Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "strong mayor"

Bagatelos may take on McCarty for District 6 council seat

2012-02-03T05:20:22Z

When it comes to talking about how to run a city, local developer and City Council District 6 candidate Jon Bagatelos is all business.

Bagatelos, co-owner of Bagatelos Architectural Glass Systems and Bagatelos Development, LLC, was recruited to join the City Council race by business, community and public safety groups who are “tired of the way things are going with the city,” Bagatelos, 44, said Wednesday.

Bagatelos has not officially filed notice of his candidacy, but said he expects to select a campaign manager within the next couple of weeks. He will be running against incumbent Kevin McCarty for the City Council District 6 seat.

One of the main reasons he decided to consider the council seat, he said, is McCarty’s position on charter reform – more commonly referred to as “strong mayor.”

“I’m disappointed that he won’t vote to put it on the ballot,” Bagatelos said. “I would say he’s wrong on some of his positions, especially the strong mayor issue.”

Bagatelos said he supports a strong mayor system of government – not because of any loyalty to Mayor Kevin Johnson – but because he wants an accountable city council.

“I’m for (strong mayor) because the executive should have his authority, and the council – the legislative body – should have its authority,” Bagatelos said. “The city should not be run by an unelected city manager. That’s not accountability.”

Bagatelos has a self-described “one-track mind” about Sacramento that hinges on creating a business-friendly environment to create jobs and boost the local economy.

“We’ve dug a hole, and we have a lot of city services that we take for granted but we can’t afford,” Bagatelos said. “It’s going to take time to build the revenue to pay for those things. That’s just the truth of it.”

That’s not to say he’s against social services, Bagatelos was quick to point out – but he believes spending decisions need to be made carefully.

“The people on (the City) Council think money grows on trees and – they’re the government – they think they can spend what they don’t have,” Bagatelos said. “I don’t believe in that. If that makes me a radical, well, OK.”

The key to providing services such as transportation and utilities and homeless programs, Bagatelos said, is fostering an environment where companies want to come to Sacramento – and bring employment opportunities with them.

“That creates jobs for people who pay taxes, and taxes provide revenue for those needed services,” he said.

If the key to providing city services is tax-producing businesses, then the key to drawing them to the city, Bagatelos said, is the proposed entertainment and sports complex.

“The arena is a major opportunity. It will create jobs for the city,” Bagatelos said. “To have (the arena) happen would be instrumental to the growth of this city.”

Bagatelos has been criticized in the media and by some in McCarty’s camp for not living in the district – questioning both his eligibility for the race and his commitment to the district.

He and his family currently live in East Sacramento, but they also own a home in Campus Commons which was drawn into council District 6 through the recent redisticting process.

“I own a house in the district, my business is in the district, and over the years we’ve employed hundreds – if not thousands – of people,” Bagatelos said.

“If the biggest complaint against me is where I live, that’s not much of a complaint,” he added.

Mark Friedman, president of Fulcrum Group development company, worked alongside Bagatelos as co-chair of Johnson’s finance committee when Johnson ran for his mayoral seat in 2008.

“(Bagatelos) is deeply engaged in local politics and has been (politically) active for many years,” Friedman said Thursday.

“He’s focused on building the economy and creating jobs,” Friedman said. “If the economy doesn’t improve, then his district doesn’t improve – no district will.”

Friedman said he will be an “enthusiastic” supporter of Bagatelos’ campaign because he feels Bagatelos will bring a “fresh, business-friendly perspective” to the City Council.

The upcoming City Council election will not be Bagatelos’ first foray into the political arena: In 2002, he unsuccessfully ran for the 8th Assembly District seat shortly after starting Bagatelos Development, LLC, with his brothers, Chris and Nick Bagatelos.

When McCarty spoke with The Sacramento Press Sept. 26 about his intention to run for re-election, he said that he welcomes a challenge in the upcoming race.

“Elections are supposed to be about democracy,” McCarty said in the interview, “that means choosing the best candidate in a competitive race.”

McCarty’s campaign consultant, Andrew Acosta, said Wednesday that McCarty has been fighting for his district since he was first elected in 2004 and will continue his work for the people he represents – despite any challengers for his seat.

“If the mayor’s (political) machine intends to run someone against (McCarty),” Acosta said, “then we’ll have a campaign and we’ll discuss the issues.”

Bagatelos said his campaign will be based on asking people, “Do you think things are getting done right in the city? If not, vote for me.”

“It’s really that simple,” he said.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Council delays strong mayor decision, possibly until November

2012-01-18T08:05:02Z

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday against putting a strong mayor initiative on the June ballot – but they opened the door for some form of charter reform to appear on the November ballot.

Council members directed the city attorney to return to council in three weeks with a “matrix layout” detailing two options for the council to consider.

One, the creation of an elected charter commission initiative, and, two, a revision of the Checks and Balances Act based on comments heard at Tuesday’s council meeting.

The City Council will have the opportunity to vote for either action at the Feb. 7 council meeting – “or to do nothing at all,” said City Councilman Kevin McCarty when the meeting concluded.

After more than four hours of public comment and discussion among council members, the City Council still hadn’t arrived at a decision by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday about whether to put a strong mayor initiative on the June ballot.

Council members heard lengthy and detailed reports on the proposed Checks and Balances Act of 2012 from both Kunal Merchant, the mayor’s chief of staff, and Matt Ruyak, assistant city attorney.

“We have an obligation to hold a vigorous debate,” Merchant said, “and you can’t have a vigorous debate until it is actually on the ballot and is a real issue, not just a concept or a draft of an idea.”

Merchant went on to outline the Checks and Balances Act, including new powers that would be granted to the mayor, powers that the mayor would be giving up, and items built into the charter reform measure not found in earlier versions.

“Tonight is a historic night,” Merchant said. “The time is right for fundamental change in our city.”

Council chambers were full for the entire meeting, with more than 300 people in attendance. Ten speakers took the podium during public comment, and another 55 spoke on the strong mayor item specifically.

Faith leaders, business leaders and union representatives told council members that the expectation was not to decide the issue, rather to put the issue on the ballot for the voters to decide.

“We will respect you to the level you respect us,” said pastor Rick Cole. “Respect the people by allowing them to vote on this important issue.”

The majority of the speakers were in support of the strong mayor initiative, and called on council members to allow for a vote on the June ballot regardless of any personal opposition to the initiative.

Opponents of the measure expressed disappointment, saying charter reform is not what the City Council should be spending its time on.

Shawn Donohoe, a representative of the Democratic Party of Sacramento County, questioned the “vagueness” of the proposal, saying, “This isn’t the time to spend our resources on a window dressing like charter reform.”

Ruyak discussed some potential shortcomings of the proposal, including ambiguous sections regarding sunshine ordinances, a proposed redistricting commission and a potential ninth council district.

“We have some concerns about the ability to create (a ninth council district),” Ruyak said. “The drafters feels there is not a problem, but this is a novel legal issue, and we don’t have a definitive answer right now.”

City Councilman Jay McCarty opened the debate on the initiative for council members, saying he would like to see the council explore an elected charter reform commission to consider – and ultimately, decide – the strong mayor issue.

“This (Checks and Balances Act) version is cleaner than the previous versions,” McCarty said, “but we can’t go about this willy-nilly. This is something we have to get right.”

City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said she would like to see the issue resolved – one way or another – so the city can move on to other business.

“I don’t think we should just keep rehashing this,” Ashby said.

“I say, don’t make it about the person of the mayor,” Ashby said. “Make it about the issue. Let’s settle on some language and get it to a vote and put all this behind us.”

City Councilman Jay Schenirer said he agreed with Ashby and wanted to move the issue along.

“Lets take the personalities out of this,” Schenirer said, “Let’s look at the policy and decide if it works, no matter who the mayor may or may not be in the future.”

“Whats the rush?” asked City Councilman Darrell Fong. “I don’t think this should go to the ballot in June. The public needs more time to vet this out.”

City Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell agreed with Fong.

“This is not ready for prime time – yet,” Pannell said. “We need to tweak this for November, not June. Let the people vote on it, but let’s make sure they know what they are voting on.”

The city attorney will present a report on a possible elected charter commission and a further analysis of a revised Checks and Balances Act for consideration on the November ballot at the Feb. 7 City Council meeting.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

The Sacramento Press on 'Insight': Strong mayor initiative

2012-01-18T01:07:27Z

Tuesday on Capitol Public Radio’s “Insight” program, I sat down with host David Watts Barton and Sacramento Bee editorial board member Foon Rhee to discuss the Checks and Balances Act of 2012 – more commonly known as the “executive mayor” or “strong mayor” initiative.

The mayor’s office rolled out the latest version of the strong mayor initiative Dec. 21 by a coalition of supporters led by Mayor Kevin Johnson’s chief of staff, Kunal Merchant.

The issue was scheduled to be on the agenda for City Council discussion Tuesday, and Johnson said he is hopeful that council members will put the initiative on the June ballot.

Rhee pointed out that Tuesday’s meeting was the 16th time the issue has been discussed at City Council – the most recent time being June 2010 when the City Council voted 7-2 against allowing City Attorney Eileen Teichert to prepare a strong mayor ballot initiative.

Although the initiative has been rebranded as the Checks and Balances Act of 2012, Rhee suggested it is more like “strong mayor initiative version 3.0,” because of some similarities with the previous version.

After so much discussion over the last couple of years, it is fair to ask if finally putting the proposal on the ballot will put the issue to rest.

Before the proposal gets put on the ballot, however, council members may want to see some tweaks to language in the draft as suggested by the city attorney’s analysis – such as clarifying ambiguities about a sunshine ordinance and the potential for creating a ninth council district.

The city attorney’s analysis of the proposed Checks and Balances Act can be read HERE.

City Manager John Shirey indicated in November that he wants no part of a strong mayor form of government. If the strong mayor initiative passes at the June ballot, the city may lose yet another city manager – the fourth one in the last three years.

The good news for Shirey is his severance package – guaranteed by contract – that gives him six months’ salary if he leaves office before his three-year contract expires.

In the last couple of weeks, the Checks and Balances Act received some big-name endorsements including former Sacramento mayors Jimmy Yee, Phil Isenberg and Anne Rudin. Monday, Senate President Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg added his name to the list of endorsements of the initiative, calling it “a solid and responsible proposal.”

Johnson has been something of a polarizing figure with the strong mayor initiative: Some people love the idea because of their affinity for the mayor, but others are opposed to it because of a fundamental opposition to Johnson himself.

Because of this, voters may welcome the chance to both vote for a new mayor and charter reform at the same time – an opportunity that wasn’t possible when the previous strong mayor initiative was floated for the 2010 city election cycle.

Read the entire Checks and Balances Act of 2012 proposal HERE.

Check The Sacramento Press Wednesday for a recap of the council meeting and strong mayor discussion.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

'Strong mayor,' 'executive mayor': Taking a closer look

2012-01-12T05:26:20Z

The City Council will be discussing the latest version of an executive mayor initiative Tuesday, opening the door to putting charter reform on the June ballot.

A strong mayor initiative has been an on-and-off topic of discussion in Sacramento political circles since it was first brought up by Mayor Kevin Johnson shortly after his election in 2008. The executive mayor version was introduced at a press conference Dec. 21 by the mayor’s chief of staff and a group of supporters ranging from faith community leaders to the head of the local police union.

How is an “executive mayor” different from a “strong mayor”?

Strong Mayor

Initially – in a 2008/09 version of the strong mayor initiative – the city charter would give the mayor greater responsibility in some areas: He would create the budget, hire and fire the city manager and charter officers, and he would have some veto authority.

It also reduced the mayor’s responsibility in other areas: He would no longer be a member of the council, he would have no vote in council matters, and he would need council approval for appointments such as city manager and charter officers.

The 2008 strong mayor plan ultimately failed because the courts ruled that the changes it proposed were too broad to simply be amendments to the city charter, and therefore could not be put on the ballot by petition signatures.

In 2010, another attempt was made to get a strong mayor initiative on the ballot, but that attempt also failed. Proponents of the initiative wanted the city attorney to draft the formal language, but the City Council voted 7-2 to deny the request.

Aside from slight variations between the two, key aspects of the proposed strong mayor system include:
* Concentrates responsibility: one man, one plan – the mayor runs the city with the help of a city manager/administrator
* Concentrates authority: strengthens the influence of the mayor’s office
* Splits efficiency: council sets policy, but mayor takes all the heat if policy is not implemented efficiently
* Concentrates power: mayor is chief executive, city manager serves lesser role under the mayor

The 2008/10 versions would also have required a ninth council district to be added – which would most likely have thrown a wrench into the redistricting process.

Executive Mayor (a.k.a. the Checks and Balances Act of 2012)

The newest iteration of charter reform hangs on to some key provisions of the first versions and lets go of some others – an attempt, proponents say, to satisfy naysayers and create a broader appeal.

The Checks and Balances Act still proposes the mayor as chief executive – who would propose the budget, nominate a city manager and step down from the current voting position on the council.

The mayor would also get the limited veto power established in the first versions as well as being required to deliver an annual state of the city report.

Gone from the executive mayor proposal, however, is the power to hire and fire charter officers, such as the city attorney and city clerk, as well as hiring and firing assistant city managers and department heads – those powers would remain with the city manager as they do in the current manager-council system.

What’s new with the Checks and Balances Act? The creation of an ethics and transparency portion and the creation of an independent redistricting commission.

The ethics and transparency portion of the proposal still needs a little work – as in, specifics of how a new ethics review committee would be selected and what shape any “sunshine ordinances” would eventually take.

Still, the ideals are included in the proposal and proponents say the details would be hammered out with public input, which is more than the current charter specifies.

An independent redistricting commission – modeled after the state’s commission – would have another 10 years to take shape since the next redistricting process won’t take place until 2021.

But, proponents of the plan say it’s important to include the commission in charter reform measures now, while memories of the 2011 redistricting debacle are still fresh in voters’ minds.

