News Analysis

City Manager Ray Kerridge oversees a city government that is struggling with major controversies in its Community Development and Utilities departments.

Council members are reacting to claims in a Jan. 6 grand jury report that the city may be breaking Proposition 218, a state law that mandates how city funds are used.

City officials are also confronting findings from an investigation into the department’s approval last year of 35 permits in a Natomas flood zone. The offices of the city attorney and city manager note in a recent report that the department broke federal rules by approving the permits.

The report lists new issues, including possible violations of city planning rules, that involve the building services division of the development department.

And the Sacramento Bee is reporting that Advantage Demolition & Engineering gained city contracts by allegedly turning in fake paperwork. The city has fired the firm, which was supposed to install water meters, the Bee reported.

While Kerridge runs the city government, Mayor Kevin Johnson and the City Council have not specifically discussed Kerridge’s role in the city’s troubles at recent public meetings.

In the spirit of accountability and transparency that Johnson, the City Council and Kerridge himself have championed, the Sacramento Press wonders: What is Kerridge’s role in current city problems?

The Sacramento Press asked city spokeswoman Amy Williams if Kerridge could answer that question and others in a phone interview on Friday afternoon or Monday morning. Williams said Kerridge was away from the office Friday afternoon and asked The Sacramento Press to e-mail questions to her. Kerridge e-mailed The Sacramento Press with a response Monday morning.

In his e-mail, Kerridge said that he is facing many issues that began before he became city manager in 2006.

“The greater majority of these issues like Proposition 218 predated my administration,” Kerridge said. “Because we have made it a priority to be transparent, when we have discovered these issues, we have addressed them and done it in public. When you do this, there are risks, and it can be very uncomfortable, but it is the right thing to do.”

Kerridge said that problems at city departments are being addressed.

“There are obvious areas that need to be improved and those improvements are being made,” he said. “For instance, multi-level checks and balances have been put in to place to address Community Development’s (front) counter operations. I have always been an advocate for systematic audits on all departments and I still am.”

City Councilman Steve Cohn said that while Kerridge may not have been city manager at the start of some of the Prop. 218 problems, the issues have been ongoing. “He’s certainly responsible for fixing the problem,” Cohn said.

Read the full list of questions and Kerridge’s response at the end of this story.

Johnson on Kerridge's Role

Meanwhile, Johnson is expressing multiple views of Kerridge. Johnson says he supports Kerridge but also says that voters should scrap the city manager position in favor of a strong mayor system.

Johnson acknowledges that Kerridge, as city manager, is ultimately in charge of the city departments facing problems.

He calls himself "a fan" of Kerridge but doesn't criticize him for controversies in the Utilities and Community Development departments under his control.

Johnson’s comments at a Tuesday press conference in Oak Park last week revealed his views of Kerridge.

Johnson openly acknowledges that the city government is facing multiple problems.

“There seems to be a pattern of mismanagement or poor judgement,” Johnson said. “What this does, it creates a sense of cynicism and lack of trust with the public.”

But despite the list of issues with two departments under Kerridge's authority, Johnson expressed his support for the city manager in response to a question from Capital Public Radio's Ben Adler.

“The utilities department falls under the responsibility of Ray Kerridge, so does the planning department,” Adler said to Johnson. “You’ve said repeatedly you’re a really big fan of Ray Kerridge. Has your position changed at all?”

“No, I’m a huge fan of Ray Kerridge,” Johnson responded. Then, in his next comment, Johnson conceded that “all of these things fall, in some shape or form, under his [Kerridge's] jurisdiction.”

“He’s not denying that,” Johnson said.

While Johnson said these problems have occurred under Kerridge's watch, and that Kerridge runs the city government, Johnson did not criticize Kerridge.

Instead, Johnson turned the discussion to argue in support of a strong mayor government. “That’s why I believe very strongly that we can change our form of government to an executive mayor form of government,” he said, noting that decisions and choices would then be made by someone elected by the public.

Johnson further said that a strong mayor would be held accountable by the public. In addition, he said in defense of Kerridge, the city manager must deal with competing visions of council members and the mayor, Johnson said.

“I think Ray Kerridge gets caught in the middle," Johnson said. “He has nine bosses. Who in here would want nine bosses? I mean, you can’t get anything done with nine bosses.”

Questions for Kerridge

The Sacramento Press asked Kerridge for comment on the Prop. 218 issue, the company that the city hired to install water meters and the problems with the Community Development Department. The list of questions follows:

What is your role in these issues?

How much responsibility do you feel you have for these problems?

Referring to current controversies in city departments, Johnson said this week that "all of these things fall, in some shape or form, under his [Kerridge's] jurisdiction." However, he is not publicly criticizing you or faulting you for these problems. Can you comment on that?

What are your plans to make sure these kinds of problems don't happen again?

When Johnson said these things fall under your jurisdiction, he then argued for a strong mayor form of government. In what ways, if any, has the form of government in the city affected these problems?

Are you retiring this year?

Kerridge’s Response

Kerridge provided the following e-mailed response to the questions Monday:

My style of leadership requires transparency and openness in our organization. I have created an environment that encourages change and
challenges us to look at our systems. The greater majority of these issues like Proposition 218 predated my administration. Because we have made it a priority to be transparent, when we have discovered these issues, we have addressed them and done it in public. When you do this, there are risks and it can be very uncomfortable but it is the right thing to do. Improvement is a continuous process and we should never be satisfied with the status quo.

There are obvious areas that need to be improved and those improvements are being made. For instance, multi-level checks and balances have been put in to place to address Community Development’s counter operations. I have always been an advocate for systematic audits on all departments and I still am. I am dedicated to serving this community and the City of Sacramento.

Photos by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.