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Three public servant hopefuls are vying for two spots on the Ferndale City Council during the November 2026 election.

All candidates told us Ferndale is in great shape, and they want to keep the city on a good path. If elected, they’ll help represent roughly 1,500 people in the Eel River Valley’s historic city for four years.

We spoke with each candidate to learn more about them and their goals for the office.

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Stephen Avis, a retired city planner, is looking to rejoin the council after a four-year break.

“I was on the council one time before, had a four-year term, and would like to do it again,” said Avis. “I’ve had a few years off, and I’m so interested in what the city’s doing, and want to participate as much as I can.”

Stephen Avis. Photo courtesy of Avis.

Avis was first elected to council in 2018. But when seeking the position of mayor in the 2022 election, he came second after Randy Cady, receiving 37% of the vote.

If elected, he’s interested in pursuing infrastructure improvements.

“We’ve got issues with our sewer lines. We do not own our own water system. There are challenges with that. Street paving has been overlooked for a few years,” he said. He’s interested in adding new, period-appropriate streetlights on Main Street.

A key priority of his is looking for grant opportunities for projects like these. Avis, formerly a planner for the city of Fortuna and Humboldt County, said over his career he became familiar with the grant process, essential for small cities to pay for projects that would otherwise be too expensive.

Planning, he said, also gives him a unique insight into cities.

“I think that planners [try] to look at, what are the consequences of actions you take down the road? Are there going to be, potentially, unintended consequences?” he said.

With coastal areas like Ferndale being an attractive place for climate refugees, he believes the city will see some population growth that should be taken into account early on. Additional strain on infrastructure should be planned for, he said.

“I’m surely not anti-growth,” he said, but argued that state mandates can be achieved with clever planning.

For example, state housing mandates for cities, even small ones, have been beefed up in recent years in response to California’s housing crisis.

“There are ways that I’ve learned about, from training as a planner, on how that can be accomplished creatively,” he said.

During his first term on city council, Avis enjoyed serving as a representative on the Humboldt Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo), which controls boundaries of governments and districts. He also served on the Redwood Coast Energy Authority board of directors. He is currently on the board of the Ferndale Repertory Theatre.

Avis moved to Humboldt County from the San Francisco Bay Area in 2000. He first lived in Honeydew, then moved to Eureka, and landed in Ferndale in 2011.

He grew up in the countryside that later became Los Altos. He watched the area — and other parts of the Bay Area he lived in — be consumed by development.

“One of the things that people like about Ferndale itself is that there’s still open space within the city’s limits,” he said.

Avis’s family owns some undeveloped land that hosts an organic farm in city limits. He generally wants to find ways to support small businesses, what he called the “heart and soul” of Ferndale.

“It goes through waves where there seems to be a lot of new business coming in, and then waves of empty storefronts, and that makes everybody uncomfortable and concerned,” he said.

He plans to go door to door to meet people over the coming months.

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Jennifer Fisk-Becker is an incumbent councilmember seeking reelection. “Basically, I feel like the city is running well,” said Fisk-Becker.

Fisk-Becker has served three terms on the council. She was appointed to complete the term of councilmember Dan Brown in 2018, making Fisk-Becker the first woman on the council in 15 years at that time. She has since been reelected twice by voters.

Jenny Fisk-Becker. Photo via City of Ferndale.

A retired teacher, she started at Ferndale Elementary School in 1983. She took a break from council during the COVID-19 pandemic to focus on teaching, while the school district grappled with public health protocols.

“The reason I’m running is because my dad was the Vice Mayor of Vallejo when we were growing up, and of course, I love my dad,” she said.

She says she brings a sharp eye to the council — diligently looking through council agendas, researching topics she’s unfamiliar with and consulting with the city manager on any questions she may have.

As part of the city’s emergency response team, she’s met representatives from the police department, fire department and school district. She said emergency coordination has improved over the past five years, particularly to include the areas and districts outside city limits.

“I am proud of Ferndale. In our one square mile we have our own police department, we run our city government the best we can,” she said. Another huge bonus, she says, is the active community of organizations that step forward to enhance Ferndale.

On council, she particularly enjoyed the process of updating the city’s general plan, long-term city documents that guide future growth of communities. This involved developing housing and zoning rules that aimed to keep Ferndale’s appeal, but also incorporated housing for families.

