McKinleyville Community Services District President Dennis Mayo Arrested on DUI Suspicion

“Dennis Mayo, president of the McKinleyville Community Services District Board and a longtime figure in local civic affairs, was arrested late Friday night around 9:27 p.m. on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to the Humboldt County jail booking log.”

The Humboldt County booking record shows Mayo was booked on two misdemeanor counts: driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher. The arresting agency listed is the California Highway Patrol and the booking information indicates Mayo was later released on his own recognizance. “According to the booking information, Mayo was later released on his own recognizance.”

Mayo is identified in reporting as president of the McKinleyville Community Services District board. Public records and local materials note he was first elected to the MCSD board on September 10, 2008. Mayo’s long civic resume includes past service on the Humboldt County Planning Commission, current service on the statewide Board of the Association of California Water Agencies and on the ACWA Region 1 Board, work as a lobbyist for the California Commercial Beach Fisherman’s Association, founding membership in the Humboldt Open Door Clinic, and work as an organic rancher and horse breeder. He has also been active with Pony Express Days, the McKinleyville Rodeo Association, and the California State Grange.

A November 2021 McKinleyville CSD municipal service review and sphere of influence update lists a board table showing Dennis Mayo as president with a term expiration of December 2022, and identifies fellow directors David Couch, Scott Binder, Joellen Clark-Peterson, and Greg Orsini with their respective term expirations. That MSR also cites MCSD Ordinance 2012-01, which set board compensation at $125 per meeting up to a maximum of $750 per month, and notes regular board meetings are scheduled Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. at Azalea Hall unless otherwise noticed. The 2021 document is dated and its December 2022 term expirations reflect the status at that time; it does not, by itself, establish continuous incumbency through 2026.

Context for public safety in the McKinleyville area comes from MSR-cited 2020 statistics: local fire stations answered more than 3,000 service calls in 2020, including 57 structure fires, 79 vehicle accidents, and over 1,500 medical incidents. The McKinleyville substation of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office responded to over 13,000 calls for service in 2020, conducted 217 arrests, and filed 295 felony and 572 misdemeanor reports, accounting for roughly 21 percent of total county service calls that year.

Public records reviewed do not show a numeric BAC result, a CHP incident number or specific roadway location for the stop, nor court filings or an arraignment date at the time of publication. “Please remember, however, an arrest is not a conviction.” An online comment attached to the public posting of the arrest report described Mayo as “a handsome man with white hair and flowing mustache,” and one reader wrote, “And, don’t forget, he’s a republican …” Local observers and court dockets will determine whether CHP incident reports or Humboldt County Superior Court filings produce further details or set a date for next steps involving Mayo and the McKinleyville Community Services District.