On January 7, 2012, Sacramento city staff held a public meeting about the newest proposal to change the city charter, the “Checks and Balances Act of 2012.” However, this public meeting was not announced to the general public—instead it was directed at a small group of neighborhood leaders. I found out about the meeting via the chair of the Midtown Neighborhood Association, who received an email on December 27: From: Raihane Dalvi Date: December 27, 2011 2:19:11 PM PST To: Raihane Dalvi Subject: Checks and Balances Act of 2012 Dear Neighborhood Leader, I'm writing to request your participation in an important discussion before the city of Sacramento. As you may know, a broad coaliti

Much has been written about Gus Vina in the press over the past 14 months. After becoming Sacramento’s interim city manager, Vina faced a multitude challenges on various fronts. Budgets shortfalls, permit controversies, and varying levels of support from the City Council were just some of the hurdles Vina had to bear. In the end, Vina tendered his resignation, effective today. I met with him late Wednesday afternoon as he finished cleaning out his office to talk about his time as interim city manager, his plans going forward and the possible future of Sacramento. Here’s what we spoke about: Isaac Gonzalez: You took the position of interim city manager after Ray Kerridge resigned in Febru

Interim City Manager Gus Vina’s resignation comes just weeks before the city must propose a budget for the next fiscal year. In Sacramento’s city government, the city manager prepares a proposed budget and the City Council makes final budget decisions. Vina told the Sacramento Press on Friday afternoon that the proposed budget will be on time even though he is leaving April 8. “We are very close to finishing the proposed budget,” Vina said. “It will be ready to meet the May 1 deadline … I committed to council that I would get the budget done and I will.” He said he was leaving because he was not supported by the full City Council. “I need to move on and pursue other opportunities becaus

The Greater London Authority has created a website called London Datastore. I learned of the GLA and the London Datastore in article in one of the January Time magazines titled “London: Turning Access into Apps” by Mark Halper. The article is part of a series titled “Intelligent Cities.” It was this specific article that started me thinking. Although London, England, is a very different city from Sacramento in so many ways, would this open access to municipal government data work in Sacramento? The GLA (a cross-borough agency) has directed all London government agencies and civil servants to dump all their data into the Datastore. The data is then available to citizens and groups to min

The past year was a big one for resignations, promotions and elections of Sacramento city officials. Twelve personnel changes took place at City Hall involving elected and appointed leaders and city staffers in 2010. A major change was in the city manager position, which was replete with drama and press conferences. When former City Manager Ray Kerridge resigned in March, the city was wrestling with a host of issues. The Sacramento County Grand Jury had released a report in January saying the city may have broken state law Proposition 218. Utilities fees from ratepayers must correspond to the costs of delivering the utilities services, the law states.  At the same time, the city was dea

Interim City Manager Gus Vina said Tuesday that he would like to serve as Sacramento’s next permanent city manager. The City Council held a private meeting on Tuesday to discuss the council’s plans for hiring a city manager. The council did not discuss the details of the private meeting at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. It’s unclear at this point if the council will search for a city manager outside of City Hall. The timeline for the council’s hiring process also remains unclear. Meanwhile, Vina is expressing his interest in the permanent job. “When I took the position, I understood it was interim and that they can discuss the interim status and appointment at any time up to Marc

In her State of the City address Monday, Roseville Mayor Gina Garbolino acknowledged the punch the Galleria arson dealt the city last month. “Certainly, the fire is a blow to the Galleria and city, but hardly a knockout punch. Roseville is tougher than that,” she said. Roseville’s innovative city programs and services as well as its careful resource planning assure the city’s continued role as a regional leader, she said. Garbolino said she oversaw the “second-best era” for Roseville. “I absolutely believe the very best is still to come.” Garbolino became mayor in 2008. She also previously served as mayor from 2004 to 2006. With Macy’s and Nordstrom now open and JC Penney scheduled to

Former Sacramento City Manager Ray Kerridge will earn $237,300 as city manager of Roseville. He also will earn $21,357 in deferred compensation. His contract was approved by the Roseville City Council at a May 19 meeting. “He brings with him a lot of experience that we all feel the city of Roseville can utilize as we go into our future,” Roseville Mayor Gina Garbolino said. Kerridge, who earned $215,000 as Sacramento’s city manager, will start work in Roseville on June 17. The city will save $65,000 with Kerridge’s contract in comparison to that of former City Manager Craig Robinson, Garbolino said. Kerridge said in an interview earlier this month that he was recruited for the Rosevil

The city’s development department will face a culture change, according to Sacramento Interim City Manager Gus Vina. Employees at the Community Development Department will go through a re-training process, Vina told residents Monday at a Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting in Midtown. The development department has been immersed in controversies in recent months. Employees will be informed about the results of a third-party audit when it is complete, Vina said. An outside firm is examining claims that the department let developers sidestep fee payments to the city. “All the employees need to be very aware of the audit findings” and the culture for the department that the city wants, Vi