Some areas were rezoned to be open for condos and duplexes, which Fisk-Becker sees as a good way to strike balance between preserving the historic city’s charm and meeting housing goals.

She wants to continue to support Ferndale’s Main Street merchants. With the city’s budget, she says Ferndale is doing its best to access grants and funding for street paving and the sewer system. She spoke in support of work the city’s taking on to enhance Fireman’s Park, including installing a dog park. 

“I would hope that people have confidence in what I’ve shown as a city councilwoman, but it’s up to the voters!” she said.

Fisk-Becker had no comment on who else she’d like to see elected this year. She said it’s up to the voters to decide.

In a similar vein, she’s not interested in being backed by any organization, and is “not a yard sign person,” though she’ll take out advertisements in the Ferndale Enterprise and the North Coast Journal.

“I feel like I’m here to be civic-minded, to go in with an open mind in a diverse community. I don’t want someone backing me… I mean, maybe my husband! I always want to be open-minded,” she said.

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Brent Chase, a law enforcement officer of 26 years, moved to Ferndale last year. Serving on city council would be entirely new terrain for the 53-year-old.

“This is a huge leap for me,” he said.

Photo via Brent Chase.

Chase initially moved to Humboldt County to study at then-Humboldt State University, in interdisciplinary studies focused on park management and law enforcement. He’s been a resident since 1995, living in Eureka, Arcata and McKinleyville.

Chase and his family were drawn to Ferndale, attending events and parades in the city. He said they were fortunate to have an opportunity to buy a house there.

“I love the community there. I love the people. I just want to continue the traditions and the history of the city,” he said.

He heard there was an opening on the city council. As he approaches the end of his career, he sees council as a great opportunity to continue serving the community, albeit in a different capacity.

He has three priorities, if elected.

He wants to preserve the city’s unique character and quality of life.

“I sincerely recognize that change and progress are inevitable, but I believe we must approach new development, outside investment, and other influences thoughtfully to ensure they complement, rather than compromise, the character of Ferndale. We should welcome ideas and opportunities that improve the quality of life for our residents while remaining mindful of the values and traditions that have defined Ferndale,” he said.

He wants to enhance and expand the park dynamics. These spaces foster community connection, healthy living and enjoyment, he said. He spoke in support of the city’s work on Firemen’s Park, with the possibility of adding a dog park, and trail maintenance in the Russ Park hiking area. 

He also wants to help support existing businesses and attract new ones.

“I will work to make our city more welcoming to entrepreneurs, streamline the development process, support existing businesses, and pursue responsible economic growth that reflects our community’s needs and creates opportunities for the future,” he said.

Chase said in his job he serves on several committees — working with different agency personnel, community members, nonprofit organizations and NGOs. These experiences, alongside working more one-on-one on the streets earlier in his career, taught him how to interact with people differently.

“I work regularly with people with different views, and I’ve learned through my career that the way we’re going to solve problems is by listening to everybody and try and come up with a solution, and achieve this through collaboration, some open communication, and mutual respect,” he said.

He overall thinks the current council is doing an “outstanding job.” He plans to go door to door as the election approaches, and so far has enjoyed meeting people and listening to their concerns.

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Mayor Randy Cady is up for election in 2026, but is running unopposed. Cady, a military retiree, was first elected in 2022. His perspective in council over the years is to take things as they come.

“I always try and make a decision on what I think is best for the community. I don’t let individuals so much sway my direction — I weigh everything out,” he said.

The mayoral seat is for a two-year term.

Mayor Randy Cady. Photo via City of Ferndale

He said overall, “Ferndale is really running smoothly.” Things are good, and he’s running again because he’d like to keep it that way. 

“It’s not me, it’s the team that we have. The council, the staff, the employees, the citizens of Ferndale,” he added.

The biggest issue the city faces right now, in his opinion, is lack of funding.

“Looking for funding is always an issue. We’re just like the rest of the state — we’re trying to find funding to fix the roads,” he said. 

There’s a road project the city wants to do, and staff members are looking for grants to pull it off. That’s a key priority of Cady, to improve the infrastructure.

Overall, he lives in Ferndale, where he’s spent most of his life, because he loves it. He said people come out to help others when they need it. 

“This is like hometown America, the way I feel the country should be,” he said.