Key aspects of the Executive Mayor/Checks and Balances Act:
* Streamlines responsibility: more direction comes from the mayor, more direct accountability for successes and shortfalls
* Realigns authority: mayor’s role becomes more administrative, but council has authority of approval
* Concentrates efficiency: mayor is executive branch, council is legislative branch, each with ways to “check” and “balance” the other
* Separates power: mayor and council have separate and different roles, each is accountable to voters

One thing the Checks and Balances Act offers that previous versions did not is a sunset date – voters would have to actively reaffirm their choice of a strong mayor government in the 2020 election. Otherwise, the system would automatically revert to the current manager-council system at the end of that calendar year.

Although prior versions of the strong mayor initiative failed, it could be said that they failed primarily to have an opportunity to face the voters. Had either of those proposals made it to a ballot, what would the outcome have been?

That is the question proponents of the executive mayor plan want to have answered in June.

The city attorney and the mayor’s chief of staff, Kunal Merchant, are each slated to give an analysis of the Checks and Balances Act to the City Council Tuesday.

The council may vote to put the proposal on the June ballot, or they could ask for adjustments to the proposal and ask for staff to report back at a future date. In either case, Tuesday’s meeting will be a chance to see if – and how – government responds to a call for change.

Read the Checks and Balances Act proposal – including the draft language submitted to the city attorney for review – HERE.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

"Strong Mayor" Proposal at Secret Public Meeting

2012-01-09T08:47:34Z

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 coalition of community leaders are working to update our charter to make government work better for the voters of Sacramento. Along with our office, they recently presented the "Checks and Balances Act of 2012” [attached], a new proposal to restructure city governance, promote higher standards for ethics and transparency, and create an independent redistricting commission to draw council district boundaries in the future.

The Mayor and Council will review this plan at the January 17 council meeting. In advance of this meeting, we would like to invite you and your members to a "Neighborhood Summit" on Saturday, January 7th from 8-10 am. The summit will provide the opportunity to discuss the plan and gather your ideas and feedback.

Please email me or call (916) 808-8827 if you and your members would like to participate. In addition, we are happy to organize separate small groups or one-on-one meetings if you feel that would be beneficial.

Thanks in advance, and happy holidays!

Sincerely,

Raihane Dalvi
Assistant to the Chief of Staff
Office of Mayor Kevin Johnson

Apparently, this email was only sent to a handful of neighborhood leaders, not a formal public announcement or meeting notice—nor were the media informed. I responded to the email, and forwarded it to our neighborhood’s email list (and a couple of other neighborhoods’ email lists and Facebook pages.) I responded to the email and was told I would learn the location in a later email. It kind of reminded me of underground “raves” where you had to call a phone number a few hours in advance to find out where the party was. A few days before the event, I got another email informing me of the location—the Boys and Girls Club at 1117 G Street. Ms. Dalvi encouraged me to share the meeting details, which I did, using mostly the same social media and email lists.
The meeting was somewhat sparsely attended—about 20-25 people showed up, including several neighborhood activists and a few local print and Internet media representatives. Mayor Johnson’s chief of staff, Kunal Merchant, ran the meeting, reviewing a PowerPoint presentation and responding to questions.

Merchant described adoption of a “Strong Mayor” form of government as a natural progression for cities, one adopted by cities once they reach a certain size, and a more modern form of government than the council/manager form. I asked him if he was aware that Sacramento already had a “Strong Mayor” charter, from 1893 to 1911, prior to the council/manager charter adopted in 1920. Merchant replied that the era of our old “Strong Mayor” charter was indeed an era of great corruption. However, he replied that the late 1890s and early 1900s was an era of high unemployment and economic instability, where a small percentage of the population had most of society’s wealth, and thus an undue influence on the political process. Such conditions simply didn’t resemble the present day.

The structure of the new city government would place the city manager under the direction of the mayor, who would select the manager. The city council would increase to nine members, and elect a council president. The mayor would submit a budget to the council, instead of the current system where the city manager presents the budget to mayor and council. Merchant spent much time discussing concerns about city managers, stating that a poorly performing city manager was difficult to remove, and that we had four city managers in the past year, an indicator of dysfunction in city government. A member of the audience asked if this was the case—one city manager left voluntarily, one interim manager was rejected by the Council, and two were a two-person team deliberately hired as short-term interim city managers until a permanent manager was selected. Merchant agreed that City Manager Kerridge probably left under duress, but insisted that this condition was not healthy for the city, and it was more important for the city manager to be responsive to the Mayor’s vision than to have to respond to the wishes of the City Council. He did concede that in large cities, there is a need for a professional city manager who is trained in working with the bureaucracy, freeing the mayor to advocate on behalf of the city and interface with the public, as Kevin Johnson currently does.

Merchant spent considerable time discussing the ethics provisions of the measure: a proposed Code of Ethics and an Ethics Committee. No details were included regarding exactly what this Code of Ethics should be—as with many portions of the proposal, Merchant states that these will be worked out in the near future. Another audience member asked Merchant why this Ethics Committee would be, as written in the proposal, advisory only, as opposed to other cities where an Ethics Commission has actual statutory power and authority. Merchant replied that several options were considered and this seemed like the best one.

Concerns were raised about the costs of adding a ninth council district immediately after redistricting. The new proposal includes redistricting be shifted to a redistricting committee that would not be selected by the Mayor or Council, but did not specify who would actually choose the committee. Other audience members asked why it was so important to shift the city budget from the City Manager to the Mayor. Merchant replied that people generally expect that the Mayor submits the city budget, and it is too much to expect voters to understand how the system currently works, so it would be best to re-arrange the system to reflect their expectations. Several audience members took issue with this point, because Merchant had mentioned several times earlier in the presentation that we should “let the people vote” and that voters were savvy enough to see through any attempt at manipulation by special interests. Are the voters smart enough to understand the new proposal, but not smart enough to understand the current system?

Merchant summed up his presentation by reiterating that the supporters of charter change over the past two years have been very patient so far (although he didn’t identify who those supporters were) and that it was time to let the people vote. But in 2012, corporations are “people” and money is considered “political speech” as a means to obtain votes. There are still few answers regarding exactly who these “people” are, and how many dollars they are contributing to the “vote.” Another term heard often during the presentation was “transparency”—however, “transparency” is another word for “invisibility,” and many of the factors behind all three Strong Mayor proposals are seemingly invisible to the general public.

There are some hints, however: in 2010-2011, a group called the “Sacramento 60” tried to persuade council members to adopt the second “Strong Mayor” initiative, and lost a vital ally when City Manager Ray Kerridge resigned:

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/12/3832880/business-groups-pac-may-boost.html

Members of this group have created a Political Action Committee, or PAC, called “Better Sacramento”, and while the website has no details about the organization, the article linked above is clear: they have formed in order to support Mayor Kevin Johnson and the Strong Mayor efforts, and to support opponents of any City Council candidate who chooses to directly oppose either one.

http://www.bettersacramento.org/

Currently the website is pretty bare, except for a link to donate money. According to the Secretary of State’s office, the contact phone number for this PAC is the law office of Bell, McAndrews and Hiltachk, the law firm of Tom Hiltachk, the author of the original 2009 “Strong Mayor Initiative.” The link to donate money is via a company called “DonateSafe,” a company founded by Shawn Callahan, who was active in “Sacramentans for Accountable Government,” the original “strong mayor” group.

http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/snog/blogs/post?oid=1370763&fb_source=message

A second group, Sacramento2020, also has a website:

http://sacramento2020.org/

They don’t have a link to contribute money, but are encouraging people to send a form email to City Council to support the “Checks and Balances Act.” Sacramento2020 is registered to Danny Rentschler, owner of a PR firm that has done work to promote Mayor Johnson’s “For Art’s Sake” program (a program whose latest director just resigned, about a year after the previous one.)

http://www.midtownmonthly.net/blog/head-of-for-arts-sake-resigns/

Merchant’s final slide included some upcoming key dates regarding this issue. On January 12, 2-3 PM, there will be a panel discussion with public policy professors at One Capitol Mall, Suite 300. Mayor Johnson has called for a vote regarding this initiative at the January 17 City Council meeting. If a majority of the Council agrees, this measure would be on the June 5 ballot, the same ballot where Kevin Johnson will face re-election.

My question, as a neighborhood activist and Sacramento resident, is this: Who is writing the checks to support the “Checks and Balances Act of 2012,” and how big are their bank balances? If they are working for greater transparency in government, why hide behind the cloak of a PAC? And why hold a public meeting on the new charter without telling the general public about it?

Disclosure: William Burg is a board member of Midtown Neighborhood Association.

A look ahead: Elections in 2012

2011-12-31T03:11:26Z

With four council districts and the mayor’s seat up for grabs in 2012, the upcoming elections may bring new faces to City Council and – potentially – significant changes to the way Sacramento’s government operates.

Although there is still time for new candidates to emerge, here’s a look at the election landscape for Sacramento, so far.

When Mayor Kevin Johnson announced in September that he is running for reelection, he had no opponents and enjoyed the endorsement of both Region Builders – a building industry coalition – and the Sac Metro Chamber political action committee.

In November, local tax preparer and community activist Edgar Hilbert announced his candidacy for mayor and a desire to bring “fresh leadership” to the city.

Garcia has since taken himself out of the mayoral race, saying other business prevents him from focusing on an election.

City Council elections are held every two years, and elections rotate between all even-numbered districts and all odd-numbered districts. In 2012, council district seats 2, 4, 6 and 8 are up for grabs.

For District 2, incumbent Sandy Sheedy – who ran unopposed in the 2008 election – will face four opponents.

Former Obama campaign organizer Kim Mack announced her candidacy for District 2 in October, but the announcement was quickly met with criticism stemming from a political campaign incident from 2008.

Rob Kerth, former executive director of the Midtown Business Association, said he left the MBA to focus on his bid for City Council – a position he held from 1996-2000.

Del Paso Heights businessman and developer Allen Wayne Warren talked abut running for District 2 in September and officially kicked off his campaign Dec. 19 at a fundraising event at a bookstore in North Sacramento.

Mack, Kerth and Warren are joined in the race to take Sheedy’s seat by political newcomer Sondra Betancourt.

Betancourt, a community leader and former human resources manager for the state, said Dec. 20 that she is a good fit for City Council because she “sees the big picture” for the city, and it would serve the city well to “have fresh eyes on issues.”

In a surprise turn of events for District 4, incumbent Rob Fong announced he will not be running for reelection, leaving the race for his seat wide open.

So far, three candidates have announced their intentions to run for District 4: community activist Steve Hansen, attorney Phyllis Newton and current Planning Commission Chairman Joe Yee.

Hansen was a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Redistricting during the 2011 redistricting effort and was criticized for anonymously submitting a redistricting map to City Council while active on that committee.

In the District 6 race, incumbent Kevin McCarty appears to be the only name on the ticket – at the moment.

Candidates from ~~District 2~~ District 4 have until March 14 – and candidates from District 2, 6 and 8 have until March 8 – to file a notice of intent to run for office, so there is still time for someone to step up to oppose McCarty.

Incumbent Bonnie Pannell, District 8, has been on the City Council since 1998 and was reelected to the seat three times – twice running unopposed.

In 2012, she will face NAACP chapter President Betty Williams, who filed an intent to run but has not formally launched a campaign. Williams told The Sacramento Press last week that she expects to make a formal campaign announcement in mid-January.

In addition to the mayoral and council seat races, supporters of a strong mayor initiative announced plans to put a charter reform measure on the ballot – called the “Checks and Balances Act of 2012.”

A poll released Tuesday indicates wide support of the charter reform initiative, but the poll has come under fire for not having been released to media for detailed analysis.

A similar initiative to change the city charter from a council-city manager form of government to a mayor-council format – known as “strong mayor” or “executive mayor” – was discussed in 2010 but did not get on the ballot that year.

With the primary election coming in just six months, various associations, union interests and the faith community have started announcing candidate endorsements.

The Sacramento Central Labor Council began its endorsement process early for the 2012 election season – in part because so many incumbents were running that opposition would be easy to gauge, according to labor leader Bill Camp.

There will be many opportunities for change for Sacramento in the upcoming elections. The Sacramento Press will report regularly on the candidates, the campaigns and the issues as the drama unfolds in 2012.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacarmetno Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Editorial Note: A correction was made to this article after it was published. The incorrect information was struck out and the correct information added.

Mayor's office unveils proposed charter reform measures

2011-12-22T04:56:11Z

An executive mayor, an independent redistricting commission and new ethics and transparency guidelines were the highlights of a new plan to reform city government introduced by representatives from the mayor’s office Wednesday.

“This (proposal) represents how to fundamentally restructure how City Hall works,” Kunal Merchant, chief of staff to Mayor Kevin Johnson said Wednesday.

Merchant said the new charter reform proposal is based on previous reform ideas and represents three years of discussion with members of the public and city and community leaders throughout Sacramento. The proposed legal language was prepared by Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni – a local law firm that specializes in government, political and initiative law.

“You can’t just let one group of people have all the power,” Merchant said. “There needs to be checks and balances. There needs to be accountability and transparency in Sacramento.”

The mayor had prior commitments that prevented him from attending the press conference, Merchant said, but the charter reform proposal "goes beyond the mayor," he added.

Some of the significant reforms in the proposal – called the Sacramento Checks and Balances Act of 2012 by supporters – include:

* an executive mayor who proposes the city budget and has limited veto authority
* an independent city council presided over by a council-selected president. The council would have authority to override mayoral vetoes
* a code of ethics for city officials and a citizen’s ethics committee to lead an ethics review every two years
* voter approval of salary raises greater than 5 percent in any year for the mayor and council members
* “sunshine ordinances” that require key public records (including council votes, budgets and audit information) to be immediately available after council takes action

For the city charter to be changed, the state constitution requires an initiative to be placed on the ballot by the City Council for a public vote – something the City Council has previously been hesitant to do.

A “strong mayor” initiative was considered in 2008 after Johnson was elected as mayor, but that proposal faced steep criticism – and a lawsuit against the city initiated by local labor leader Bill Camp. The initiative ultimately failed to reach the ballot for 2010.

