's written answers are part of the same record Verified24,25.

5. Incentives: who carries the risk, who carries the cost

When money is short, the structure decides who absorbs it. In 2025-2026 the burden fell on rank-and-file staff first, while the top job's pay terms improved.

• Staff took the cut. The July 16, 2025 minutes say the budget balanced by using staff furloughs, skipping a 3% cost-of-living raise planned for July 1, 2025, and pausing pension catch-up payments, which saves $224,178 a year Verified29. The furlough cut hours and wages by 10% Verified24.
• The jury's finding and the city's answer. The jury found the city "imposed financial hardship on employees while increasing executive compensation" (F1) Verified24. The city "disagrees partially": the furlough covered all employees, "including the former City Administrator," "Executive compensation did not increase during this period," and the furlough ended in January 2026 Verified25.
• The pay history isn't clear from the posted record. The jury lists a "50% increase in salary to city administrator over three years outside of the normal approval process" Verified24. Council Member Troughton put the figure at 22% in under three years, and said the renewal contracts "were never discussed in open session as they had been in the past" (the Pioneer Review's paraphrase) Verified26. We have not found the former administrator's agreements on any posted agenda we checked Unverified15. State law requires the council to orally summarize a recommendation on an executive's salary in the open meeting before final action (Gov. Code §54953(c)(3)) Verified30. Whether that happened for those renewals is an open question.
• October 2026: better terms at the top. The council approved the City Manager's amendment 4-1: a five-year term to February 18, 2031, base salary up from $175,000 to $178,500, a $500-a-month vehicle allowance, and severance rising toward six months Verified2,31. The vote is from the meeting video (01:40:32-01:40:48) and is unofficial until the council approves the minutes Verified31.
• In fairness. The FY2025 audit gave "unmodified" (clean) opinions Verified12. Much of that year's drop in reserves came from paying off the city's CalPERS pension debt early: the General Fund's share was $2,817,856 Verified12.

By whose standard? Peer pay and resident incomeTransparent California; U.S. Census, ACS 2020-2024

• Against other cities, Williams pays less. Colusa's city manager, whose title also covers public works director, had 2025 base pay of $228,037 Verified32. Ms. Kimball's 2024 base pay as Morro Bay's City Manager was $227,316 Verified33.
• Against residents, the picture changes. Williams' per capita income is $28,552 (±$5,071), against $49,513 for California Verified34. Median household income is $90,761, with a wide margin of error (±$22,136), against $99,122 statewide Verified35. Our calculation: the $178,500 salary is about 6.3 times Williams' per capita income and about twice its median household income Calculated2,34,35.

6. Who pays

Most decisions stay inside City Hall. Utility rates and fees are where they reach every household, and several now rise automatically.

• Water and sewer. A typical home's fixed water and sewer charges go from $117.37 a month (December 2024) to $133.60 (February 2026) and $184.68 (February 2030) Calculated36. Our calculation: that is about 57% more, or about $808 more a year by 2030 Calculated36. The council adopted the schedule 5-0 as Resolution 26-01 on January 21, 2026 Verified37,1.
• Larger households pay more of it. Base rates include up to 5 hcf of water a month. Above that, the water rate rises from $2.23 to $5.72 per hcf by 2030 Verified36, about 157% by our calculation Calculated36. Williams households average 3.46 people Verified38. Our reading: bigger households are more likely to go over 5 hcf, so the steepest increase lands on them.
• Fees that rise without a vote. Resolution 26-40 raised permit and license fees about 1.5% and ties them to inflation every July from 2027. "In no event shall an adjustment cause a fee to decrease below its currently adopted rate" Verified2. Police, public works and rental fees in Resolution 26-23 adjust the same way Verified12. Each later increase happens with no new council vote Verified2.
• Trash. Recology proposed raising residential rates 3.93% from January 1, 2027, $1.64 a month more for a 96-gallon cart. The letter was in the October 21 packet as information only Verified2. Unpaid garbage bills can be added to the property tax roll (Resolution 26-17) Verified39.
• In fairness. The July 2025 minutes say the last water and sewer increase under Proposition 218 was in 2016. They projected water fund deficits of $92,937 in FY2026 and $156,476 in FY2027 Verified29. Rates must also follow Proposition 218's notice and protest rules, where a majority written protest stops an increase Verified40.

