An unarmed man in Hoopa was fatally shot by a California Highway Patrol officer after a foot chase and physical altercation on Sept. 17, 2023.

After William “Willie” Nelson, age 43, was pronounced dead around 8 a.m., local police were instructed to avoid disturbing his body and to wait for state investigators to arrive. But Hoopa is a far drive from the Department of Justice’s office in Sacramento.

His body stayed in a yard for over eight hours. And according to police reports released through the Police Records Access Project, the situation at the scene was tense.

According to police records, a group of people had gathered around Nelson’s body as the day progressed, some shouting at police as they collected evidence.

Many of Nelson’s family members lived nearby and gathered by the scene as the hours passed, climbing cars and peering over a fence to see Nelson and watch local police.

One officer described the group as “very agitated,” in a declaration. Another said in a statement onlookers at the scene expressed their distrust that an  unbiased and objective investigation would be conducted.

While police left him there to maintain the integrity of evidence for outside investigators, Nelson’s body was outside on a day the temperature peaked at 90 degrees.

In the attending officers’ statements, one reported family members “expressed their hatred that the decedent’s body was left exposed on the ground for so long.” Another said that early in the day, one man near the scene’s perimeter yelled at a Sheriff’s Office deputy, and threatened to kill him and all police in Hoopa. Another person reportedly made hand gestures mimicking an imaginary pistol.

Ultimately, given the growing tension and extended travel time, the DOJ gave local police the go-ahead to move the body. The Sheriff’s Office coroner, who had staged nearby earlier, arrived at 4:45 p.m. to collect the body.

By the time the coroner saw Nelson, there were flies swarming and his body was bloated, the coroner’s testimony said.

It was the first time the DOJ investigated an officer-involved-shooting in the county. Documents reveal the novel effort came with hiccups, stemming from the isolation of Humboldt County and the untested nature of the new system.

Today, over two and a half years after his death, the investigations’ findings have yet to be released, but a spokesperson from the DOJ emphasized these investigations must be comprehensive and thorough.

Meanwhile, Nelson’s family is seeking a jury trial in an ongoing wrongful death and civil rights lawsuit.

The day in question, according to records

Around 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 17, “Willie” Nelson and two passengers in a silver Volkswagen Jetta were driving along State Route 96 to go fishing.

CHP officer Neil Johnson (followed by a Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputy, David Brooks, in another police car) attempted to pull the car over for violations like a broken windshield and malfunctioning brake lights, but Nelson kept driving, according to Brooks’ partially redacted statement released by the Humboldt County Sheriff through the Police Records Access Project.

According to the statement, Nelson resembled a warrant subject officers were looking for. Later, dispatch told Brooks that he had an outstanding misdemeanor bookable warrant for his arrest, on suspected charges of assault and battery.

But after the patrol vehicles turned on their lights, Nelson reportedly accelerated, drove south of the Hoopa Mini Mart down an unpaved road onto Mesket Lane, jumped out of the vehicle at a turnout and fled on foot into the brush.

One passenger later told police Nelson only said “they pulled out behind me,” before he got out of the car, despite the passenger urging him to just pull over.

Photo of William Nelson, via GoFundMe.

While Deputy Brooks stayed with the passengers in the Jetta, officer Johnson pursued Nelson on foot.

Johnson, who had been assigned at the Willow Creek Resident Post for the past three years, had to hop several fences on the path while chasing Nelson in a semi-circle, approximately 200 yards before catching up with him and getting into a physical altercation.

Despite the spread of investigative documents released through the Police Records Access Project, what exactly happened during the physical altercation isn’t entirely clear yet. Johnson did not have a body camera on him during the altercation, which took place in the yard of a home. Johnson was interviewed by the Department of Justice with his attorney present, but copies are currently restricted.

At the end of the chase, Nelson was shot dead by Johnson, who in turn had facial injuries and a bite mark on his leg from the altercation, in which he deployed his taser.

Details in other documents tell pieces of the story.