Now, three years after Sacramento was introduced to the notion by Johnson and his staff, the newest version is being touted as a more thorough and more responsible proposal.

“This is arguably the most important potential vote facing people in the coming years,” said Jeff Dorso, a local attorney and member of the coalition that supports the charter reform measure.

“It’s put together with public input and reflects a lot of the positive changes that have been requested,” he added. “It deserves to be weighed by the voters in 2012.”

Merchant said that, over the past three years, the mayor’s office has received many phone calls and emails from city residents with ideas, suggestions and critique of previous charter reform measures. That public input was considered in the creation of the new reform measure, Merchant said.

Supporters from local business groups, a local law enforcement union and building and development organizations spoke at the press conference Wednesday to encourage the City Council to allow the proposal to go to the voters in June.

“Just let the people have their say on the matter,” Pastor Darryl Heath of St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church said Wednesday. “That is true democracy. That is what we want. Just let the people vote on it.”

Heath said that members in the faith community have been disappointed by the conduct of the City Council, and the time has come for a change.

“The time has come for a city governed by one vision,” Heath said. “Right now we have eight visions for one city – we can’t work with a monster with so many heads.”

The new proposal would also change the way the city handles redistricting – the process of redrawing district lines to equalize population among the districts – which happens every 10 years.

The most recent redistricting process ended in September after months of discussions and recommendations by a citizens advisory committee, and resulted in new boundaries for city council districts that were largely drawn – not by the advisory committee – but by council members themselves.

The process was highly contentious among residents and council members alike and led to hundreds of residents speaking out at council meetings over the course of eight weeks.

With the new charter reform proposal, redistricting would happen under the authority of an independent redistricting commission whose decisions – unlike those of the recent Citizens Advisory Committee – would be binding.

Merchant said that the most critical aspect of the charter reform initiative is that voters will have the opportunity to vote it into place, and they will have the ability to reconsider the reform measures after eight years.

If city voters do not re-confirm the charter changes at the November 2020 election, Merchant said, then the reform package sunsets – it would be automatically repealed – at the end of December 2020.

“That gives voters the chance to make sure (the changes) are working for them,” Merchant said. “It gives a little time to see if the city has benefited from the changes or not. Either way, it’s up to the voters.”

The full charter reform proposal can be read here.

Merchant said City Attorney Eileen Teichert is reviewing the legal language of the Checks and Balances Act and will give an analysis of the proposal to the City Council at its Jan. 17 meeting.

Council members have until Feb. 28 to put the initiative on the June ballot.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter with The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Johnson: People are ready to talk about strong mayor initiative

2011-11-23T03:22:06Z

The 2012 election cycle is ramping up in Sacramento, and one topic that is sure to be on the table is a strong mayor initiative.

Mayor Kevin Johnson brought the topic to the fore ~~during his 2008 campaign for mayor~~ shortly after his 2008 election win in his race against then-mayor Heather Fargo, but the idea didn’t fly with members of the City Council, and the initiative never got off the ground.

With another mayoral race coming up in 2012, Johnson said he believes the idea of a strong mayor initiative is ripe for ballot consideration once again.

“This is a topic that people are ready to take on,” Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday. “There are many people involved and interested in changing the way things are happening here in Sacramento.”

Johnson announced in September that he will run for a second term as mayor, and one other opponent – Edgar Hilbert – has already stepped up to run against him.

A strong mayor form of city governance is one where the mayor acts as chief executive and the City Council is the legislative body. In this system, which is modeled after the U.S. Constitution’s structure of government, the city manager’s role is eliminated in favor of a chief administration officer appointed by the mayor.

Currently, the city of Sacramento is governed under a council-manager form of governance: The elected body establishes policy that is carried out by an appointed city manager.

The city manager is accountable to the entire council for implementing council policy and for the day-to-day operations of the city, such as preparing the city budget, hiring and firing employees and acting as a technical advisor on government operations.

According to the California City Management Foundation, council-manager government is the fastest-growing form of government in the United States. In California, 31 of the state’s 50 largest cities have a council-manager system in place.

Johnson said he believes people are “convinced” that a strong mayor initiative is necessary after watching the City Council work for the past three years of his term as mayor.

“I’ve been the mayor for three years, and we’ve had four city managers in that short period of time, which is very strange,” Johnson said. “It’s something that is very dysfunctional.”

Sacramento city managers and interim city managers since 2005 have included Ray Kerridge, Gus Vina, Bill Edgar and current city manager, John Shirey.

The strong mayor initiative was controversial from the outset and, despite more than one draft of the proposal, Johnson could not garner enough support on the council to move the initiative forward.

In June 2010, the City Council voted 7-2 against putting a strong mayor initiative on the ballot for the following November. The two votes in favor came from then-City Councilman Robbie Waters and Johnson.

After the proposal was voted down, Johnson said he wouldn’t continue campaigning for the initiative, but would not stop fighting for it – essentially putting the initiative on the back burner.

With the 2012 election forthcoming, however, the issue will likely come up for discussion again, Johnson said.

“I’ve made no secret that I believe we should modernize and improve our form of government,” Johnson said Tuesday.

Johnson said that citizens want accountability and transparency, and that the checks and balances people want are possible within a strong mayor government.

“I think the best goal would be for council to put it on the ballot and allow the people of Sacramento to vote on it,” Johnson said.

Shirey said Tuesday that he’s uncertain a strong mayor proposal will be on the table for the City Council – but if it is, he wouldn’t be interested in playing a role in it.

“The mayor has had that goal for a long time,” Shirey said, “but I don’t know that anyone (on the council) is willing to talk about it.”

Shirey said he believes the council-manager form of government is the best form, but the key to success for a city manager is a City Council that works well together.

“That doesn’t mean they can’t have disagreements,” Shirey said. “It means that, at the end of the day, they work together for the betterment of the city. They don’t make the manager the issue – they make the issues the issue.”

According to Stephanie Mizuno, assistant city clerk, a charter amendment such as a strong mayor initiative could appear on the June ballot in one of two ways: by certified petition from voters, or as a measure initiated by the City Council.

In either case, all initiatives headed for the June 2012 ballot must be filed with the City Clerk’s office by the end of February.

Mizuno said that a citywide mayoral race will incur the initial cost on the June ballot – an estimated $120,000, paid from the city’s election budget.

If a strong mayor initiative – another citywide issue – is added to that ballot, it would cost an additional $21,000. Further initiatives would also cost $21,000 each.

Mizuno said the current balance of the city’s election budget is sufficient to cover the estimated $400,000 cost of the June election, including any potential strong mayor initiative.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

Editorial: Today I support a strong mayor

2011-03-26T00:43:57Z

During the debate on a “strong mayor” system of government, each side battled over which form of government allowed for the greatest accountability to the public, democratic ideals in decision making and open debate of policy.

After a fateful 5-4 vote not to promote Gus Vina to full-time city manager and his subsequent resignation, I know that the council system we currently have is seriously broken. Why? Not because of the vote itself or Vina’s decision. But because the debate and vote were conducted behind closed doors in a closed session.

I have no idea why the council decided not to promote Vina. Council members refuse to talk with our reporters about the decision. Wait, what? Yes, you and I and everyone else has no idea why we are without a city manager. We, the public, were not party to the decision, and we cannot easily hold the council accountable, because we do not know the reasoning.

The decision over who manages our entire city government may be the most fateful decision in a decade since that person is tough to both hire and fire under the current system. Yet the people were not a party to it. We were not allowed to speak one way or another in a pubic forum. Whatever the reason, we were not told what the council or individual council members were thinking. Here at The Sacramento Press, our reporters have no access to the real story. So the public will continue to go uninformed.

There are many theories about the value of representative democracy. My favorite is that it allows the people to be deeply involved in consensus-building, and that leads to policies more aligned with public opinion. Another is simply that the public has the ability to “throw the bum out” when we get fed up with a leader. As long as our council hides behind closed-door sessions and refuses to talk with the press about the most material of all decisions, we have neither form. We cannot easily throw them out, nor are we deeply involved in policy making.

Which brings me to the “strong mayor” structure of city government. It may be susceptible to corruption and place too much power in the hands of one official, but at least we could throw the bum out.

Police union revives strong mayor debate

2011-01-04T02:40:55Z

The local police union is reviving an effort to create a “strong mayor” form of government in the city, according to Det. Mark Tyndale, vice president of the Sacramento Police Officers Association.

Tyndale said in an interview on Monday that SPOA is “actively talking” to other groups on how to move an effort forward. SPOA is in discussions with the Sacramento Metro Chamber, Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 and the Sacramento 60, a group of powerful business leaders, Tyndale said.

Sacramento 60 and the Sacramento Metro Chamber backed last summer’s strong mayor proposal.

The City Council and interest groups for and against a strong mayor government fought bitterly over previous campaigns for a strong mayor system last year and in 2009. The city currently uses a city manager/city council form of government. A strong mayor system would move many of the city manager’s responsibilities to the mayor.

SPOA backs the July 2010 strong mayor plan, which is the most recent in a series of proposals.

Tyndale said he hopes the City Council will agree to place the strong mayor issue on the November 2011 ballot, if special elections for other issues are also taking place then. He explained that it is more cost-effective for the city to put it on the ballot with other election issues.

“What we want is real accountability,” Tyndale said, adding that a strong mayor system would make one person – the mayor – more responsible for his or her actions.

He also emphasized that the proposed government system would affect future mayors.

“This is way beyond Kevin Johnson,” he said.

If a new system is put into effect, it would probably affect Johnson in 2012, the final year of his current term, Tyndale said.

Tyndale pointed out that the strong mayor system proposed in July 2010 would have included a City Council president. If a strong mayor government were put into effect, Tyndale said he would want the City Council president to be new City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby.

Tyndale said the police union will try to persuade the City Council to put the July 2010 proposal on the November 2011 ballot. The July draft of the strong mayor proposal was written by third-party attorneys after the City Council blocked City Attorney Eileen Teichert from writing a draft in June 2010.

SPOA and other supporters will aim to advance the proposal through the City Council, Tyndale said, rather than through an initiative without the council’s support. However, he said SPOA and other strong mayor supporters would discuss the option of advancing the initiative without the City Council if that is the only option and if it can be accomplished legally.

Johnson and his supporters failed with the initiative approach last year. Bill Camp, executive secretary of the Sacramento Central Labor Council, sued over the issue in December 2009 and stopped the proposal from advancing. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Loren McMaster decided in January 2010 that the initiative did not follow state law.

Johnson, who had led the strong mayor campaign in 2009 and 2010, abandoned it in July.

“There’s not enough appetite for council to put this on the ballot,” Johnson told reporters in July 2010. “I got that. But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to quit fighting for reform.”

This time around, Johnson said he will not take a leading role in a campaign. “What I realize is, I don’t want this to be a distraction for all 2011,” he said at his weekly press conference on Dec. 28.

Meanwhile, Camp said Monday that voters need to decide if they want a council in which the mayor does not have a seat, he said. “People need to think it through,” he said.

Camp said that a new discussion of a strong mayor system needs to account for the need to change the number of City Council seats. The city would have to carve out nine new council districts under the strong mayor proposal. But the city already has to go through a redistricting process for its eight council districts this year, he said. This means there would be a second redistricting process if the strong mayor proposal goes into effect.

A second redistricting process would cost money, he said.

Tyndale acknowledged that the redistricting issue “does complicate things a little bit.”

However, Tyndale said that perhaps there could be a system set up for a couple years that consists of a strong mayor and eight council seats, instead of nine.

Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy was unavailable for comment on SPOA’s plans Monday afternoon.

Read a timeline of strong mayor events in 2009 and 2010.

Read the July 2010 proposal of the strong mayor plan here.

Photo of Det. Mark Tyndale by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Should leaders set a monthly afternoon council meeting?

2010-08-13T01:02:38Z

Sacramento City Council members may rearrange their schedules so they won’t burn the midnight oil at City Hall.

Council members will discuss plans on Tuesday to rewrite city rules so the City Council can address some issues at a monthly meeting that starts at 2 p.m. The City Council would continue to hold meetings on Tuesdays nights. Elected officials have not yet decided on the details of scheduling afternoon meetings.

A monthly 2 p.m. meeting could include in-depth workshops on hot topics, said Interim Assistant City Manager Patti Bisharat.

It could also mean that council members won’t spend as much time at City Hall late on Tuesday nights, Bisharat said.

While City Council meetings regularly start at 6 p.m. each Tuesday, the length of the sessions varies widely. Depending on the issues in front of the council, a meeting can be completed in less than an hour, or at the stroke of midnight.

For example, the council’s Jan. 7 meeting lasted 49 minutes. But the June 22 meeting, which included a heated discussion of Mayor Kevin Johnson’s “strong mayor” proposal, ran for six hours.

Read a report on City Council meeting times here.

Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

An Open Letter to District 8 Councilmember Bonnie Pannell

2010-07-08T08:27:50Z

Councilmember Pannell

I received a phone voice message from Open Sacramento. I don't know how they received my phone number nor do I know how they received my email address. I never signed any attendance sheets for an event held by Open Sacramento that would contain my personal contact information.

When I sign in to speak at city council sessions I provide both my email and phone number. I hope that information is not shared with others. I do not like feeling strong armed into a Strong Mayor plan which I believe still has minimum community input.

The voice message states, " Hi, This message is for Rhonda. My name is Eli and I'm calling on behalf of Open Sacramento. If you're in support of the Strong Mayor Initiative we ask that you contact your councilmember Pannell and urge her to place the accountability plan of 2010 on the November ballot. We have emailed you contact information and we hope that you have the ability to do so."