Our reading: each increase is legal and can be defended on its own. The structural point is that they're decided one at a time, mostly 5-0, while households pay the total.

7. Discretion without standards

Where the code lets one official decide a resident's outcome with no written standard, no one can check whether that power is used evenly, the council included. The full list is on Who decides?.

• Ticket or crime. Every code violation is "either a misdemeanor or an infraction, at the discretion of the city attorney," with no listed factors (WMC §1.12.010) Verified14. A misdemeanor can mean a fine up to $1,000 and six months in jail (Gov. Code §36901) Verified41.
• Pay before you can argue. To contest a citation you deposit the fine or persuade the finance officer you can't pay, and that decision "shall be final" (WMC §8.16.520(C)-(D)) Verified42.
• Costs from the first knock. Owners can be billed for city costs "incurred after the initial inspection" (WMC §8.16.160(A)) Verified43.
• Emergency spending. The manager may declare a public works emergency and spend up to $125,000 before council approval (WMC §3.28.130(a)) Verified21. The grand jury found a roadway "emergency" used to bypass bidding "appears unjustified" (F7) Verified24. The city "disagrees wholly": the council adopted findings at a June 5, 2024 special meeting, citing "the likelihood of a complete failure of the road in the very near future" Verified25.

Our reading: discretion is not the problem by itself. The problem is discretion with no log, no written reasons and no public counts, because then neither residents nor the council can see whether it is used evenly.

8. Why the outside checks are weak by design

The checks outside City Hall are real, but each one is reactive, runs on a short deadline, or needs the council to cooperate.

• The vote reaches only elected officials. Williams had 2,276 registered voters in the September 4, 2026 report Verified44. A referendum needs 10%, at least 228 signatures Calculated44,45. A recall needs 25%, at least 569 Calculated44,46. Recall covers elective officers Verified47, so the route to the manager and the attorney runs through the council Calculated47,5,16.
• The grand jury can ask, not order. It may investigate a city's "operations, accounts, and records" (Penal Code §925a) Verified48. The city must answer each recommendation, and one allowed answer is that it "will not be implemented because it is not warranted or is not reasonable" (§933.05(b)(4)) Verified6. Our reading: the law requires an answer, not compliance.
• Resident remedies run on short clocks. A Brown Act cure demand must come within 90 days of the action, or 30 if it wasn't properly on the agenda; after the council responds or 30 days pass, you have 15 days to sue Verified7. A court "may award" costs and attorney fees to a resident who wins Verified49. The FPPC acts on "the sworn complaint of any person" Verified8.
• The signature counts change. They move with each registration report; confirm the current number with Colusa County Elections before circulating Unverified50.

Can a referendum challenge a resolution?Elec. Code §9237; Midway Orchards v. County of Butte (1990)

• The label doesn't decide. Courts look at what an act does. Midway Orchards quotes the rule that "if a legislative act is ... done, the referendum may be invoked whether the measure is denominated an ordinance or resolution" Verified51.
• But many resolutions are administrative. The same court notes "many administrative acts not subject to referendum are undertaken by resolution," and that the city referendum statutes "refer exclusively to ordinances" Verified51. The city procedure in Elec. Code §9237 is written for ordinances Verified45.
• What it means here. Whether a given Williams resolution, such as a fee schedule or a contract, is legislative or administrative is a legal question that may end up in court. Get legal advice before relying on a referendum against a resolution. Water and sewer rates have their own route: the Proposition 218 protest Verified40.

9. What would make the checks real

Every fix below is within the council's power, and most cost nothing.

• Name the author and price every term. Every staff report should say who prepared it and give the full cost of each term, including severance and a full year of any allowance. The February 2026 report named its preparer Verified1; the October report named none and left severance out of the cost Verified2.
• Write the agenda rule down. The WMC already says meeting procedures are set by council resolution (§2.04.020) Verified23. Adopt one that says who places items on the agenda and how a council member adds one. State law already lets the council "direct staff to place a matter of business on a future agenda" (Gov. Code §54954.2(a)(3)) Verified52.
• Adopt the grand jury's training recommendation anyway. R1 asks for annual training on "roles, oversight duties, and compliance with the Brown Act" Verified24. Nothing stops the council from adopting it now Calculated4,25.
• Put executive pay in public, every time. Post every executive employment agreement and amendment with its staff report, and summarize it aloud before the vote, as §54953(c)(3) requires Verified30.
• Make discretion visible. Write criteria for misdemeanor or infraction, put the fine schedule in the code, and publish yearly enforcement counts. The details are on Who decides? Verified14,42.
• Show up where the leverage is. Read the packet when it posts, at least 72 hours before a regular meeting Verified52. Speak on the item before the vote Verified53, and ask to pull a consent item for discussion Verified2. How-to steps are on Take part and in Know your rights.

