City of Davis City Council Councilmember Will Arnold

Will Arnold has lived in Davis his whole life and attended Davis Senior High School. He was first elected to the Davis City Council in June of 2016, was re-elected in November of 2020, and was appointed mayor in January of 2023. Arnold is currently a public information officer for Caltrans. He previously served as the district representative for state Senator Lois Wolk. He currently lives in North Davis with his wife, Nichole, and his three children, Reecy, Sonya, and Dougie.

First Elected: June 2016

Alma Maters: Davis Senior High School, University of Oregon (bachelor’s degree in political science) 

Day Job: Media affairs manager at Caltrans 

Other Positions Held: Former Chair, Yolo County Housing Authority; Former president, Blue & White Foundation (which serves the students at Davis Senior High School); former Board of Directors member, Summer House (which provides services for adults with developmental disabilities); volunteer public address announcer, Davis Senior High School Football, Boys’ Basketball and Robotics Competitions; chair, Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency Joint Powers Authority; Board of Directors member, Yolo Habitat Conservancy

Board and Committee Assignments: Historical Resources Management Commission; Tree Commissionx; Chamber of Commerce 2x2; City/Davis Downtown 2x2; City/Davis Joint Unified School District 2x2; City/Visit YOLO 2x2

Notable Quotes: “It’s the honor of a lifetime to become mayor of the community that raised me. It’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly, and I look forward to continuing my work on behalf of our community and the generations to come in this important new role.” (Source: Daily Democrat) 

“We saw this housing crisis and we took it head on.” (Source: Davis Vanguard) 

“Systemic racism is embedded in every part of our society, in every institution, including healthcare, education, business, housing and yes, political leadership. But it is our system of policing and criminal justice where the consequences of systemic racism are the most troubling and severe, including people of color avoiding police interaction, living in fear, losing their freedoms, or being killed.” (Source: Davis Vanguard)