Council member Pannell I also received the below email:

"Dear Supporter:

My name is Eli and I’m emailing on behalf of Open Sacramento.
Did you read today’s Sacramento Bee article, Johnson hasn’t given up on Sacramento strong-mayor proposal?
There is still a chance to qualify the Accountability Plan of 2010 for the November ballot. We just need five votes.
Please send an email to Council Member Bonnie Pannell. Here are some talking points:
- You have denied my right to vote
- Since government cannot reform itself, voters should have the right to vote on the Accountability Plan of 2010
- We need more accountability, efficiency and transparency at City Hall
- We have been discussing the issue for 18 months; we cannot afford to wait any longer
- You supported putting the plan on the ballot once; we need you to do it again
Email addresses are listed below.
Bonnie Pannel
bpannell@cityofsacramento.org

Thank you for your support,
Eli Rymland-Kelly
Open Sacramento
www.OpenSac.com

Council member Pannell, I am not a supporter of the SMI so I have no idea why I received an email beginning, "Dear Supporter...."

Councilmember Pannell you have not denied my right to vote. I appreciate you for protecting my right to transparency. I do not feel our Mayor is transparent in his reasoning for the Strong Mayor Plan. I also fail to see how it holds our Mayor Accountable when it appears our Mayor is not currently held accountable for overlooking the pain and struggles many city residents currently face as he strives for more power.

Councilmember Pannell, "we" (the community) have not discussed this issue for 18 months, as the email suggests, with those who constructed or designed the cleverly evasive plan. It is evasive since it fails to inform us what the Mayor can do with the new and improved power under a new form of government that he can't do under the current system. It fails to specifically inform us on how we can hold him accountable.

Council member Pannell the community should know exactly how the new plan will hold our Mayor accountable and how it will prevent him from skating through misconduct as he has in the past. Council member Pannell our mayor can and has afforded attorneys to not hold him accountable, appears to have difficulty in transparency and hasn't proven to be worthy of additional powers.

Our Mayor spent little time preparing for this devastating budget, which unfortuantely included many program cuts, as he sought out more power. Why would you vote to give him the power to develop a budget ?

I appreciate your vote against placing the plan on a ballot until their is comprehensive community discussion.

I am pleased with your outreach and hard work within the community I reside. Council member Pannell I read in the Sacramento Press, "Johnson said he is still encouraged and sees "a window of opportunity that three council members can change their perspectives." I hope that you are not one of the three council members our Mayor feels will change their perspectives.

I also hope we can close this window of power for our mayor and open a door for a better quality of life for residents with a council looking beyond strong power for our mayor to finally look at the people crying out for genuine change and not the status quo practiced by our Mayor of overlooking the cries, pleas and concerns of many city residents.

Council member Pannell you did not deny my right to vote as the email suggests. You protected my right for truth and transparency and I appreciate your sincere efforts.

It is my hope that you stand firm and true to your past decision to vote No on placing this agenda on the November ballot. I appreciate your hard work for District 8 and your ability to look, listen and hear the people.

It is unfortunate that our Mayor is so focused on more power as city families continue to bury their youth.

Today I passed a car wash, held in your District, where friends of family members of yet another Sacramento homicide victim were attempting to raise money to bury their loved one. Recently I was a victim of a crime. I do not appreciate the fact our Mayor is preoccupied with more power when youth are losing their lives.

I am impressed with the fact, that while our mayor ignores all else that matters towards the quality of life of many city residents, you are working overtime towards providing life and freedom opportunities for city residents.

Councilmember Pannell if necessary I will provide a list of homicide victims since our Mayor has taken office. I will provide a list of crimes occuring within the city of Sacramento since our mayor has taken office. I will provide a list of programs cut since our Mayor has taken office. I will show a need for the city of Sacramento to focus on more pressing issues than more power for our Mayor.

I can't see how our mayor having more power would have prevented the death of our youth nor the recent attack on myself. Thank you for your time on this matter and I hope you will Vote NO once again so that the City of Sacramento can move on to address issues which affect the residents of Sacramento.

I hope you will take a firm stand and allow city residents to get off the strong mayor treadmill our mayor has placed the city on as many of our youth are in crisis; fighting to live and living to die.

I am pleased to know that while our Mayor has not the time or energy to address our concerns that the councilmember we vote into office has the ability to look beyond the Mayor's quest for power and listen to our questions, see our needs and concerns.

It is my hope and prayers that you continue to look at the residents of your district and not the strong arm tactics of special interests and our politics as usual- status quo- nothing has changed-Mayor.

I ask that you again Vote NO and please forward this letter to our Mayor and fellow council members.

Thank you

Rhonda Erwin

Resident of District 8 watching our Mayor as our Mayor turns a blind eye and deaf ear to our concerns as he looks for more power.

July issues at City Hall: Marijuana regulations, strong mayor

2010-07-05T19:17:44Z

Plans for local regulations on marijuana will share the spotlight with Mayor Kevin Johnson’s strong-mayor proposal at City Hall this month.

The City Council will tackle marijuana proposals at its July 13 and July 27 meetings. Before the meetings, the public is invited to weigh in on two proposed medical marijuana rules.

A meeting to gather input will be held in the second-floor hearing room of Historic City Hall, 915 I St., on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The city also held a public meeting last month about plans for a medical-marijuana ordinance.

At its July 13 meeting, the City Council is scheduled to address a proposal to tax marijuana dispensaries. The idea to tax pot dispensaries is part of a larger plan to raise an existing tax on businesses. In order for the city to tax pot shops and other businesses, a majority of voters must support a ballot measure, according to Patti Bisharat, interim assistant city manager. City officials said the "business operations tax" has been at the same level for 19 years.

Additional details about a tax on pot shops and other businesses will become available late next week, when the city clerk’s office is expected to release the City Council agenda for the July 13 meeting.

Plans to regulate medical-marijuana dispensaries in Sacramento will be on the council’s July 27 agenda. The Sacramento Press will continue to report on developments.

Meanwhile, Johnson’s strong-mayor plans are likely to be discussed again at City Council meetings later this month.

Johnson has indicated that he wants to ask council members to vote on the proposal in July. He said he hopes at least five will vote in favor of putting the proposal on the November ballot.

But Johnson faces hurdles in achieving that goal because the City Council voted 7-2 in June to prevent the city attorney from drafting language for the proposal.

Johnson’s campaign for a strong mayor form of government released a draft of the proposal written by third-party attorneys on June 30.

Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Caption: Jeanine Barnes, 66, said her extreme migraines are cured by medicinal marijuana, and her benefit card gets her a discount on prices at the Canna Care dispensary in Sacramento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Third-party attorneys write new strong mayor draft

2010-07-02T03:52:56Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson’s strong mayor campaign has released a draft of Johnson's proposal and plans to pitch it to the City Council in July.

The release of the new report marks a change in tactics for Johnson’s campaign because third-party attorneys — not the city attorney — wrote the draft.

For weeks, Johnson’s strong mayor campaign has said that City Attorney Eileen Teichert should write the formal language for the proposal. But the City Council prevented Teichert from writing the draft in a 7-2 vote last month.

The first strong mayor initiative was written by Thomas Hiltachk, a third-party attorney. That initiative was struck down by a Sacramento County Superior Court judge in January.

Shawn Callahan, who works on Johnson’s campaign, explained in a June 30 mass e-mail that the draft is part of the campaign’s strategy to persuade council members to vote for a strong mayor form of government. “With clear and detailed proposal language available for public review, council members have one less reason to oppose letting voters weigh in on this issue,” Callahan wrote.

The two attorneys who wrote the draft are Liane Randolph of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in Sacramento, and J. Clark Kelso, a law professor at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. As a "federal receiver," Kelso monitors the quality of health care at state jails.

Read the draft of Johnson’s proposal here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Johnson may ask council to vote again on strong mayor

2010-06-29T22:14:00Z

The Sacramento City Council’s 7-2 vote last week against a strong mayor form of city government is not stopping Mayor Kevin Johnson from pursuing another council vote on the issue.

Johnson’s comments to reporters at a Tuesday press conference indicate that he may ask council members to vote again on the issue after they return from their two-week summer recess in mid-July.

The City Council voted last week to prevent City Attorney Eileen Teichert from drafting official language for Johnson’s latest strong mayor proposal. Johnson and Councilman Robbie Waters voted in favor of writing up the proposal, while the other seven council members rejected it.

As it stands, the proposal will not be placed before voters on the November ballot.

Johnson plans to continue to lobby council members on the issue.

“It’s a long shot, but there’s still a little time,” Johnson said.

He said he would talk more in the coming days about the timeframe he is considering.

“We’re going to still have conversations with council members (and) encourage people to at least stay open-minded on it," Johnson said.

Councilman Steve Cohn said Tuesday that Johnson has not talked to him about a July vote. Johnson’s comments to the press will not help him convince his colleagues to vote in favor of the proposal, Cohn said. If he needs more votes from council members, he should talk to council members.

“He better quit talking about it in the press, and talk with the three council members,” Cohn said.

Cohn noted that Johnson made harsh remarks to council members at last week’s City Council meeting.

The City Council will hold its next meeting July 13.

Photo: Johnson and Cohn at a January press conference.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Mayor confronts council members during long speech

2010-06-23T14:17:46Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson said he thought it would be a 9-0 vote.

He said he thought the Sacramento City Council would unanimously support his effort to ask City Attorney Eileen Teichert to draft official language for his updated strong mayor plan. When seven of his City Council colleagues voiced opposition to his effort at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, he let them know exactly what he was thinking.

In a 7-2 vote, the City Council prevented Teichert from drafting the language of Johnson’s new plan. Johnson and Waters voted in favor of asking Teichert to write the proposed measure. Under the city’s current government structure, the mayor votes on City Council issues.

After it was clear that he didn’t have the votes late Tuesday night, Johnson launched into a lengthy monologue and made comments to each council member.

Johnson indicated he felt slighted by Councilman Steve Cohn’s vote. “You were somebody that I went to bat for while you were running ... I watched you before I got to be an elected official, and I felt like you were one of the people that I was going to learn from,” Johnson said.

The mayor then called out Cohn for not voting earlier this month on whether the City Council should boycott Arizona companies.
It was “very disappointing” that Cohn did not participate in that vote, Johnson said.

“I’m sure you had your reasons; I certainly respect that,” Johnson said. “But I guess it makes me question ... the backbone, the ethos that you represent.”

Johnson told Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell he was disappointed with her vote.

“I remember before before I ran for office, I met you at Starbucks,” Johnson told Pannell. Johnson said Pannell told him that if he was elected, she would back him on his efforts.

Johnson’s exchanges with Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy were particularly tense. To express how she felt about Johnson’s new strong mayor plan, Sheedy used a quote from former U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin: “You can put lipstick on a pig, but at the end of the day, it’s still a pig.”

She referred to the strong mayor plan as “the pig” that was being remodeled with lipstick.

Toward the end of the meeting, Johnson accused Sheedy of making comments under her breath and being disrespectful. Sheedy then told the public what she had muttered: “That’s why we don’t have a strong mayor.”

When Sheedy made her remark, she received boos from some audience members.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Strong mayor: Mayor doesn't have council votes to draft language

2010-06-23T06:19:50Z

The Sacramento City Council has rejected Mayor Kevin Johnson’s effort to ask the city attorney to write official language for his new strong mayor measure.

Shortly after 11 p.m. at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, five council members said they would vote against the drafting of the measure. With five council members in opposition, Johnson’s request to the attorney to draft the language did not have the required number of votes.

The five council members saying they opposed the drafting of the language around 11 p.m. were Kevin McCarty, Sandy Sheedy, Rob Fong, Ray Tretheway and Bonnie Pannell.

The council meeting was still in session at 11:15 p.m.

Check The Sacramento Press for further coverage of this issue.

City budget, strong mayor debate at Tuesday meetings

2010-06-22T04:50:09Z

With the city budget and Mayor Kevin Johnson’s updated strong mayor proposal on the City Council’s agenda, the public is likely to see political fireworks at two meetings Tuesday.

During the first meeting, at 915 I St. at 2 p.m. the City Council will discuss key issues related to the city’s budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The city must settle a $43 million budget gap.

Council members will consider whether to scale back proposed cuts to the city’s fire, parks and police departments. Read the report on some of the planned budget cuts here.

Another issue on the council’s afternoon agenda is the Utilities Department budget. Find information on that budget here.

The City Council will also decide whether to extend city management’s negotiations with three unions for 30 days. The unions are Stationary Engineers, Local 39; Auto, Marine & Specialty Painters, Local 1176; and Plumbers & Pipefitters, Local 447. A document from the interim city manager’s office on the issue can be readhere.

In addition, council members will discuss their views on a possible ballot measure which would tax local medical marijuana dispensaries. Learn more about that discussion here.

At the evening meeting, to be held at 915 I St. at 6 p.m., the City Council will make a final decision on the budget and then discuss Johnson’s new strong mayor plan.

The City Council is discussing, but not voting on, Johnson’s plan. Johnson aims to ask council members to vote in mid-July to put the plan on the November ballot. Read a report on the issue from Johnson’s office here.

City Council meetings are open to the public.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Johnson talks council elections, budget at press conference

2010-06-08T19:59:24Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson held a brief press conference Tuesday morning, sharing thoughts on the council races and touching on the city budget.

"I'm excited about the elections," Johnson said. "(There) could be fresh energy and ideas, combined with veteran leadership."

He said it is the city's responsibility to engage citizens and that he is happy to see multiple candidates running.

Angelique Ashby, a District 1 candidate who was endorsed by Johnson, recently was the target of attack fliers.

"It's disgusting. It's old tactics," said Johnson. "It's what people try when they're desperate. I faced similar tactics but they backfired."

He said that while he is for people challenging ideas and incumbents, attack ads are not the right way to campaign. Johnson said he would like to see campaigning on the better aspects of what can be done for the city.

Johnson also discussed the budget. He said it is his goal to "solidify the deficit while maintaining public safety."

"Public safety is crucial and I think that council agrees," he said. Protecting jobs is his second priority. Johnson hopes to keep unemployment at a minimum.

Regarding the strong mayor proposal, Johnson said he has no doubts that it will be on the November ballot.

"I believe council would not deprive citizens the chance to vote," he said.

Johnson said he plans to visit Ashby, Steve Cohn and Robbie Waters at their parties after the polls have closed, in hopes that each has been victorious.

Battle brewing between Johnson and two council members

2010-05-27T03:30:38Z

The strong mayor battles at City Hall are brewing again.