Go deeper: Three layers of law · Who decides? · City budget · Fees and rates · Agenda Watch · Statutes: the Brown Act

Sources cited on this page

1. City Council agenda packet, February 18, 2026 (City of Williams; official; accessed 2026-10-23) Holds the January 21, 2026 minutes (Resolutions 26-01 and 26-02). Scanned; read with OCR. ↗
2. City Council agenda packet, October 21, 2026 (City of Williams; official; accessed 2026-10-16) Agenda in English and Spanish, public comment instructions (item D), and the first reading of Ordinance 282-26 (item 5), among other items. ↗
3. Candidate Guide, General Municipal Election November 3, 2026 (City of Williams, City Clerk; official; accessed 2026-10-29) Says the council has five members who serve 4-year terms and are each elected at large; the council appoints the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem at the first meeting of the year; councilmembers receive a monthly stipend of $420 and the Mayor $560. It does not mention term limits. ↗
4. Government Code §36936 (resolutions, payment orders and ordinances need a majority of the total membership) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-29) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
5. Williams Municipal Code ch. 2.06 (City administrator) (GoCodebook mirror) (GoCodebook (third-party); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-29) Third-party mirror (2026-10 edition). The code calls the office "city administrator"; the 2026 employment agreement uses the title City Manager and delegates the Chapter 2.06 powers. Check wording on Municode. ↗
6. Penal Code §933.05 (how agencies must answer grand jury findings and recommendations) (California Legislative Information; official; accessed 2026-10-31) For each recommendation the respondent reports it is implemented, will be implemented, needs analysis (up to six months), or "will not be implemented because it is not warranted or is not reasonable, with an explanation therefor." ↗
7. Gov. Code §54960.1 (Brown Act: demand to cure or correct) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-23) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly (the Justia copy blocked automated checks; text identical). Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
8. Government Code §83115 (FPPC investigates sworn complaints) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-29) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
9. Community page (“made a General Law City on May 20, 1920”) (City of Williams; official; accessed 2026-10-16) Says: “It was made a General Law City on May 20, 1920.” ↗
10. Government Code §34102 (general law cities) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-23) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
11. Government Code §36801 (council chooses the mayor and mayor pro tempore from its members) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-29) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
12. City Council agenda packet, September 16, 2026 (file named "Packet 9.10.26") (City of Williams; official; accessed 2026-10-23) Holds the August 19, 2026 minutes (Resolutions 26-23 to 26-27; Ordinances 278-26 on noise and 279-26 adopted) and the audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2025 (General Fund budget-to-actual on PDF page 207; management discussion on PDF pages 149 to 151). Text layer. ↗
13. Andreas Booher, attorney profile (Best Best & Krieger LLP; unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-22) Law firm's own profile: Booher is a partner in BBK's Municipal Law group, Sacramento office. ↗
14. Williams Municipal Code ch. 1.12 (General penalty) (GoCodebook mirror) (GoCodebook (third-party); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-22) Third-party mirror of the code (its 2026-10 edition, updated Oct 3, 2026, per the site). Quotes on this site were re-read on the mirror on Oct 23, 2026 and matched by script. The official code is on Municode; check quotes there or with the City Clerk before relying on them. ↗
15. Citizen research notes behind this site (Oct 16, 2026) (Site volunteers (not public yet); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-16) Volunteer research notes (October 16-17, 2026), not published. Anything cited only to these notes is labeled Unverified. The link points to the City site because the notes have no public URL. ↗
16. Government Code §36505 (council appoints the police chief; may appoint a city attorney) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-29) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
17. Government Code §36506 (council fixes pay of appointive officers; they serve at its pleasure) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-29) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
18. Government Code §36810 (a majority of the council is a quorum) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-29) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
19. Government Code §36937 (when city ordinances take effect) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-23) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