One witness who lived in a nearby home told police they heard something like “put your hands up” after seeing glimpses of Nelson fleeing from his car and Johnson chasing after him.

Then they heard gunshots and the same commands repeated. The witness estimated this occurred in just under a minute, when being interviewed by police.

One Jetta passenger later told police they heard three gunshots in a row, less than a few minutes after Nelson jumped from the car. The Sheriff’s Office deputy stated he similarly heard three to four gunshots.

According to a statement from Deputy Matthew Froeming, who was called as backup, he arrived at the scene and Johnson flagged him down. 

“I observed Officer Johnson now kneeling on the ground in a grassy area. I observed Officer Johnson roll a male subject who appeared to be handcuffed onto their back,” Froeming said in his statement.

“Upon getting closer to Officer Johnson, I observed him to be breathing heavy and coughing. I observed Officer Johnson’s uniform to be disheveled, covered in dirt and his arms covered in blood. I also noticed Officer Johnson’s taser holster was empty.”

Froeming found Nelson’s chest to be covered in blood, checked his pulse and noticed he eyes were open but he was not moving, and called in medical assistance. Nelson was declared dead at 8:11 a.m.

At the time, Johnson told Froeming his head hurt and had a bite injury. The deputy reported seeing swelling and redness on Johnson’s face.

The lawsuit filed by his family alleges Nelson put his hands up after Johnson pointed his taser at the man, an altercation ensued, and Nelson ran away again, with Johnson then deploying the taser at Nelson’s back.

“After the Taser was successfully deployed, another altercation ensued, wherein Johnson fired the lethal shots.” 

The lawsuit alleges Nelson was lying flat on his back at the time of the shots. 

“Even though Johnson was not faced with an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury and had less than lethal alternatives available to subdue [Nelson] and to take [Nelson] into custody, including redeploying the Taser or using his police baton, Johnson did not exhaust these alternatives,” the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit alleges Johnson failed to issue warnings he would use force, calling the shooting “excessive and unreasonable,” due to a “lack of immediate threat” to anyone.

The Investigation

Despite the time it took for state investigators to reach the scene, local police began working immediately to capture key evidence.

The county’s Critical Incident Response Team secured the scene, interviewed passengers, checked with nearby residents, took photos and collected evidence.

According to a list of police assignments from the day, 29 officers across eight law enforcement departments were on it.

CHP investigators processed Johnson’s firearm from his belt (which was video recorded and observed by police from other agencies). According to counts from the firearm, there was a potential for three or four rounds to have been fired. Later, investigators found a total of three expended shell casings near where Nelson was shot, and found four bullet wounds noted in his autopsy.

Local police notified the Department of Justice immediately, after determining the case could meet the qualifications for the state office to investigate the shooting.

Under AB 1506, a state assembly bill that went into effect in 2021, the California Attorney General’s Office must investigate shootings of unarmed people by police, a measure aimed at adding transparency and accountability to these types of investigations.

But in this case, it also meant Nelson’s body was in view of his family after he was shot in the chest, due to agents’ eventual travel time of over seven hours.

DOJ officials told local police to not touch or disturb the body in any way before DOJ personnel arrived, according to police statements in the documents.

“It was terrible. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it,” officer Jason Esselman, a spokesperson for the Humboldt Area CHP, told the Outpost when asked about the delay in moving Nelson’s body.

He said because it was the first time the DOJ has worked in the county for this type of incident, the communication channels hadn’t been smoothed out.

Photo via CHP Humboldt.

The downside of the system, he said, is the long travel time to outlying areas.

But he’s hopeful the kinks have since been worked out, noting that it’s been a couple years since and the DOJ has learned more on investigating these types of incidents.

“As of today, they’ve got a better process, more current investigations are going quicker,” he added.

Since then, the DOJ “has attempted to strategically place agents assigned to [California Police Shooting Investigation Teams] in every DOJ regional office in order to cover a wider geographical area, which has greatly improved our response times,” Alexandra Duquet, a spokesperson for the department said in an emailed response to questions from the Outpost.