After wrapping up a lengthy and contentious hearing on Sacramento’s opposition to Arizona’s immigration law Tuesday, Mayor Kevin Johnson and City Council members Sandy Sheedy and Kevin McCarty talked to City Attorney Eileen Teichert about the latest strong mayor plan.

McCarty and Sheedy made remarks that indicate they are highly skeptical about the new plan.

Johnson asked Teichert to complete a report on his strong mayor plan for the June 15 City Council meeting. All of the council members, including the mayor, can give direction to the city attorney.

Johnson asked Teichert to include in her report information on how the new strong mayor plan can be presented with proper language. He also asked her to examine comparable cities with strong mayor form of governments in her report.

Then, McCarty asked Teichert for information that could be at odds with Johnson’s new strong mayor plan. He asked for information on how the City Council could place a proposal on the ballot to set up a new charter review commission.

“I am interested in having a debate — having a discussion — on your proposal, Mayor, as far as the mayoral structure and options," McCarty said to Johnson.

Sheedy asked Teichert for information that could be used by opponents of Johnson’s new measure.

“I want to know how many California cities have changed their system of governance during the term of an incumbent mayor,” she said.

McCarty and Sheedy were strong opponents of the previous strong mayor initiative.

The new strong mayor plan has not yet been written. Right now, it’s an outline.

Johnson wants the City Council to decide in mid-July whether to place the new strong mayor proposal on the November ballot.

Read about the contents of the new strong mayor outline here.

The public can listen to the comments from Johnson, McCarty and Sheedy at the city’s website.

After opening the link to the city’s website, click on the phrase “Watch Now,” next to the meeting date of May 25, 2010.

Once the video of the City Council meeting begins, click on the “Jump To” pull-down menu. The bottom of the menu includes the phrase: Council comments -- Ideas, Questions, Meeting/Conference Reports. Under that phrase, Sheedy, McCarty and Johnson’s names are listed, among others. Click on a council member’s name to hear his or her comments.

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Mayor wants council to discuss new strong mayor plan in early June

2010-05-25T05:36:42Z

A new "strong mayor" discussion at Sacramento City Hall may be just around the corner.

Mayor Kevin Johnson’s office wants to present the draft of a new strong mayor proposal to the City Council in early June, Johnson staffer Kunal Merchant said Monday night.

Johnson’s office is aiming for a City Council vote on the proposal in mid-July, Merchant said at a town hall meeting on the proposal.

The proposal’s backers hope to gain City Council approval in mid-July in order to place the plan on the November ballot.

A draft of the proposal has not been completed. At this point, the plan is an outline which can be read at the campaign’s new website.

In the proposal, the mayor would be the city's chief executive. He or she would propose the city budget, and appoint the city manager and department heads, according to the outline.

Both the new and old strong mayor proposals gave the mayor the power to appoint the city manager and propose the budget.

The new plan also says that Sacramento’s city clerk, city attorney, city treasurer, independent budget analyst and city auditor would be hired by the City Council. The proposed budget from the mayor would need to be approved by the City Council.

Under the old strong mayor proposal, the mayor would have hired the city clerk, city attorney and city treasurer.

The new proposal also includes plans for setting up an ethics program and term limits — these plans were not part of the first strong mayor initiative. Another new idea is a rule that the new form of government would end after six-to-10 years unless voters keep it in effect.

City Council members will be the first to receive the draft version of the proposal, Merchant told an audience member after the meeting.

Asked when the public will be able to read it, Merchant said: “There will be ample time for the public to review the draft details prior to council discussion.”

If the City Council moves the proposal onto the November ballot and voters approve it, the new form of government would take effect January 2011, according to Merchant.

Monday’s town hall forum was hosted by the Sacramento Police Officers Association, which backs plans for a strong mayor form of government. Ten people attended the forum. The forum's panelists were Merchant, SPOA’s Mark Tyndale, Jaymes Butler from Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 and Chris Tapio, who was a member of the now expired Charter Review Committee.

Butler said the Sacramento firefighters’ union has not yet decided whether to support the proposal.

Aaron Donato, a member of SPOA, asked the panelists if they thought there had been enough process to put it on the ballot.

“We’ve had 18 months of dialogue on this,” Merchant said, adding that the dialogue included petitions gathered by citizens for the previous proposal, the Charter Review Committee’s analysis and discussions at several City Council meetings.

In a 5-4 vote last August, the City Council decided to put the old strong mayor initiative on the June 2010 ballot. But the initiative was struck down in January by Sacramento County Superior Court.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Jobs, city deficit highlight Community Partnership Meeting

2010-05-14T03:07:37Z

"Jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs," said Kunal Merchant, Mayor Kevin Johnson's chief of staff. "One issue everyone is focused on is jobs."

Merchant, speaking to the group of 20 at the new Valley Hi - North Laguna Library Wednesday night, gave an update on the mayor's top four priorities, which included central city revitalization, specifically on K Street; the city's new green initiative; a new sports arena and charter reform of City Hall.

Each priority comes with the intention of creating jobs and creating a stronger city, Merchant said. He spoke of the need to make the downtown mall stronger to attract and retain business and help local businesses on K Street thrive. He also explained the holdup on a new stadium venue.

"If this is done wrong," he said, "then it's a huge waste of taxpayer money." He likened the process to a basketball game, saying, "We're in the second quarter of a four-quarter game." The mayor hopes a new stadium will create a multitude of jobs and push the city further into green opportunities, he added. The stadium, housed near the railyards, ideally will be a transit-oriented venue.

As for charter reform, Merchant explained the mayor's push for a strong mayor initiative is due to a lack of accountability and efficiency in City Hall. The initiative is set to be on the November ballot, but will first be reviewed by the City Council in June.

Also speaking at the Community Partnership Meeting was Interim City Manager Gus Vina, on hand to discuss the current city budget. Vina told the group about the process by which the city has looked to reduce expenses and battle the rising unemployment rate.

"We're looking at services in every department, getting a sense of priority," Vina said. After the department-specific reductions, Vina said, "then we can plan to fix the $43 million deficit and get to a budget we know we can afford."

Vina gave a few examples of unforeseen impacts on the current deficit, noting real estate and the state of California's deficit as major sources. In times of mass foreclosures, the city sees no property tax, he said. The city took a second hit when homes sold at lesser values, further impacting the city through lower property tax. On Monday, the city began making payments on the $20 million the state will be collecting.

"As we reduce staff, the service impact will be there," Vina warned. "It's going to take a while to get out of this mess, especially without a state budget." The majority of the money going to the state comes from redevelopment.

For the city of Sacramento, this means no new development and no borrowing. Vina said projects under way are still scheduled to be completed.

The panel of Vina, Merchant, Khaalid Muttaqi of the Neighborhood Services Department, and Susan McKee, district director for Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg fielded questions from attendees throughout the meeting. Residents asked about currently untaxed oil drilling off the coast of California, property tax redistribution and early prisoner release.

McKee, answering the majority of questions, had no answer for why California does not tax oil drilling, but speculated California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will likely re-consider after the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill. McKee also said the talk of privatization of prisons has not gained traction, and pointed out the money saved on prisoners released only a few months in advance remains in the Department of Corrections' control, shifting from use inside the prison system to outside.

The next Community Partnership Meeting is scheduled for 7-8:30 p.m. May 19 at the Coloma Community Center located at 4623 T Street.

Is the Quickest Way to the Mayor's Office through the Strong Mayor Campaign?

2010-03-17T21:34:15Z

Consider the case of Republican mover-and-shaker Jon Bagatelos of Sacramento, who until recently was relatively unknown at City Hall. Bagatelos, along with his relatives and his family’s commercial glass businesses, has been particularly kind to Kevin Johnson – including sponsoring fundraisers and doling out $15,150 in contributions to his mayoral race. When Johnson launched his strong mayor power grab, the Bagatelos clan once again was generous, handing out $10,550 to the effort in December 2009.

In January 2010 – a month after those strong mayor contributions -- Johnson smiled on Jon Bagatelos and made him a city planning commissioner.

And now Bagatelos is back, part of a development team vying to redevelop K Street. Will Johnson smile on Bagatelos again?

On March 4, the city revealed four teams competing to revamp the blighted 700 and 800 blocks of K Street. Heading Bagatelos’ group is Bridge Housing, an affordable housing firm from San Francisco. (Bridge spokesman Randy Schaber is also a strong mayor donor). Also on the team is Saca Development, unfortunately best known for its failed twin condo tower project on Capitol Mall.

While Bridge and Saca have established development records, Bagatelos’ experience is unclear. Little can be found about his company in public records – he hasn’t even registered the development firm with the Secretary of State’s office.

What is part of the record is Bagatelos’ long-standing activism in Republican politics – starting as an intern for Gov. Pete Wilson. In 2000, Bagatelos was co-chairman of the Sacramento County Bush for President campaign, according to The Sacramento Bee.

In 2002, Bagatelos made a stab at the political limelight, running to represent District 10 for the state Assembly – a sprawling area that includes parts of Lodi, Rancho Cordova, El Dorado and Amador counties. The Bee reported Sacramentan Bagatelos didn’t even live in the district, but rented a friend’s Carmichael apartment to establish residence. He raised lots of money – donors included the likes of tobacco company Phillip Morris -- but he was shellacked by other Republican primary contenders. It’s believed he still has political aspirations.

Even back then, Saca and Bagatelos were linked. Saca contributed to Bagatelos’ campaign, and Bagagelos threw a fundraiser for Gubernatorial-hopeful Bill Simon at Saca’s home.

Somehow, this staunch Republican in 2008 found his way to Kevin Johnson.

During the mayoral campaign Bagatelos and NBA star Charles Barkley threw a swanky fundraiser for Johnson at then-Mason’s restaurant. Bagatelos also was part of a group of local heavyweights who sponsored a Johnson fundraiser at the home of mega-developer Angelo Tsakopoulos.

Bagatelos and developer Mark Friedman are now at the heart of the strong mayor campaign, sources said. Look for the pair to become co-finance chairs for the power grab campaign and step up the pressure on the City Council to place the initiative on the November ballot.

Editor's Note: This story was written on behalf of the Democratic Party of Sacramento County.

Sheedy, citizens weigh in on Johnson's new strong mayor plan

2010-02-10T07:09:11Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson’s latest strong mayor proposal drew strong reactions from a councilwoman and members of the public even though it was not officially on the City Council agenda.

Johnson’s new strong mayor package was taken off the agenda Tuesday night without explanation from city officials.

Even though the proposal was pulled from the meeting, the council heard comments from several members of the public, pro and con.

Then, Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy spoke of her opposition to Johnson’s plan.

“I think the entire city is suffering from a case of strong mayor fatigue,” she said, adding that the city needs to stop focusing on the issue of a strong mayor form of government. Sheedy suggested focusing instead on the city’s budget and problems with its Utilities and Community Development departments.

Trisha Flynn, an owner of Chops Steakhouse downtown, spoke in favor of Johnson’s proposal, calling the City Council “slow-moving” and “antiquated.”

Carolyn Veal-Hunter also supported Johnson’s plan. “The voters want to be heard in June,” she said.

Meanwhile, Bill Camp, the plaintiff who challenged the original strong mayor initiative in Sacramento Superior Court, said he wanted to see “adequate public vetting” of the new plan.

Matt Kelly, an opponent of Johnson’s original strong mayor initiative, was skeptical about the two-week timeline to complete the proposal.

The proposal is on a two-week timeline because the City Council has a Feb. 23 administrative deadline to complete the measure. The Feb. 23 deadline is for measures that will be placed on the June ballot.

Kelly said two weeks to complete the proposal was “a bit sudden.”

Johnson provided specifics on his new plan at a press conference Tuesday. The mayor said he has ideas but the proposal has not yet been written.

“Yes, we have two weeks left before this has to be on the ballot,” Johnson said. “But this has been debated in our community at a minimum over the last nine (or) ten months, and certainly while I was campaigning.”

Under the new proposal, the mayor would maintain three main elements of the original plan, Johnson said. The new plan would enable the mayor to propose the budget; hire and fire “key personnel”; and have veto powers over specific items. The council would have the power to override the mayor’s veto, he said.

Johnson also said he plans to make key changes. The mayor would not appoint the city attorney and certain city officials. However, the mayor still would appoint the city manager.

Johnson noted that he wants to add language specifying that the mayor’s hiring powers would not extend to all city employees who are not represented by unions. The city’s charter review committee said the original initiative would have allowed the mayor to hire about 800 employees.

Johnson further said he wants to include other elements in the measure, including language creating term limits, an ethics committee and an independent budget analyst.

He also called for adding a “voter reapproval” section to the measure. This means that the new strong mayor form of government would expire after a certain time, Johnson said. Citizens then would vote on keeping or removing the strong mayor government, he added.

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Hiltachk appeals decision on strong mayor initiative

2010-01-26T04:39:59Z

A prominent supporter of the strong mayor initiative has appealed a Sacramento County Superior Court judge’s decision to ban the initiative from the June ballot.

Thomas Hiltachk, the attorney who wrote the initiative, appealed Judge Loren McMaster’s ruling on Monday to the Third District Court of Appeal.

In the strong mayor government outlined in the initiative, the mayor would assume the city manager’s powers and create the city budget. Mayor Kevin Johnson has led efforts to put the measure on the ballot.

"We expect that the Appellate Court will side with the people," Hiltachk said in a press release Monday afternoon.

In December, Bill Camp challenged the initiative in Sacramento County Superior Court. Camp sued the city of Sacramento, the Sacramento City Council and Hiltachk.

McMaster decided last Thursday that the initiative did not follow state law and should not be placed on the ballot.

Read Hiltachk’s appeal here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

A road map to the strong mayor debate

2010-01-22T05:38:44Z

Developments affecting Mayor Kevin Johnson’s strong mayor initiative have been highly controversial and complex.

Several entities have weighed in on the initiative, including the Sacramento City Council, the Sacramento County Superior Court and the Sacramento Charter Review Committee. Government officials, attorneys and citizens have interpreted the initiative in a variety of ways.