After resigning from the city of Sacramento in March, controversial former City Manager Ray Kerridge did not travel far for his next major assignment: He’s now the city manager of Roseville. The Roseville City Council chose Kerridge for the position Thursday in a 4-1 vote. Kerridge was the choice out of 63 candidates for the job. Roseville Mayor Gina Garbolino said in an interview Thursday that Kerridge is the “right person for Roseville at this time.” Various Sacramento officials offered differing reasons in February for why Kerridge decided to leave the city. Sacramento city spokeswoman Amy Williams said Kerridge resigned from his post because he had dedicated more than 35 years to pu

Interim City Manager Gus Vina responded to questions from six neighborhood activists in an April 9 interview with The Sacramento Press. The following are Vina’s responses to questions from three neighborhood activists. Read Vina’s responses to questions from three other involved citizens in an April 12 story at The Sacramento Press.  Question from Sacramento resident Dale Kooyman: (Ray Kerridge) felt residents did not know what was best for their quality of life when it came to communicating with city staff, historic preservation, streets, sidewalks, traffic, transportation, planning projects and related early notification, neighborhood-serving businesses, fiscal matters, entertainment a

Gus Vina will earn a salary of $215,000 for his duties as Sacramento’s interim city manager. The City Council approved Vina’s salary Tuesday night. Vina’s salary is the same amount that former City Manager Ray Kerridge earned, said Geri Hamby, the city’s human resources director. Vina will serve as interim city manager for nine to 12 months before the City Council hires a permanent city manager. He recently told The Sacramento Press that he plans to apply for the permanent city manager position. The salary range for the Sacramento city manager position is $187, 357-to-$281,035, according to a March 23 report that Hamby sent to the City Council. The city manager's salary is determined b

The Sacramento Press wants your neighborhood-related questions for Interim City Manager Gus Vina, the city’s highest-ranking official. What issues or concerns do you have about your neighborhood? What do you think the city government should do to improve your neighborhood? Write your questions in the comments section at the bottom of this article. Questions for Vina can also be e-mailed to kathleen@sacramentopress.com. The Sacramento Press will choose several questions from community members for Vina to answer. Vina was chosen as interim city manager by Mayor Kevin Johnson and the eight City Council members and will serve for nine to 12 months. He replaced Ray Kerridge, who resigned fr

Sacramento’s business community has said repeatedly that former City Manager Ray Kerridge established a customer-service culture in the city’s development department. At the same time, the department is wracked with investigations into possible breaches of laws. Now that Kerridge has left the city — March 11 12 was his last day of work — how will the culture of the Community Development Department change? New leadership and the findings from an audit are two upcoming developments that may change the department. The recent resignations of Kerridge and department director Bill Thomas have created job openings. At this point, both positions are being held by interim officials. Gus Vina is i

Gus Vina, already serving as acting city manager, has been selected to be the interim city manager for the following nine-to-12 months. City Manager Ray Kerridge resigned last month and will leave his post Friday. Kerridge has said he’s taking a private sector position, but has not yet announced where that position will be. Mayor Kevin Johnson and several council members held a press conference Wednesday to announce Vina’s new position. “And I think it’s very clear to all of us that (Kerridge) has very big shoes that we need to fill,” Johnson said. “And we feel that we found the right person to fill his shoes in a very short timeframe.” Johnson and the council members unanimously chose

Members of the city’s Development Oversight Commission said goodbye Monday night to City Manager Ray Kerridge, who has resigned from his position and will leave the city March 12. The commission examines development in Sacramento and presents its views to the City Council. Kerridge said the DOC has shown “guidance and leadership,” and he added that he “could not have worked with a better group of people.” DOC members praised Kerridge’s work to advance development in Sacramento. Kristina McBurney said Kerridge’s vision for the city was “amazing.” Holger Fuerst said Kerridge was a facilitator with a “can-do attitude.” *** Kerridge reacted Monday night to the news that Community Developm

Mayor Kevin Johnson and City Councilman Robbie Waters praised City Manager Ray Kerridge, who announced yesterday that he was resigning on March 12, at a joint press conference Thursday. Without naming anyone in particular, Johnson and Waters both blamed other council members for the negative atmosphere at City Hall. The other council members did not attend the press conference. However, Joann Cummins, district director for Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy, attended the event. “I think the divisiveness has certainly played a role (in Kerridge’s decision),” Johnson said. He said he was concerned that the work environment could cause “great talent” to leave. Johnson also faulted himself for his

Sacramento City Manager, Ray Kerridge announced his resignation today, effective March 12, 2010. "After much thought and consideration, I will be resigning on March 12, 2010," said City Manager Ray Kerridge. "The City of Sacramento is a great organization with outstanding employees, and I am honored to have had the opportunity to serve this community." After 35+ years in the public sector, Mr. Kerridge will be taking a private sector position. In February 2006, Mr. Kerridge was appointed City Manager by the Mayor and City Council. He has been the catalyst behind significant culture change in City Hall bringing customer service to the forefront of City government. He joined the City of

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 planni

While local media outlets have reported on the third-party investigation of Sacramento’s development department, the details of the investigation are complex. City Attorney Eileen Teichert shed light on the investigation’s details in a phone interview with The Sacramento Press last week. The city, together with the third-party law firm Renne Sloan Holtzman Sakai, is investigating the Community Development Department’s approval this year of 35 building permits in a Natomas flood zone. Teichert’s office acknowledges in a Dec. 15 letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that the city broke federal rules when it approved the permits. The city has placed Community Development Direc