This includes regional offices in Sacramento, Dublin and Fresno. Tasked with covering all of Northern California, the offices are currently staffed with 8 Special Agents, 2 Special Agent Supervisors and 1 Special Agent in Charge, the spokesperson said.

Local police did end up transporting Nelson’s body.

HCSO Sgt. Blake Massaro spoke with a DOJ special agent over the phone, advising him of the increasing hostility “progressing changes in the safety and security of personnel on scene,” according to a police report.

The DOJ agent said they were still a ways away and authorized local police to have the Coroner collect the body.

During the autopsy, performed five days later and attended by investigators from multiple agencies, the examiner found Nelson had three gunshot wounds and one graze wound on his body. One shot entered his chest and exited near his left armpit. The second entered his left upper arm. The third entered his right forearm, while the fourth grazed his left abdomen. 

The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the chest, according to an autopsy report. The medical examiner, Dr. James N. Olson, found he was shot while “in close proximity while struggling with a law enforcement officer.”

Nelson’s body was also found with taser prongs in his lower back. He had  methamphetamine and fentanyl in his system, according to the toxicology report contained in the documents. One of the passengers reported to police he had a bad fentanyl habit and had not slept in a couple of days, according to a police summary of the interview.

Johnson’s taser was found tossed in a bush with one cartridge used. He had a bite mark on his leg and bruising on the left side of his face, according to police documents, and was transported to the hospital.

For the investigation into Nelson’s death, the DOJ is reviewing CHP policies on foot pursuits, disengagement and requesting backup, according to emails exchanged between the agencies obtained through a public records act request.

In part of CHP’s foot pursuit policy, obtained through a public records act request, officers are instructed to discontinue foot pursuits if the suspect is identified and could be apprehended later, or if officer safety is in jeopardy.

After being put on administrative leave, Johnson has returned to work at CHP Humboldt, the CHP confirmed. The agency declined to comment on the administrative review or length of time he was on leave through a spokesperson, who cited the lawsuit.

Lawsuit argues Nelson ‘posed no immediate threat’

Filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, the latest version of a lawsuit filed by Nelson’s family members names the state of California and Johnson as defendants.

The suit, filed in federal court in Dec. 2024, claims Nelson’s constitutional rights were violated — including rights protecting him against unreasonable search and seizure, excessive force, denial of medical care and battery. It also argues there was a lack of due process for the family.

The lawsuit argues Johnson failed to assess whether he needed to pursue Nelson on foot and use deadly force, stating Nelson was experiencing a mental health crisis.

“They had no information that any person was at risk of harm or danger; they had no information about the decedent’s background or history; they did not see the decedent act in a violent, threatening, or aggressive manner; they had no information that a crime was being or about to be committed by the decedent; and they had no information that the decedent was armed with any weapon,” the lawsuit says.

It argues that because Nelson was not armed with a gun or a knife at any point during the incident he “posed no immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury” to Johnson or others.

The state and Johnson deny these allegations, from the law firm Dean Gazzo Roistacher LLP. A response, filed in court, points out Nelson “willfully and unlawfully used force and violence upon Officer Johnson and provoked the altercation,” the response said.

“The force employed, to prevent the continuance of such conduct was reasonable and not excessive,” the document said. The response also stated the actions of Johnson were taken in response to an emergency situation, and there was reasonable cause to make an arrest.

The family calls for a jury trial, and is seeking damages including for pre-death pain and suffering and wrongful death damages, funeral and burial expenses, loss of financial support, punitive damages against individual defendants, and attorney fees.

Previously, the plaintiffs’ claims for damages in March 2024 were rejected by the state. The suit has been steadily marching through the court process, after it was moved to federal court from the Humboldt County Superior Court.

Attorneys for Nelson’s family, and those representing Johnson and the state, did not return a request for comment on the lawsuit.