Here’s a road map to make sense of some of the key events in the strong mayor debate:

Johnson’s Day One Plan: Before taking office, Johnson promotes a strong mayor form of government in his “Day One” plan. An executive mayor system would mean that one leader would be accountable, Johnson says.

“Explore a change to the city charter moving to a strong mayor structure,” the plan states. “We need a single point of accountability in our city and to know where the buck stops. We should engage in a dialogue to determine if we can improve our city government through a different governance structure.”

February 2009: The City Council unanimously forms the charter review committee. Johnson votes in favor of the committee. Council members direct the committee to examine the strong mayor format.

May 18, 2009: The Charter Review Committee talks to academics about strong mayor government systems.

June 26, 2009: Sacramentans for Accountable Government (SAG), the group running the strong mayor campaign, brings to City Hall signatures from residents who favor the initiative. Acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson says the papers with the signatures filled 13 boxes.

Aug. 6, 2009: The City Council decides in a 5-4 vote to put the strong mayor initiative on the June 2010 ballot. Council members Sandy Sheedy, Rob Fong, Kevin McCarty and Bonnie Pannell vote against placing it on the June 8 ballot. Before the City Council made this decision, the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters had declared that SAG received the required number of signatures (32,433) to place the initiative on the ballot.

Sept. 3, 2009: The Charter Review Committee favors the idea to allow the Sacramento mayor to appoint the city manager.

Oct. 19, 2009: The Charter Review Committee recommends that the City Council maintain its existing council/manager system. The committee opposes the idea of a strong mayor government for Sacramento. However, the committee recommends altering the current system to give the mayor the power to appoint the city manager. In the city’s council/manager system, the city manager is appointed by the City Council.

Dec. 1, 2009: Bill Camp files a lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court challenging the strong mayor initiative. Defendants in the case are the city of Sacramento, the Sacramento City Council and Thomas Hiltachk, the attorney who wrote the strong mayor initiative. Camp contends in his lawsuit that the initiative breaks state law because it would create major changes to the city’s charter. He argues that that an initiative can amend, but not change, a city charter.

Jan. 14, 2010: Mayor Kevin Johnson reacts to Sacramento Superior Court Judge Loren McMaster’s initial decision that the initiative should not go on the June ballot. “Voters deserve and have a right to vote on this initiative,” Johnson says.

Jan. 21, 2010: McMaster issues a final ruling saying the initiative should not be placed on the June ballot. He writes that the initiative would not align with state law. He determines that the initiative is a revision of the city charter, not an amendment.

Jan. 21, 2010: Thomas Hiltachk says SAG will appeal McMaster’s ruling to the 3rd District Court of Appeal.

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Strong mayor: Hiltachk to appeal, read judge's final ruling

2010-01-21T18:41:25Z

A defendant in the strong mayor lawsuit will appeal Sacramento Superior Court Judge Loren McMaster's decision to strike down the initiative.

In his final ruling, McMaster decided that the strong mayor initiative should not be placed on the June ballot. He wrote that the initiative would not align with state law.

Defendants in the case are the city of Sacramento, the Sacramento City Council and Thomas Hiltachk, the attorney who wrote the strong mayor initiative. Bill Camp is the plaintiff.

In a press release issued this morning, Hiltachk said he will appeal McMaster's ruling to the Third District Court of Appeals. Hiltachk spoke on behalf of Sacramentans for Accountable Government, the group that campaigned for the strong mayor initiative.

“We will immediately appeal this unprecedented decision by Judge McMaster and we are very confident we will prevail in the Appellate court," Hiltachk said.

Read McMaster's final ruling here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Attorney defends strong mayor initiative before judge

2010-01-16T01:55:28Z

A lawyer defending the “strong mayor” initiative made arguments Friday in an effort to convince a judge to throw out a draft ruling against the initiative. Judge Loren McMaster heard arguments from lawyers representing the plaintiff and defendants at Sacramento County Superior Court but did not issue a final ruling Friday.

McMaster did not announce when he would release his final decision. He issued a tentative ruling Thursday that said the initiative should not be placed on the June ballot.

Bill Camp is the plaintiff who is challenging the initiative through a lawsuit. Camp, the executive secretary of the Sacramento Central Labor Council, filed the lawsuit as an individual.

The defendants in the case are the city of Sacramento, the Sacramento City Council and Thomas Hiltachk, the attorney who wrote the strong mayor initiative.

In the strong mayor government defined in the initiative, Mayor Kevin Johnson would gain the city manager’s powers and create the city’s budget.

Hiltachk did not attend Friday’s hearing. He was represented by attorney James Harrison of San Leandro law firm Remcho, Johansen and Purcell LLP.

Camp argues in the lawsuit that the initiative bypasses state law because it would create changes to the city’s charter. While an initiative can be used to amend a city charter, it can’t be used to make sweeping changes, Camp argues.

That point was debated at Friday’s hearing. “If the voters have particular changes in mind, amendment is the way by which they make them,” Harrison said. “And that’s precisely what they’re trying to accomplish here.”

But McMaster responded that voters also have the ability to vote on changes to a government structure if a charter commission, made up of local citizens, is used in the process. “So this argument that I’m somehow depriving people of a vote is hogwash,” he said.

Harrison said that the initiative “does not amount to a revision.”

Addressing McMaster, Lance Olson, Camp’s attorney, said: “We obviously agree with the court’s conclusions and its reasoning.”

Harrison said after the hearing that the case involves voters’ rights. “We’re pleased that (McMaster) took the matter under submission and that he’s going to give serious consideration to the right of the voters to propose amendments to their own charter and to provide for how they want their government to run,” Harrison said.

Olson had an opposing view. “(McMaster) understands very clearly that this has nothing to do with taking rights away from the voters,” Olson said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Johnson reacts to initial ruling in strong mayor case

2010-01-15T01:59:43Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson commented on today’s initial Sacramento County Superior Court ruling that the strong mayor initiative should not be placed on the June ballot.

Johnson made his remarks to reporters before an open house on proposals for a new Sacramento entertainment and sports complex. Sacramento Press staff reporter Suzanne Hurt reported Johnson's comments on Judge Loren McMaster’s draft decision:

“I think it was a temporary setback,” Johnson said. “This is something we’re going to fight. We’re going to fight nail and tooth.”

Johnson noted that the early decision was “very disheartening,” and indicated that it affects voters’ rights.

“Voters deserve and have a right to vote on this initiative,” he said.

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Lawsuit against strong mayor initiative online

2009-12-03T06:25:47Z

Sacramento residents can read the new lawsuit challenging the strong mayor initiative here.

Bill Camp, executive secretary of the Sacramento Central Labor Council, is the plaintiff who is suing the city government, the City Council and Thomas Hiltachk, the attorney who wrote the strong mayor initiative.

Mayor Kevin Johnson, who leads the initiative campaign, would have many new responsibilities if voters approve the initiative. In a strong mayor position, Johnson would attain the responsibilities of the city manager and create the city’s budget.

The city currently uses a council/manager system. City Manager Ray Kerridge’s many powers include the ability to draft recommendations for the city’s budget and hire department directors.

Camp's lawsuit contends that the initiative violates state law because it would create changes to the city’s charter. While an initiative can be used to amend a city charter, it can’t be used to make sweeping changes, Camp argues.

Camp filed the lawsuit as a private citizen, not as a representative of the labor council.

The group SAVE Sacramento supports the lawsuit.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Union leaders back lawsuit against strong mayor

2009-12-02T05:49:57Z

In a sign that the opposing camp to the “strong mayor” initiative has significant union support, three local union leaders turned out for a Tuesday press conference to support a new lawsuit against the initiative.

The group SAVE Sacramento, which is chaired by local union leader Matt Kelly, is publicizing a lawsuit that aims to take the strong mayor initiative off the June 2010 ballot.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit is Bill Camp, the executive secretary of the Sacramento Central Labor Council. Camp filed the lawsuit as a private citizen — he is not representing the labor council in the legal battle. The defendants named in the lawsuit are the city of Sacramento, the Sacramento City Council and Thomas Hiltachk, the attorney who wrote the strong mayor initiative.

The lawsuit contends that the initiative would illegally make changes — not amendments — to the city’s charter.

“We believe this poorly conceived and badly written measure is not only bad public policy but it is an illegal power grab that exceeds the bounds of what is allowed under the California Constitution,” Kelly said at the press conference, held outside City Hall.

A divided City Council in August voted to place the initiative on the June 2010 ballot. The city currently uses a council/manager system. City Manager Ray Kerridge’s many powers include the ability to draft recommendations for the city’s budget and hire department directors.

Also appearing with Kelly and Camp at Tuesday’s press conference was Joan Bryant, director of public employees for Stationary Engineers Local 39. The union represents a wide variety of workers in numerous city departments, including code enforcement, parks and recreation, parking enforcement and the solid waste division.

Camp said before the press conference that it was clear the initiative would make changes to city government that are greater than what is allowed to be defined as an “amendment.” Amendments can legally be made through a ballot initiative, but changes cannot be made through that vehicle, Camp argues.

“I mean, this is a whole reorganization of the city government,” he said.

Lance Olson, Camp’s attorney, claimed that the initiative violates Article 11 of the California Constitution. Olson said the strong mayor initiative proponents did not follow the legal process for making changes to the city charter.

Since the Sacramento Central Labor Council had endorsed Johnson’s candidacy for mayor, Camp is now opposing the initiative of the mayor his group had once supported.

“There’s a difference between us supporting [Johnson] ... and taking this idea and saying, you know what, this is a bad idea,” Camp said.

The labor council still supports Johnson, Camp said, but disagrees with the initiative.

Reacting to the announcement of the lawsuit, Johnson said he was very disappointed. The lawsuit will take away scarce resources from the city and the taxpayers will have to pay the bill, he said.

“I do not think that’s in the best interest of the community,” he said.

Johnson also commented on the labor unions’ support of the lawsuit against the initiative. “I wish that wasn’t the case,” he said, adding that he thinks labor would “benefit immensely” as a result of changing the city’s governance structure.

Other supporters of the lawsuit who appeared at the press conference included Anna Molander, the chair of the Democratic Party of Sacramento County; Anne Rudin, former mayor of Sacramento; Bernard Bowler, former chair of the board of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce; and Joe Goeden, former West Sacramento City Manager.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Town hall suspicious of strong mayor proposal

2009-10-12T02:19:42Z

Participants in a town hall meeting on Thursday held at Caleb Greenwood Elementary School expressed skepticism and suspicion about the "strong mayor" proposal endorsed by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.

"I suspect that it [the strong mayor initiative] is a power grab, but I suspect that something will come out of [the town hall meeting] and I'll be able to make a rational decision," said resident Mike Montgomery.

The town hall meeting, which attracted about 50 people, included a thorough presentation of the strong mayor proposal that has been placed on the June 2010 ballot. The presentation was by members of the Charter Review Committee, a group created by the City Council to research and draft an alternative to the strong mayor proposal.

Chester Newland, professor of public policy at the Sacramento branch of the University of Southern California, is a member of the committee who is opposed to the strong mayor proposal.

"A mayor with talent and community organization has the ability to inspire cooperation and communitywide participation," Newland said. "The [strong mayor] initiative will reduce the council members to cyphers ... the mayor will divide them into factions."

Newland is a dissenting voice on the committee, which has recommended that the role of the mayor be strengthened. A majority of the committee members suggested that the mayor be given the power to appoint the city manager, with the concurrence of the council. The city manager, however, would remain the city's chief executive officer.

The strong mayor initiative would make the mayor the city's chief executive officer. About 800 non-union city officials, such as the city manager, would serve at the pleasure of the mayor.

"The criticism [of the strong mayor proposal] is that is politicizes the staff," said committee member Alan G. LoFaso.

"A mayor needs a manager [who can] speak truth to power when the mayor makes a mistake," Newland said.

If the strong mayor proposal becomes law, the mayor would no longer sit on the City Council. To fill this vacancy, the proposal calls for the creation of a ninth City Council district. The proposal, however, does not specify how the district will be created. The strong mayor initiative specifies that the mayor is to sit on the City Council as its ninth member and serve as mayor until the ninth district is created.

When asked when the ninth council member would be seated, LoFaso replied, "It is unclear."

The strong mayor initiative also requires that the mayor submit an annual budget to the City Council. "If the council cannot agree to a budget, the mayor's original proposed budget becomes law," said LaFaso.

Other U.S. cities have enacted elements of Sacramento's proposed strong mayor initiative, but with a difference. "Most cities, when they went to strong mayor systems, created term limits," said committee member Cecily Hastings. The proposed initiative does not contain such a provision.

Asked if the strong mayor initiative can be altered before the June 2010 election, Hastings replied, "The [strong mayor] proposal is set in stone. No one can change it."

The City Council has until March to place the Charter Review Committee's proposal on the June ballot. If it is placed on the ballot, it will be listed alongside the strong mayor proposal.

The proposals would not directly compete on the ballot. Instead, each initiative would be voted on separately. If a majority of voters approve both proposals, the one with the most votes becomes law, said LaFaso.

The Charter Review Committee's documents and communications are available at: cityofsacramento.org/charter.

To see an outline of the different proposals, click here.

To learn more about the strong mayor proposal, visit the Sacrament Press 'strong mayor' tag.

Photo credit: Anthony Bento

Charter Committee meeting provides constructive forum to answer citizen's questions

2009-10-09T04:00:38Z

Twelve Sacramentans who attended Wednesday's Charter Review Committee town hall meeting at San Brannan Middle School did not come to debate the "strong mayor" initiative. They said they wanted to have their questions answered so they could better understand the proposed changes to Sacramento's mayoral authority.

Committee member JoAnn Fuller led the meeting and presented an overview of the recommendations of the Charter Review Committee. Each attendee was provided a handout describing the eight tentative recommendations with illustrations that depicted Sacramento's current system of mayoral authority and how the system would change under the strong mayor initiative and under the recommendations from the committee.

"These are all tentative decisions," Fuller said. "We are ready to listen. We want your opinions and will answer your questions."