20. Williams Municipal Code ch. 3.20 (Budget system) (GoCodebook mirror) (GoCodebook (third-party); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-23) Third-party mirror (2026-10 edition). §3.20.010 requires an adopted city budget; §3.20.040 requires hearings. Check wording on Municode. ↗
21. Williams Municipal Code ch. 3.28 (Bidding, contracting and purchases) (GoCodebook mirror) (GoCodebook (third-party); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-29) Third-party mirror (2026-10 edition). Thresholds: $60,000 or less may be awarded by the city administrator; more than $60,000 goes to the council. Check wording on Municode. ↗
22. Government Code §53260 (cap on cash settlements in local agency employment contracts) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-29) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
23. Williams Municipal Code ch. 2.04 (City council) (GoCodebook mirror) (GoCodebook (third-party); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-29) Third-party mirror (2026-10 edition). §2.04.020: the council sets meeting times and "the procedures for the conduct of such meetings" by resolution. Check wording on Municode. ↗
24. Colusa County Civil Grand Jury Final Report 2025-2026 (section "City of Williams") (Superior Court of California, County of Colusa; official; accessed 2026-10-29) Findings F1-F11 and recommendations R1-R6 on the City of Williams (PDF pp. 1-6). Requires a council response within 60 days and invites responses from the City Manager and City Attorney within 90 days. Grand jury findings are the jury's conclusions, not court rulings. ↗
25. City of Williams response to the 2025-2026 Colusa County Civil Grand Jury report (letter dated August 20, 2026) (Superior Court of California, County of Colusa (posted copy); official; accessed 2026-10-29) The City Council's response: it disagrees partially with F6 (tying it to a memo from the former City Administrator) and wholly with F11, and declines R1 as "not warranted or is not reasonable." ↗
26. "Councilman Files Independent Grand Jury Response," Colusa County Pioneer Review, Sept. 4, 2026 (Colusa County Pioneer Review; unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-31) Reports that Council Member Troughton said personnel costs rose 39% in his absence, including 22% for the city administrator in under three years, and that the renewal contracts "were never discussed in open session as they had been in the past" (the newspaper's paraphrase, not a direct quote). Also reports the council approved the city's response "without discussion." ↗
27. Grand Jury page (reports and posted responses) (Superior Court of California, County of Colusa; official; accessed 2026-10-29) As of Oct 29, 2026 it lists responses for 2025-2026 from the Board of Supervisors, CCOE, the Williams City Council and Council Member John Troughton; none from the Williams City Manager or City Attorney. It also links a complaint form. ↗
28. Council meeting livestream and video archive (AV Capture All) (City of Williams (hosted by AV Capture All); official; accessed 2026-10-29) Link printed on the October 21, 2026 agenda as the courtesy livestream. ↗
29. City Council agenda packet, September 17, 2025 (City of Williams; official; accessed 2026-10-23) Holds the July 16, 2025 minutes, where the Council approved the preliminary FY2026 and FY2027 budget (PDF pages 20 to 22). Scanned; read with OCR. ↗
30. Government Code §54953 (Brown Act: meetings open to the public) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-23) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
31. City Council meeting video, October 21, 2026 (AV Capture All) (City of Williams (hosted by AV Capture All); official; accessed 2026-10-22) Official recording of the meeting. Vote results on this site are transcribed from it with timestamps (video time; 00:01:40 = 6:00 PM call to order). They are unofficial until the Council approves the minutes. ↗
32. Colusa: PW Director/City Manager, 2025 pay (Transparent California) (Transparent California; unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-31) 2025 base pay $228,037; benefits $49,513; total pay and benefits $277,550. The title combines public works director and city manager. ↗
33. Morro Bay: City Manager Yvonne Kimball, 2024 pay (Transparent California) (Transparent California; unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-31) 2024 base pay $227,316; other pay $8,424; benefits $55,409; total pay and benefits $291,149. ↗
34. Per capita income, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (table B19301), Williams city and California (U.S. Census Bureau; official; accessed 2026-10-31) Williams city, CA: $28,552 (±$5,071). California: $49,513 (±$168). In 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. Read from the Census data endpoint: https://data.census.gov/api/access/data/table?id=ACSDT5Y2024.B19301&g=1600000US0685586 ↗
35. Median household income, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (table B19013), Williams city and California (U.S. Census Bureau; official; accessed 2026-10-31) Williams city, CA (place 0685586): $90,761, margin of error ±$22,136. California: $99,122 (±$310). In 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. Read from the Census data endpoint: https://data.census.gov/api/access/data/table?id=ACSDT5Y2024.B19013&g=1600000US0685586 ↗
