A new program to raise $10 million for arena financing and turning Sacramento into an “Emerald Valley” were two key points in Mayor Kevin Johnson’s State of the City address Monday. Johnson’s speech focused on boosting the local economy in three areas: building an entertainment and sports complex, green-sector jobs and reforming public schools to create a more competitive workforce. “The economy is bad everywhere, but it’s worse here,” Johnson told the nearly 1,000 people in the audience. “We have to take bold actions,” Johnson said. “We have to make the impossible possible.” The mayor delivered the 20th annual speech at the Sacramento Convention Center in an event hosted by the Sacram

The Sacramento City Council is expected to join other local governments Tuesday in opposing an area adjacent to the American River Parkway near the Nimbus Dam as a proposed site for a federal and state joint operations center handling flood control. Warren Truitt, president of the Save the American River Association (SARA), said the operations center, if built at Nimbus, would be a “visual blight” on the area. “It’s absolutely outrageous to place this high-security facility next to the parkway,” he said, “and it needs to be in a higher area, not at 28 feet. If the dam were to break, this area would flood along with other residences in that area.” Currently, three sites are under conside

The County Board of Supervisors will meet Thursday for what they hope will be the final meeting on redistricting for the County. They still have 10 map variations to consider though – a number that has fluctuated since the redistricting process began in late March. According to the 2010 census, the total population for Sacramento County is 1,418,788 – a 16 percent increase over the last 10 years. Just as the state and cities are required to do, the county redistricts every 10 years to balance population numbers in all districts. This requires some adjustments in each supervisors’ district boundaries. The process of making those adjustments began when Elections Department staff received

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors announced Wednesday that Brad Hudson has been selected to serve as the new county executive. Hudson will be leaving his position as city manager for Riverside to accept a five-year contract in Sacramento County. “We’re very pleased to have a candidate with such extensive experience and a hands-on attitude like Brad’s,” said County Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan in a press release on Wednesday. According to the county board staff, Hudson was one of five candidates under consideration for the position in a process that began in early February. “We wanted someone who was a leader and had a track record of stimulating economic growth, successfully

Sacramento County elected officials approved a budget Thursday that could result in more than 200 employee layoffs, according to county budget officer Tom Burkart. These layoffs for the 2011/2012 fiscal year are in addition to the 1,299 layoffs the county has made since the 2008/2009 fiscal year, said county spokeswoman Chris Andis. She added that 1,299 people were actually laid off as opposed to job positions being cut. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors balanced its budget for the 2011/2012 fiscal year on Thursday afternoon, closing out a $90 million shortfall. The county has a general fund of $1.9 billion and a total budget of roughly $3.5 billion. The approved budget is a f

Folsom residents joined Sutter Street businesses and City of Folsom officials to celebrate the completion of the 16-month Historic Sutter Street Revitalization Project. The commemoration was held on Saturday May 7, 2011. Thousands of Folsom residents and visitors enjoyed a ribbon-cutting ceremony that was followed by live entertainment. Live entertainment was provided by the Outlaws Dance Team, Sutter Street Theater, Cynthia’s Dance Studio, Crystal Image Band and the James Garner Johnny Cash Tribute Band. The Eastern Ways Martial Arts Lion Dance Team was scheduled to provide the opening entertainment as well as a Wells Fargo Stagecoach Arrival ceremony but I missed these two events. Fo

At least 725 county employees will be laid off as a result of the county budget approved by the Board of Supervisors Thursday in a 3-2 vote.  The board has now balanced its the county's budget, which had a $181 million gap. The total budget for the 2010/2011 fiscal year is $3.5 billion. Of that amount, $1.9 billion makes up the county’s general fund. Supervisors held lengthy meetings on the budget over the course of four days this week. Supervisors Roberta MacGlashan and Roger Dickinson voted against the budget’s general fund allocations, offering different reasons for why they disagreed with the budget. Supervisors Don Nottoli, Susan Peters and Jimmie Yee voted in support of passing th

On April 12, 2010, at 2:40 p.m., Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputies responded to Double Homicide at Howe Avenue and Bluebird Lane. The deputies found 27yr-old Stefon Mayers Jr, lying next to the car’s driver’s-side door. Mayers suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was able to step out of the car but collapsed next to the car. Deputies also located 18yr-old Jazzmye Sharnae Bruner sitting in the front passenger seat of the car, dead at the scene, with a single gunshot wound. Will County Supervisor Sue Peters address the violence or the families suffering as a result of the violence in her district? With the exception of Cortez Quinn, chief of staff for Supervisor Dickinson, who has cont

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s testimony to the Board of Supervisors Wednesday revealed tensions over funding for the sheriff’s department and county human services programs, with Sheriff John McGinness saying that the county must put more funding toward public safety.  The county sheriff’s department told the board that planned cuts to the department would lead to major public safety problems. The sheriff’s department presented to the board in its second day of budget hearings to address a $180 million budget gap. Supervisors may approve a proposed budget next week. McGinness said the planned $80 million in budget cuts to the department would mean that the “basic level of protection an

Elder abuse. Major narcotics. Community prosecution. These are just a few of the key units in the county district attorney’s office that would be eliminated if the office has to make $13.1 million more in cuts to help balance the county’s budget. Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully gave the Board of Supervisors a dire outlook Wednesday of how the public would suffer from proposed cuts to the D.A.’s office. The county’s most recent figure for its budget deficit is $180 million, said Kerri Aiello, a county public information officer. “Rest assured, with these kind of cuts, if I have to close a $13.1 million gap, justice is not going to be served in this community,” Scully said