The primary question of the evening revolved around the appointment and removal process of the city manager. Currently, the City Council, which consists of eight members and the mayor, needs a two-thirds majority vote to appoint or remove the city manager. Under the strong mayor initiative, the mayor would appoint the city manager, which would require confirmation by the City Council. However, removal of the city manager would be a decision made solely by the mayor. The Charter Review Committee has recommended that the appointment process would be the same as outlined for the strong mayor initiative, but removal of the city manager would not be a unilateral power of the mayor. Instead, with cause, a majority vote by the City Council could remove the city manager or the mayor could remove the city manager with majority approval of the council.

The rationale behind this recommendation was questioned. Members of the Charter Review Committee said that their decision was meant to ensure the mayor and city manager are a team, which could be better accomplished by allowing the mayor to choose his or her city manager.

"Would this create a revolving door policy of city managers?" asked Peggy Alexander, a local school teacher. "Since the mayor and city manager would work so closely together, could we expect a new city manager every four years as new mayors get elected?"

The citizens in attendance also wanted a clear understanding the underlying issues that formed the committee's recommendations.

"What were the strong points that you [the Charter Review Committee] used to get to your decision for the recommendations?" asked JoAnne Bernhard.

Dan Gorfain, chairman of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, asked if the recommendations were "a compromise of the committee members."

In response, Charter Review Committee member Alan LoFaso said: "There is a desire from some members of the public for the mayor to have some additional power."

The committee's recommendations would enhance the current mayoral system. The recommendations centered around three points the committee felt were important for Sacramento's government. They were:

1) A mayor sitting with the city council enhances citizen access to the mayor.
2) A mayor sitting with the city council fosters a collaborative community environment.
3) Placing the mayor in an more executive-type positon seperates the mayor from the city council and decreases the public's access to the mayor.

"Good leadership should not be demanded control but should inspire voluntary fellowship," said Chester Newland, Charter Review Committee member and University of Southern California professor of public administration, as he attempted to clarify the differences between the strong mayor initiative and the charter committee recommendations.

Alexander said it also was important to understand how the strong mayor initiative would change the job requirements of the mayor. Committee member Chris Tapio described the transition in business terms, indicating that the mayor would become the chief executive officer and the city manager would fulfill a more administrative role.

"If the strong mayor initiative passes, we may need a different type of mayor," Alexander said. "We need to elect a mayor as someone with a very particular job. Their job would be very different from what it currently is."

Meetings will continue until October 15. The Sept. 21 story by Kathleen Haley (there will be a link) has the times, dates and locations of the remaining meetings.

City Charter Review Committee Holds Meeting in District Seven

2009-10-02T04:06:26Z

A meeting held in the Riverside Boulevard Elks Lodge at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday marked another in a series held by the City of Sacramento City Charter Review Committee (CRC).

Moderated by CRC vice chair JoAnn Fuller, the two-hour discourse between the roughly 25 citizens of District Seven and members of the council addressed issues involving the strong mayor initiative and the tentative decisions surrounding it.

Each proposal was presented on a separate page in a packet handed to everyone. A dry erase board was set up that had charts for all to read.

The first question posed was if the mayor should sit and vote as a member of the City Council. The committee felt that it might be important for the mayor to sit at the meetings in order for him to be more connected with the rest of his council.

When a citizen asked what would happen to the city manager, CRC member Alan LoFaso responded that he would continue to be a charter officer.

The subject of the mayor having veto power was also raised.

“So would it then take a super-majority to respond to a strong mayor’s veto?” asked citizen Warren Burns.

LoFaso responded in the affirmative.

Burns pointed out that if the strong mayor initiative is voted into action, the mayor can not only veto a law, but he can also use his spot on the council to vote against it again if the other members wish to overturn his veto.

The most controversial subject during the meeting was the question of who should appoint and remove certain members of government.

“A strong mayor would be able to appoint anyone he wanted to the role of city manager, which could cause a split among the members of the City Council,” warned CRC member Chester Newland.

This subject brought LoFaso back to the microphone to explain the three most common catalysts for political change in city government:

1. There is a scandal or major event in the city’s government, which prompted San Diego’s conversion five years ago.

2. A dynamic elected official enacts the change.

3. Cities get larger.

“There has been no compelling problem with Sacramento’s government that has given us the need to change the whole thing,” said LoFaso.

Burns expressed further skepticism at the ability of the strong mayor to hire and fire government employees, especially a city manager.

“If the mayor can appoint anyone he wants to city manager, he will be able to put a crony in the place of a perfectly competent person to further his agenda,” argued Burns. “I moved to Sacramento in 1968, and I’m afraid the strong mayor initiative could cause turmoil among many citizens, forcing them to move.”

As for other city employees, non-union workers would not be protected by a civil service support system, according to Fuller.

Sacramento’s budget was the last major topic discussed.

Under a strong mayor, the budget would be proposed by him or her. The council can make changes, which the mayor can then veto. If the council does not override the mayor’s veto by the new fiscal year, the budget goes into effect.

Fuller posed the last question of the evening, taking a poll of the citizens present who would be in favor of adding term limits to the mayor’s stay in office, and only a few were.

Setting the Record Straight

2009-09-28T17:09:34Z

Editor's Note: Ronald West is a consultant for Sacramentans for Accountable Government and Mayor Kevin Johnson's brother.

Here's how you can tell Sacramento political insiders are getting desperate to stop the city's charter reform movement: They are already lying about reform, nine months before the election.

The beauty of charter reform is its simplicity. The voting public will have total control. Come June 2010, Sacramento voters will decide whether to modernize their city charter and create a strong mayor system, or keep business as usual. That's the whole debate.

You know opponents of reform are worried because they are trying to complicate that simple statement, scare voters with falsehoods, even make stuff up. It's desperation time and the campaign hasn't even started.

The first lie involves the concept of strong mayor. Opponents want to make charter reform and strong mayor government sound exotic, even dirty. Reality is that 31 of the 50 biggest cities in the U.S. have strong mayors. It's nothing exotic.

Strong mayors exist in all corners of America, from Honolulu to Miami, plus Denver, San Diego, Seattle, Jacksonville, Milwaukee, Louisville, Atlanta and Oakland (to name a few). Our biggest cities -- New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia -- have long enjoyed strong mayors.

Charter reform opponents are trying to scare city employees and their families by saying a strong mayor can fire everybody. Not true. Most city employees are covered by civil service rules and collective bargaining contracts. When it comes to firing people, the answer is simple: no way.

Certain senior managers can be fired under charter reform. They are the same senior staff who can be fired today by the City Manager. The difference with reform is that the Mayor will have to answer to voters. A non-elected City Manager operates in near silence and secrecy.

More scare tactics and lies involve veto power. The right of the Mayor to veto City Council legislation is crucial to bringing checks and balances to Sacramento City Hall. Under reform, the Council can override vetoes and approve many mayoral decisions, including the budget. Reform foes suggest veto power weakens checks and balances. The opposite is true.

Opponents claim reform is rushed. Really? It's been more than 70 years in the making. The strong mayor system starts one month after the June election -- one year from the strong mayor's first budget. If that's rushing things, our grandchildren will be lucky to live long enough to see real reform.

Finally, reform opponents claim strong mayor revisions blur the lines of authority. The lines could hardly be more blurred than today, when 13 people have senior authority at City Hall, including four charter officers and nine council members. Nobody knows who's in charge -- because nobody is. That's the problem.

With strong mayor reform, the citizens of Sacramento will know know the buck stops at the Mayor's desk. What a concept.

Johnson talks to residents about strong mayor issue

2009-09-25T05:02:09Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson laid out his reasons for supporting a “strong mayor” form of government at a town hall meeting held Thursday night in Land Park. He said a strong mayor form of government would allow citizens to have more influence over their government than the current City Council/city manager system.

Johnson spoke to a crowd of about 100 people at his former junior high school, California Middle School in Land Park. The meeting was an open forum for residents to ask questions; it was not organized around a particular topic.

Kathi Windheim of the Greenhaven / Pocket neighborhood asked the mayor to address controversial legal issues with the strong mayor initiative. The initiative, which will go on the ballot in June 2010, proposes to change the city’s current system of government to a strong mayor system. “It’s alarming -- the problems with the initiative,” Windheim said.

In response, Johnson made his case in support of the initiative. He said that cities often change to a strong mayor system when they become larger. Several other California cities that are the size of Sacramento have the strong mayor form of government, he pointed out. “When I said Sacramento has a chance to be a world class city, I think this is a tremendous opportunity to do that,” he said. “This is just an evolution.”

Among other arguments, he said that the strong mayor system would give residents more direct influence over city government. He said the city manager runs the city but is unelected. “It’s hard for you as a voter to have your vote count,” he said.

The mayor also took questions from citizens on several other local issues, including homelessness and a proposal to make it legal for residents to have chickens in their yards.

Photo by Jonathan Mendick.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Charter meeting: "Strong mayor" hiring powers discussed

2009-09-24T05:58:10Z

Residents and members of a city committee discussed on Wednesday night issues relating to the “strong mayor” initiative, including a statistic which says that a Sacramento strong mayor would have the power to hire a total of 800 city employees.

The city’s Charter Review Committee, which has tentatively recommended that the city maintain its existing City Council/city manager system, held the first of nine town hall meetings with 18 residents at the Natomas High School lunch room. The committee is accepting feedback from the public on its draft report. A separate strong mayor initiative -- which clashes with the charter committee’s draft recommendations -- will go before voters in June 2010.

A handout from the committee that was passed out to residents at the meeting says that the strong mayor initiative would give the mayor the power to hire about 800 non-union city employees.

Cecily Hastings, a member of the charter committee, discussed the issue with residents. “Under the strong mayor initiative — and this is a very controversial part of it — the mayor hires and fires those 800 people directly.”

The city currently has fewer than 800 non-union employees because of vacant positions and layoffs, Hastings said. However, the city could have 800 non-union employees if it is fully-staffed, she added.

Summarizing the committee’s view, she said that firing and hiring of these positions by the mayor would politicize the city staff “far too much.”

The city manager is responsible for hiring and firing non-union staff in the existing system. The committee is recommending in its draft report that the city manager maintain this duty.

Felicia Townsend, a resident who attended the meeting, told Hastings that if the mayor were in charge of hiring and firing the 800 people instead of the city manager, it would still be “just one person who has control over all those people.”

The committee felt that the mayor is a “political” job, while the city manager is a “professional” job, Hastings said, responding to Townsend.

Townsend said after the meeting that she is leaning toward supporting the strong mayor initiative. She said she attended the charter committee’s meeting because she wanted to hear the committee’s views.

The meeting also attracted supporters of the charter committee’s ideas. Brandon Ruiz, a volunteer with Support Accountability, Voice and Ethics in Sacramento, passed out print-outs opposing the strong mayor initiative. He also asked residents in attendance to sign petitions against the initiative after the meeting. The group is taking signatures on petitions in an effort to gather information and raise awareness of SAVE, he said.

Read this Sept. 21 story for the times, dates and locations of the charter committee's remaining town hall meetings.

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Public invited to Charter Committee town hall meetings

2009-09-22T03:28:03Z

A committee recommending that the city maintain its current City Council/city manager system is taking its ideas to the public in a series of town hall meetings. The Charter Review Committee’s draft recommendations object to the “strong mayor” system that is being proposed in a 2010 ballot initiative.

The committee’s nine town hall meetings will be held at various locations from Sept. 23 to Oct. 15. Each meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The locations are listed at the end of this story.

While the committee has been receiving public input, members now are reaching tentative decisions that they want to explore with the community, said Bill Edgar, Charter Review Committee chairman.

How much can the public influence the committee?

“Quite a bit,” Edgar said, noting that the committee wants to see if the public agrees with its ideas or Mayor Kevin Johnson’s strong mayor proposal.

Bill Burgua, chairman of the Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association, said he probably would attend one of the meetings. “I just want to remind [the committee] that they need to be doing what is best for the citizens,” he said.

Burgua said he does not oppose a strong mayor system for Sacramento. However, he said that he objects to Johnson’s move to become a strong mayor before that system had been established. “I don’t think the people who are advising Kevin Johnson have the best interests of the citizens at heart,” Burgua said.

The vice president of the Land Park Community Association said he is disappointed with the committee's draft recommendations. Craig Powell, who plans to attend one of the town hall meetings, said he wanted the committee to propose reforms that would differ from the strong mayor initiative and the current system. "I was looking forward to the committee putting up a proposal that would spark such a debate this spring on two competing visions for improving local government," he said. "Instead, they are headed towards an endorsement of the status quo."

The Charter Review Committee’s Town Hall Meetings Schedule:

Wednesday, Sept. 23: Natomas High School — 3301 Fong Ranch Road

Thursday, Sept. 24: Ben Ali Shrine Temple — 3262 Marysville Blvd.

Wednesday, Sept. 30: Elks Lodge — 6446 Riverside Blvd.

Thursday, Oct. 1: Christian Brothers High School — 4315 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Monday, Oct. 5: Tahoe Park Elementary School — 3110 60th Street

Wednesday, Oct. 7: Sam Brannan Middle School — 5301 Elmer Way

Thursday, Oct. 8: Caleb Greenwood — 5457 Carlson Drive

Wednesday, Oct. 14: Sam Pannell Community Center — 2450 Meadowview Road

Thursday, Oct. 15: Sierra II — 2791 24th St.

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

SAVE Sacramento launched to Support Accountability, community Voice and Ethics in our City Government

2009-09-16T06:36:51Z

A coalition of business and community leaders, Labor, and the Democratic Party of Sacramento County announced today that they are joining together to preserve and protect Sacramento’s community-oriented government structure and stop the poorly-drafted, so called Strong-Mayor initiative that, if passed, would give Sacramento a Boss instead of a mayor. The coalition will use the name SAVE Sacramento, an acronym for Support Accountability, Voice, and Ethics in Sacramento.