36. Water and sewer rates, scheduled increases (Exhibits A and B, "New rates 2026") (City of Williams; official; accessed 2026-10-23) Monthly fixed and volume rates in effect since December 1, 2024, and the increases scheduled every February 1 from 2026 to 2030. Text layer. ↗
37. Resolution 26-01 (water and sewer service fee increase), signed copy (City of Williams; official; accessed 2026-10-23) Passed January 21, 2026 after a Proposition 218 hearing continued from November 19, 2025. Scanned; read with OCR. ↗
38. Average household size, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (table B25010), Williams city (U.S. Census Bureau; official; accessed 2026-10-31) Williams city, CA: 3.46 people per household (±0.38). Read from the Census data endpoint: https://data.census.gov/api/access/data/table?id=ACSDT5Y2024.B25010&g=1600000US0685586 ↗
39. City Council agenda packet, July 15, 2026 (City of Williams; official; accessed 2026-10-23) Holds the June 17, 2026 minutes (Resolutions 26-16 to 26-18; first reading of the ADU Ordinance 278-26). Scanned; read with OCR. Also holds the staff report and resolution for the fire prevention special sales tax petition placed on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot (PDF pages 36 to 45). ↗
40. Constitutions of California and the United States, 2025-26 edition (PDF) (California State Senate; official; accessed 2026-10-17) California Constitution as last amended November 5, 2024. ↗
41. Government Code §36901 (city fines up to $1,000; imprisonment up to six months) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-29) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
42. Williams Municipal Code ch. 8.16, Art. VI (Administrative citations) (GoCodebook mirror) (GoCodebook (third-party); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-22) Third-party mirror of the code (its 2026-10 edition, updated Oct 3, 2026, per the site). Quotes on this site were re-read on the mirror on Oct 23, 2026 and matched by script. The official code is on Municode; check quotes there or with the City Clerk before relying on them. ↗
43. Williams Municipal Code ch. 8.16, Art. II (Nuisance abatement procedure) (GoCodebook mirror) (GoCodebook (third-party); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-22) Third-party mirror of the code (its 2026-10 edition, updated Oct 3, 2026, per the site). Quotes on this site were re-read on the mirror on Oct 23, 2026 and matched by script. The official code is on Municode; check quotes there or with the City Clerk before relying on them. ↗
44. Report of Registration as of September 4, 2026: Registration by Political Subdivision by County (California Secretary of State; official; accessed 2026-10-29) Lists Williams under Colusa County with 2,276 registered voters as of September 4, 2026 (60-day report before the Nov 3, 2026 election). Report index: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/report-registration/60day-general-2026 ↗
45. Elections Code §9237 (referendum petition: 30 days, 10%) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-23) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly (FindLaw copy was blocked to automated checks). Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
46. Elections Code §11221 (recall signatures, official text) (California Legislative Information; official; accessed 2026-10-29) Official text read directly on Oct 29, 2026: for a city officer, 25 percent of registered voters if registration is at least 1,000 but under 10,000, counted as of the last report of registration to the Secretary of State. ↗
47. Elections Code §11000 (recall: who it covers) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-23) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
48. Penal Code §925a (grand jury may examine and report on city operations) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-29) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
49. Government Code §54960.5 (Brown Act: costs and attorney fees) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-29) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
50. Colusa County Elections (County of Colusa; official; accessed 2026-10-16) County home page; navigate to Elections (Clerk-Recorder). Exact elections URL not verified. ↗
51. Midway Orchards v. County of Butte (1990) 220 Cal.App.3d 765 (Justia; unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-31) Quotes Hopping v. Council of City of Richmond (1915): "if a legislative act is ... done, the referendum may be invoked whether the measure is denominated an ordinance or resolution." Also: "many administrative acts not subject to referendum are undertaken by resolution." Notes the municipal referendum statutes "refer exclusively to ordinances." ↗
52. Government Code §54954.2 (Brown Act: agenda posting, 72 hours) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-23) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly. Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗
53. Gov. Code §54954.3 (Brown Act: public comment) (California.Public.Law (copy of California statute); unofficial / third-party; accessed 2026-10-23) Unofficial copy of the statute, read directly (the Justia copy blocked automated checks; text identical). Confirm on leginfo before relying on it. ↗