Attorney General’s Office says investigations must be ‘comprehensive and thorough’ 

Since the shooting, Nelson’s name has remained on a list of current cases as “under investigation,” on the DOJ website.

Nine other cases predate Nelson’s in the caseload, going as far back as Dec. 2022. There’s currently a total of 55 cases the agency is investigating.

The Attorney General’s office has been tasked with investigating police shootings of unarmed people since 2021.

The change aimed to have an independent, statewide prosecutor that would ultimately review potential for criminal liability. This bill was passed shortly after George Floyd was murdered by officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Humboldt County District Attorney Stacey Eads said in an email that while the office was briefed on the incident early on, the investigation was essentially handed over to the AG. The CHP similarly is uninvolved with the investigation.

“If they determine criminal charges against the involved officer are warranted, the A.G. holds responsibility of initiating and prosecuting a criminal action against the officer,” Eads told the Outpost in a email.

The Attorney General’s office has not yet prosecuted an officer under the bill since it went into effect.

But the DOJ spokesperson pointed out the bill doesn’t only focus on criminal charges.

“Our Police Practices Section looks at each case and evaluates a department’s policies, practices, training, and decision-making related to the incident. We look carefully at the totality of the case, and in each of our cases, we’ve issued a report that often includes recommendations to improve the overall response of our law enforcement partners,” the DOJ spokesperson said in an email. 

Reporting from CalMatters has found that the department wasn’t given as much funding as the office needed to take on these lengthy, complicated investigations, for the entire state.

And with years-long delays in the findings of investigations being released, some families are concerned about the new system. 

The DOJ pointed out that, by nature, the investigations are incredibly complex and must be taken seriously.

“These investigations must be comprehensive, and thorough. Our Division of Law Enforcement California Police Shooting Investigation Teams work to ensure we’ve done our absolute due diligence, such as interviewing and contacting every possible witness, gathering and reviewing all forensic evidence, and looking into all the angles,” the DOJ spokesperson said.

“It’s also important to remember that as part of the investigative process, the facts are reviewed by both our Special Prosecutions Section and our Police Practices Section for analysis which contribute to the final action or report that is produced. Further in recognition of the enormous responsibility associated with these events every single AB1506 report and recommendation is personally reviewed in depth and approved by the Attorney General himself as the culmination of this process,” she added.

A spokesperson for a co-author of the bill, then-Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (now mayor of Sacramento), declined a request for comment.

The first investigation of its kind here showed the system wasn’t initially set up with Humboldt County in mind — the trial run came with problems due to the area’s isolation, a common story with state mandates.

But the DOJ has recently completed an investigation into a shooting that happened around the same time as Nelson’s death.

“This is an active investigation and to protect its integrity, we cannot comment on it. All investigations are unique in their complexity, and some may take longer than others to investigate and reach a conclusion. These investigations must be comprehensive, and thorough,” the DOJ statement said.

PREVIOUSLY:

• Sheriff’s Office Releases Name of CHP Officer Who Shot Unarmed Hoopa Man, Reiterates That the State Dept. of Justice is Leading the Investigation
• Sheriff’s Office Releases More Info on Sunday’s Officer-Involved Shooting in Hoopa
• Officer-Involved Shooting in Hoopa Leaves Suspect Dead; HCSO and DA’s Office Investigating

Clara Joan Bakke of Eureka was born on August 22, 1928, and passed away on May 23, 2026.

She is survived by her sons Randy (Kathy) and Michael (Sandy). Also surviving Clara is her sister Carol Steward of Lakeview, Oregon. Preceding Clara in death were her husband Orville, son Steve, and seven siblings.

Clara was one of nine children who grew up in northern Minnesota with parents Frank and Josephine Griffith. Her mother passed away at age 34, leaving her father and nine children ranging from six weeks to 14 years old. Clara met Orville and they married in Bemidji on December 7, 1946, where they soon started a family. They moved to Eureka in 1955, where they raised their family. Clara and Orville were married for 65 years until Orville’s passing in 2012.

Clara worked for many years at Cloney’s Red Cross Pharmacy in Eureka. She loved flowers and always had a colorful display in her yard. She also loved to bake and always seemed to be in the kitchen baking pies, cookies, and cakes. But what truly made her happy and put a big smile on her face was her family. Clara loved being a grandma to Brian, Lauren, Erik, Annie, Cindy, and Jeff, as well as a great-grandma to A.J., Kate, and Rhett. They loved her so much. Clara will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

No services will be held, as per Clara’s request.

Earl was born on November 24, 1959, to Roger and Ada McAllister in Sacramento. He grew up in Humboldt County. His early years were spent in Trinidad, later in Eureka and Cutten’s Northridge area. His father, being a commercial fisherman and owner of the F/V Irish Rose, F/V Ruby, and F/V Miss Joanne, Earl learned the trade of fisherman very early in his life and became a very skilled and well-known commercial fisherman and captain.

Earl graduated from Eureka High School in 1977 and immediately began his lifelong career as a fisherman. He fished all up and down the California coast and even passed through the Panama Canal and continued to fish the Gulf of Mexico for a while before returning to the Eureka area. He became captain of the F/V Alex for years in his 20s. In 1987 he fished his first time in the Bering Sea off Alaska. He continued fishing the Bering Sea as first mate and engineer on the F/V Silver Ice for 10 years until 1997, when he met the love he would spend the rest of his life with, Mary Waite, in Sacramento, California. Together they moved to Humboldt County in December 1999. Earl had a job fishing with Hunter’s Offshore Enterprises, Inc. the same day he moved back to the Eureka area. He worked for the Hunters on several different fishing boats. He eventually became captain of the F/V Fishwish, an achievement he was proud of.

In January 2021 Earl became very ill with congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. He continued as captain of the F/V Fishwish until September 2023, when his illness made it impossible to continue. His final years were spent at home with Mary caring for him as he progressively got worse. Earl was released from his pain and earthly body on March 30, 2026.

Earl was preceded in death by his father, Roger “Butch” McAllister; his brother, Keith McAllister; his niece, Brianna McAllister; stepson Randy Waite II; brother-in-law Kelly Permenter; and nephew Richard Nelson.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Waite; his mother, Ada McAllister; his sister, JoAnne Permenter; stepdaughter Lisa Waite of Elk Grove; step-granddaughters Mia, Lyla, and Autumn; nieces Daniele Vincente and Chandel Nelson; many great-nieces and great-nephews; his foster brother, Robert Stockoff; and his brother-in-law, Eric “Richard” Nelson.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Earl McCallister’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

On May 28, 2026, Officers with the Eureka Police Department (EPD) conducted a Shoulder Tap operation focused on the illegal purchase of flavored tobacco products for individuals under the age of 21.

Throughout the operation, two minors contacted a total of 12 individuals. Of those contacted, six individuals agreed to purchase flavored tobacco products for the minors. After the purchases were completed, officers contacted the individuals and issued citations for furnishing tobacco products to a person under the age of 21.

The Eureka Police Department remains committed to protecting the health and safety of youth in the community by addressing illegal access to tobacco and nicotine products. Flavored tobacco products continue to be a concern due to their appeal to younger individuals and their role in contributing to nicotine addiction among teens and young adults.

EPD would like to remind the public that California law prohibits the sale or furnishing of tobacco and nicotine products to anyone under the age of 21. Violations may result in criminal citations and fines.

PREVIOUSLY

• Construction of Indianola Undercrossing and Other Safety Corridor Improvements Set to Begin This Spring
• Caltrans Breaks Ground on Indianola Undercrossing and Half Signal at Airport Road
• Caltrans Completes Phase 1 of Indianola Undercrossing Project; New Traffic Restrictions to Take Effect Next Week

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Drive north along Highway 101 anytime between 5 and 6:30 p.m. the last few years, and, when you near the Bayside Cutoff, you get the thrill of wondering if the car in front of the line 10 cars long spilling up the road is going to pull out in front of you while you’re doing 50-something down the freeway — or watch them do it, and participate in a split-second negotiation between the side of your brain that wants to pound the brakes, and the side that thinks they’ll make it to the other side. Fun! 

Today, the Indianola Undercrossing officially opened, hopefully making it less likely people heading east have to play Frogger IRL. (And people going north don’t have to worry about squishing them.) Several dozen people attended the official ribbon cutting hosted by Caltrans, many of them nearby residents excited about the convenience the underpass opening offers them. One of them, Nancy, told the Outpost that she’d lived in Indianola since 1976 and was glad that she could go straight from her house to the highway and head south. Another said she was “ecstatic.” 

The route across the highway to Indianola has been closed since 2024, when Caltrans started work on the underpass. Last year, Caltrans opened the segment over the highway. Now, drivers can safely go underneath the road; it also connects with the Humboldt Bay Trail so cyclists and pedestrians can use the undercrossing as well. The underside is bedecked with bas-relief etchings of marsh grasses and egrets, as well as some abstract swirls.

The underpassing’s official name is the Brad Mettam Memorial Interchange, after a retired Caltrans employee who died unexpectedly in 2024. Brad’s widow, Diane, spoke at the ceremony and cut the ribbon. She, and the Caltrans employees who spoke at the opening, said Mettam was an enthusiastic man, dedicated to his family, his work, and the Rotary Club. 

Caltrans designated the six-mile stretch from Arcata to Eureka a safety corridor in 2002, after years of drivers speeding across the perpendicular intersections resulted in dozens of fatal accidents. Accidents at the old Indianola Cutoff and Mid-City Motor World intersections were more than twice as likely to result in death or serious injury than the average intersection. Caltrans called the new underpass a “major” safety upgrade, and said they expected it to save lives and prevent collisions. California Highway Patrol Captain Samuel Griffith said at the event that it was a “tremendous” step forward for safety along the corridor. Griffith said there had been over 100 crashes during the last five years, 12 of them seriously injuring the victims. Two were fatal.

At least one person isn’t happy about the project’s completion. “What a waste of 50 million dollars!” yelled one cyclist, whipping by on the Bay Trail, clearly oblivious: it only cost $46 million.

Press release from the Yurok Tribe:

The free-flying condors over Yurok ancestral territory all appeared healthy in their annual spring health checkups.

With all exams complete, none of the birds have tested high enough in circulating blood lead to require treatment. Only one bird had a slightly elevated blood level, indicating exposure.

Condors A1 (studbook 969), and A0 (studbook 973) were the first of the flock to nest this spring, but it was determined last month that the egg was not viable. Based on a small chance that they might try to re-nest this season, Northern California Condor Restoration Program (NCCRP) staff decided not to trap A0, the female of the pair, to save her undue stress should she be carrying an egg.

Exams are stressful for condors and other wildlife, explained NCCRP Manager Chris West, and it wasn’t worth the risk of complications to a potentially developing egg. A0’s transmitters are currently working properly, and NCCRP was also heartened by the low lead in the rest of the flock.

Examinations also include testing for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (known as bird flu or HPAI) exposure and feather sampling to determine historical lead exposure. Staff and veterinarians gave the birds head to toe physical exams and checked vital signs, weight, and feather growth.

NCCRP staff also replaced six failed radio transmitters and two failed GPS units on the birds, to ensure ongoing monitoring of the flock. Staff use these transmitters to track the birds, giving valuable insights into their movements and behavior. It was this monitoring that helped the team determine A1 and A0 were nesting in first place, as their nest was in too remote a region to visit physically. The monitors can also alert staff to possible illness or injury to a bird, allowing for possible response to render aid.

Throughout the duration of the project, the crew wore N95 respirators per the California Condor Recovery Program Health Team’s protocols to protect staff and birds from the potential of exposure to zoonotic diseases, (infectious diseases which can be spread between non-human animals and humans) especially HPAI.

The next cohort of condors will be transferred to the NCCRP field site in July. They will spend time in the NCCRP flight pen, acclimating to local conditions and getting familiar with each other and the local condors before their release into the wild throughout the fall.

Lead is the single biggest threat to condors in the wild and is responsible for nearly half of released condor mortalities where the cause of death is determined. A tiny lead bullet fragment the size of the head of a pin is enough to kill not only a condor but also vultures and eagles, should they ingest it while scavenging on remains of an animal killed with lead ammunition. These important scavengers remove carcasses from the landscape and are critical in reducing the spread of disease in many game species.

Recent research indicates that big game hunting is unlikely to raise the likelihood of lead ingestion by condors. The responsible switch to lead-free ammunition by big game hunters has made high-use hunting areas safe places for condors to forage. It is likely that individuals who manage the landscape using firearms and who are unfamiliar with more recent laws banning the use of lead ammunition for dispatching wild and domestic animals, coupled with illegal poaching, are the primary source of lead in recently poisoned condors. This makes empowering land managers with information on current laws and assisting them in accessing lead-free ammunition major priorities.

The NCCRP is a collaboration between the Yurok Tribe and Redwood National and State Parks (NPS). To learn more about the Yurok Tribe’s condor restoration work - https://www.yuroktribe.org/yurok-condor-restoration-program

The California Condor Recovery Program is a multi-entity effort, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service working to establish self-sustaining condor populations within the historical range. The program includes addressing threats to the species in the wild; captive breeding; and reintroduction at field sites, like the Northern California Condor Restoration Program. In addition, the program raises awareness about condors and how the public can help support them through individual actions, like making the switch to lead-free ammunition.

Photos below all via the Yurok Tribe:

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The Eureka City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to advance a proposal that, if approved by voters, would double the council and mayor’s monthly stipend — the elected officials’ first wage increase in nearly 40 years. The proposed pay hike is slated for the November ballot.

Since 1988, the council’s monthly stipend has been fixed at $500, with the mayor earning slightly more at $625 per month. (To put those numbers into perspective, the American Institute for Economic Research’s Cost of Living Calculator estimates that $500 in 1988 is equal to roughly $1,370.70 in today’s money, adjusted for inflation.) Given that Eureka is a charter city, any pay increases for elected officials require an amendment to the city’s charter, and any changes to the charter must be approved by voters. 

At a meeting last month, the council directed staff to draft a ballot measure to increase the council and mayor’s monthly stipends to $1,000 and $1,250, respectively, with annual increases to be determined by the city’s Finance Advisory Board and capped at 5%. Some council members felt the pay hike would encourage more working class people to run for local office.

Speaking during public comment at Tuesday’s hearing, Eureka resident Patrick Cloney asserted that the council and mayor are earning more than they’re letting on through “other pay” and benefits.

Cloney | Screenshot.

“I feel like Ricky Ricardo because you all in city hall have some explaining to do,” he said. “The arithmetic from transparentcalifornia.com informs us that, in addition to this regular pay, Mayor Kim [Bergel] and Council[member] Renee [Contreras-DeLoach] saw their other pay increase from $3,325 in 2023 to $4,750 in 2024 along with increases to their significant benefits. Councilmembers Scott [Bauer], Leslie [Castellano] and G. Mario [Fernandez] saw their other pay increase from just over $6,000 in 2023 to $8,350 in 2024, along with increases to their more modest benefits. … Total pay and benefits increased [from] $128,700 to $157,950.”

Following public comment, Councilmember Moulton made a motion to advance the proposed pay hike but asked staff to speak to Cloney’s concerns and clarify the council’s full package of benefits. 

“I think it’s absolutely a legitimate concern,” Moulton noted.

City Manager Miles Slattery said he didn’t have a breakdown of the numbers on hand, but explained that the “majority is related to health insurance.” There are also regular increases associated with CalPERS, the state’s public pension fund.

“I think from 2023 to 2024 [there] have been increases related to health insurance, and that’s why you see some of our council members have health insurance through the city, [while] others have it with their spouse,” Slattery said. “There’s different options for council [members] to either take on the city’s health insurance and be a part of that, or to have their insurance covered in a different way. Some of you have the option of being contributors to CalPERS, which is our retirement system, and others choose not to, so that will vary the compensation for each council member.”

City Clerk Pam Powell said another factor could be the $350 per month car allowance that is available to council members, though she did not indicate who actually uses it.

After some additional discussion, the council voted 4-0, with Councilmember Bauer absent, to advance the proposal. The council will revisit the topic at its June 16 regular meeting.

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A little later in the evening, the Eureka City Council took its first look at the budget forecast for the 2026-27 fiscal year during a joint study session with the city’s Finance Advisory Board. The city’s finance staff are anticipating a $800,000 structural deficit in the General Fund in the coming year, which is about the same as where the city started the current fiscal year.

“We started Fiscal Year 2025-26 with a deficit, and we expect about the same level of deficit next fiscal year,” said Finance Director Lane Millar. “The 25-26 adopted budget showed a deficit of about $800,000. Through cutting materials and supplies, outside services and capital outlay, we made up for those increases in salaries and health insurance, and we were able to actually reduce the size of that budget deficit, but we still have more to go.”

Those increases in health insurance and salaries account for “93% of all increases citywide,” Millar said. Between fiscal years 2024-25 and 2025-26, the city saw a $417,000 increase health insurance costs. Staff are anticipating a $900,000 increase in the next fiscal year. Liability insurance is also on track to go up by another $400,000, as are unfunded liability payments to CalPERS.

City salaries went up by about 5% in Fiscal Year 2045-25, which cost the city roughly $2 million. Salaries are projected to tick up another 3% in the upcoming year. 

“That will cost us roughly a million dollars,” Millar said. “From Fiscal Year 25-26 to Fiscal Year 26-27 these four categories add up to about $2.9 million in increased expenses.”

All told, the city is expecting a 2% increase in General Fund revenues and expenditures. 

In response to Councilmember Contreras-DeLoach’s question about where that estimate came from, Millar said the city contracts with a third party that specializes in budget forecasting. However, Contreras-DeLoach pointed out that the forecast is often wrong.

Contreras-DeLoach | Screenshot

“I feel like I’ve spent three and a half years arguing with these numbers, and we have declined and declined and declined and declined,” she said, referring to the city’s annual revenue. “I totally understand the logic behind [forecasting]; it does make sense, right? You know, ‘Let’s listen to the professionals’ — they’re wrong. They’ve been wrong. … I don’t want to count on an increase. If anything, I would like us to come up with a plan for how we’re going to deal with the decrease, and I don’t want to just pull the money or pull the number out of the air.”

Millar acknowledged that there is a “balancing act” in projecting what may happen with the city’s budget. “I’ve accepted their projections, and I tend to be a little more conservative than they are in general,” he said, referring to the third-party forecaster. “I usually point myself towards the expense side of the income statement to kind of build a buffer for that reality.”

James Kloor, a member of the finance board, asked Millar about the $800,000 deficit and how it was projected to impact the city’s reserves.

“Last year, I believe we ended the year with about $12 million reserves, and that represents about three months of operating capital at the end of this fiscal year,” Millar said. “Due to some unexpected expenses that happened mid-year, our reserve levels will be more like two months or 60 days of reserve. That’s about $9 million instead of that $12 million. Since [it is] below our budget policy of three months [of reserves], I actually have to come up with a financial plan to help guide us to get back to three months, and that will come in at a future meeting.”

Staff will provide a more thorough preview of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year at next week’s city council meeting on Tuesday, June 2. The council is expected to adopt the budget at its June 16 meeting.