SAVE Sacramento will launch its new website, www.bossmayor.com, today at 4 pm. It will enable Sacramentans to learn the truth about the initiative drafted in secret by the attorneys for Sacramentans for Accountable Government. This Boss Mayor Initiative, put on the ballot by SAG’s paid petition-gatherers, would give Sacramento’s mayor more power than any mayor in the country. Among its many deficiencies, the initiative does not include common accountability provisions like term limits or an ethics commission. The initiative would also give a Boss mayor power to hire and fire any of 5,000 city employees at any time, for any reason.

SAVE Sacramento founding member, Anna Molander said, “Sacramento’s unique communities need a voice in city hall. Our council-manager government gives every Sacramento neighborhood representation and a chance for its needs to be heard. SAG’s Boss Mayor Initiative will strip away any opportunity for regular citizens to have a voice in governing our beautiful, unique, and world-class city.”

SAVE Sacramento supports an open, transparent, inclusive city government that recognizes the importance of giving our unique neighborhoods and communities a voice in city hall.

Molander also stated that “SAVE Sacramento is committed to reaching out to all Sacramentans.” Details can be found at www.bossmayor.com.

Mayor Johnson and Sacramento Schools

2009-09-10T19:25:27Z

Opponents have argued that one of Mayor Johnson's ultimate goals is to move Sacramento's public schools under the control of the city's mayor, however, the Mayor has consistently insisted that this is not the case.

In Inside City Hall, Ryan Lillis gives us some insight into Mayor Johnson's intentions. The mayor maintains that he does not wish to take control of the schools, clarifying, "what's on my radar is the mayor playing a critical role in our schools." Fair enough, complete control and "a critical role" are two very different phrases.

The Mayor then expands on what he has in mind. While he notes that he does not like the term education "czar", the Mayor confirms that he would like to establish an education "liaison". Rather than limiting the position to communication and coordination, as the definition of "liaison" would suggest, the mayor envisions "something very powerful that will unite the school districts under one common vision."

li·ai·son
n. An instance or a means of communication between different groups or units of an organization.

czar
n. A person exercising great authority or power in a particular field.

So, as this Sacramentan understands it, the mayor's goal is to create a powerful position (but not a czar -- we don't like that word) that will unite the school districts behind the mayor's vision -- while stopping short of outright control.

The Mayor's ability to effect positive change is largely debated. Mayor Johnson's non-profit, St. Hope, established St. Hope Public Schools in 2003. It operates two charter schools, PS7 and Sacramento Charter High School, which have been credited with raising test scores and graduation rates. Those numbers are criticized by skeptics who claim that struggling students are removed from the school, absorbed by the district and paint a false picture of achievement. Currently, St. Hope Public Schools is $700 thousand in debt to Sacramento Unified School District and suffers from declining enrollment.

Charter Committee in favor of mayor appointing manager

2009-09-05T02:18:10Z

Most of the members of a city committee examining the “strong mayor” issue are in favor of revising the city’s charter to allow the mayor to appoint the city manager. However, three of the 11 members of the city’s Charter Committee voted against the idea Thursday.

The committee’s early vote in support of the mayor’s ability to appoint the city manager means that most of the committee members think the mayor should have more power in this area. Right now, the City Council appoints the city manager.

Committee member Tina Thomas was one of the six members who favored a change to allow the mayor to appoint the city manager. “I think that when an individual is elected city-wide — after presumably a campaign about a citywide agenda that needs to be implemented — then that person needs to have somebody there who can work with him or her to implement that policy agenda,” Thomas said.

“I think that you have checks and balances by having confirmation of the council,” she added.

The Charter Committee’s preliminary recommendation supports the mayor’s ability to appoint the city manager, but the City Council would need to confirm the mayor’s candidate with a majority vote. The mayor would not be allowed to participate in the confirmation vote.

Committee member Chester Newland voted against the recommendation. Usually, the city manager “needs to work thoughtfully and on a sustained basis with the mayor,” he said. “On the other hand, a focus on a greatly empowered mayor tends basically to narrow the civic leadership of the city.”

Committee members are starting to define their ideas on the powers of the mayor and City Council. These ideas will eventually take the form of recommendations to the Sacramento City Council. Their suggestions will consist of possible changes to the city’s charter, which is similar to a constitution.

While the recommendations will be presented to the City Council, Sacramento voters will ultimately decide whether to change the city's current "council-manager" system. Voters will need to approve any changes that may be recommended by the committee. Members of the committee were unanimously appointed by the City Council in February.

Meanwhile, the Sacramentans for Accountable Government group has created a ballot measure to provide new powers to Sacramento’s mayor. In June, the group delivered to City Hall tens of thousands of signatures from residents who want a "strong mayor" city government. Earlier this summer, the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters found that the group had submitted the required 32,433 signatures in order to put the proposal on the ballot. Voters will go to the polls in June 2010 for that proposal, which is backed by Mayor Kevin Johnson.

The committee’s vote supporting the ability of the mayor to appoint the city manager is preliminary. It’s not considered a final recommendation because only six of the 11 members voted in favor of it. In order to make a final recommendation to the City Council, the committee needs seven votes in favor.

Here’s the vote breakdown:

Bill Edgar: Yes
JoAnn Fuller: No
Cecily Hastings: Yes
Grantland Johnson: No
Alan LoFoso: Yes
Robert Murphy: Yes
Chester Newland: No
Chris Tapio: Abstained from voting
John Taylor: Absent
Tina Thomas: Yes
Jay Wishan: Yes

Charter Committee deadlines for "strong mayor" study

2009-09-01T04:17:18Z

The city’s Charter Committee, which is studying the “strong mayor” issue and other topics, has a new schedule. The 11-member committee is examining the rules laid out in the city’s charter, which is similar to a constitution.

The new schedule was drafted after the City Council's Aug. 6 request that the committee move up its deadlines on the strong mayor issue. The issue is timely because voters will be asked to vote in June 2010 on a separate strong mayor proposal created by the Sacramentans for Accountable Government group.

The City Council unanimously decided to create the commission in February. The committee may recommend changes to the city charter. Any recommendations from the committee would need voter approval.

Charter Committee meetings, which begin at 6 p.m., are held in the City Council’s chambers on the first floor of City Hall at 915 I St.

Here are the dates and topics for Charter Committee meetings from September to January:

Thursday, Sept. 3: The meeting will address decision-making in the context of governance, budget, appointment authority, veto and term limits.

Monday, Sept. 21: The committee will review its draft report.

Thursday, Oct. 1: The committee will review preliminary public comments.

Monday, Oct. 19: Committee to approve final report on governance, budget, appointment authority, veto and term limits.

Tuesday, Nov. 3: The committee will deliver its final report during the City Council meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. The committee’s final report will cover governance, budget, appointment authority, veto, term limits.

Thursday, Nov. 5: The committee will discuss the following topics: full-time mayor, full-time City Council, ethics commission.

Monday, Nov. 16: The committee will address decision-making in the context of a full-time mayor, a full-time City Council, and an ethics commission.

Week of Nov. 23: The committee will approve its first supplemental report on full-time mayor, full-time City Council and ethics commission.

Tuesday, Dec. 1: The committee will deliver its first supplemental report at the Dec. 1 City Council meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. The first supplemental report covers the topics of full-time mayor, full-time City Council and an ethics commission.

Thursday, Dec. 3: The committee will discuss the elections process.

Thursday, Dec. 14: The elections process will be discussed again.

Thursday, Jan. 7: The committee will approve a second supplemental report on the elections process.

Tuesday, Jan. 19: At the 6 p.m. City Council meeting, the committee will deliver its second supplemental report on the elections process.

The committee notes that its new schedule is subject to change.

Source: The Sacramento Charter Review Committee schedule

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Citizens speak out on strong mayor issue

2009-08-08T01:59:44Z

The heated debate over the “strong mayor” initiative drew a substantial crowd to Thursday’s City Council meeting. A total of 36 people filled out forms in order to speak on the strong mayor issue. The following comments from nine speakers provide a range of views about the initiative.

Tamie Dramer, Wellstone Progressive Democrats of Sacramento: “I am president of the Wellstone Progressive Democrats of Sacramento, which has, as a body, voted to take an opposing position to the intiative. [We] are especially opposed to bring such an initiative during the middle of the mayor’s term.... The way this initiative campaign has been run has made a lot of people uncomfortable.”

Thomas Hiltachk, Attorney, Sacramentans for Accountable Government: “So, it's clear to me that under the law that 2012 is not an option for you at all. And so, we would urge you to place it on the June 8, 2010 ballot."

Brandon Ruiz, Stop the Power Grab: “I was a volunteer with the Stop the Power Grab group that was formed to oppose this initiative back in January. I brought with me today a copy of an online petition signed by 400 residents within the city. It was created back in January.”

Josh Wood, Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange: “Our board of directors is voting unanimously in support of it. There are many reasons why this item should be put on the ballot immediately — one of which is just the fact that it’s honoring the will of the citizens who signed this petition with the intent of it being on as soon as possible."

Craig Powell, Land Park Community Association: “It is not their expectation that they [the petition signers] have to wait for four elections.”

Devin Lavelle, Communications Chair, Democratic Party of Sacramento County: "It is far more important to get the job done right than to get it done quickly.”

Jeff Tucker, Resident, Sacramento: “I am in support of the charter change. One of the things I’m very concerned with is that it seems like we’ve lost focus about ... the charter change. And it seems as though we’re getting involved in personalities and people, instead of the issue.”

Pastor Darryl Heath, St. John Missionary Baptist Church: “We elect you to serve us, not for us to vote and then you decide. The people are saying: ‘We want to vote. We want the right to vote.’ And the council is going to decide whether or not we have that right.”

George Raya, Member, Sacramento Parks and Recreation Commission: “Give the citizens time to have input on charter revisions.”

Thanks to Assistant City Clerk Dawn Bullwinkel for quickly providing the names of the speakers. – Kathleen Haley

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City to hear from "strong mayors" Monday

2009-08-03T06:17:28Z

The contentious debate over whether Sacramento should revamp its “council-manager” system to a “strong mayor” format continues Monday night.

The city’s Charter Review Committee, which is studying the “strong mayor” issue, will hear from Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez and former Fresno Mayor Jim Patterson at its Monday meeting at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Chavez and Patterson are “strong mayors.”

Charter Committee meetings are open to the public. City Hall is located at 915 I Street. Read Monday night’s agenda here.

Source: City of Sacramento

Strong mayor progresses, questions remain

2009-07-09T04:49:29Z

Two weeks after taking office in December, Mayor Kevin Johnson launched a ballot reform initiative to expand the executive powers of the Sacramento mayor, suggesting that enhanced executive powers would make city government more efficient and accountable. It would also make him one of the more powerful executives in any California city.

Throughout its short, tumultuous life, the so-called "strong mayor initiative" has been praised or criticized by citizen groups as either a democratizing modern reform or a gateway to tyrannical government.

Last Friday, the primary group promoting the change, Sacramentans for Accountable Government, presented City Hall with a petition to put the initiative onto the 2010 ballot; by the group's figures, it was signed by more than 50,000 city residents. Others have come out in strong opposition, including Stop the Power Grab, a citizen group started this January. The Sacramento City Council formed an 11-member Charter Review Committee in February to consider the issue, and it has been holding hearings for the last few months.

Sacramento's current council-manager system has been in place since the city charter was drafted in 1920. Sacramento’s position of mayor is essentially just a modestly embellished city council seat. As laid out by the charter, the chief executive officer of Sacramento is actually the city manager, which is an unelected position.

This means that Ray Kerridge, the present city manager, wields most of the powers you would expect of an executive arm of government, including enforcing laws, appointing department directors and proposing the budget.

Under the council-manager system, the city manager is appointed by the city council and serves "at their pleasure," with no term limit until he or she retires or a majority of councilmembers decides to fire him.

In the strong mayor plan, the council-manager system would be replaced by a mayor-council system. That plan installs the mayor as executive of city government, removes him from the city council and gives him a wide degree of political independence. If approved, this measure would give the mayor all the executive powers of the city manager and more.

The mayor could hire and fire department directors, including the city manager, treasurer and attorney. He could also run without term limits and could propose a budget that could only be blocked with council override. The strong mayor initiative also grants the mayor a powerful tool that the city manager doesn't have: veto power over any city council ordinance.

City Attorney Eileen Teichert voiced concern over the initiative's provisions in an analysis presented to the April 20 hearing of the Charter Review Committee.

"Essentially, this proposed strong mayor initiative creates an imbalance of powers," she wrote. "It lacks important checks and balances and blurs the lines of authority and accountability contained in other strong mayor cities' charters."

Over-expanded budget control was a primary concern Teichert listed, as was the strong mayor's comprehensive appointment power that would eliminate intra-governmental checks.

Steven Maviglio, Johnson's volunteer spokesman and a key figure in Sacramentans for Accountable Government, conceded that the plan is a stiff prescription that would give the mayor many powers.

"It depends in how you look at it," he said. "But it's definitely one of the strongest ones out there."

Maviglio also voiced strong disapproval of the charter review committee and dismissed them as being "politically appointed." Each of the 11 members was appointed by a city councilmember, including the mayor, with two other committee members nominated by a subcommittee. "They were put in place by councilmembers who had their views already set in stone," Maviglio said.

Committee Chairman Bill Edgar replied to this claim, "It's simply not true.... Everybody on the committee has an open mind on the matter and everyone is invited to testify." Ultimately, the charter review committee can review proposed changes and make recommendations, but cannot and will not make the definitive choice. That's the job of Sacramento voters.

Strong mayor systems are common to major California cities including San Francisco and Los Angeles. Fresno introduced the system in 1997, while San Diego started its strong mayor system in 2004.

Fresno Bee columnist Jim Bowen wrote this January that the strong mayor system was "one of the smartest things that Fresno voters did," and the initiative's wide passage suggests that Fresnans agreed. Strong mayorship, Bowen writes, "put an end to the confusion of who would control Fresno" and allowed the economic development expertise of Mayor Ashley Swearengin to reign with less resistance.

However, the Sacramento plan would allow for greater mayoral impunity than any of these other cities and should be taken with corresponding gravity.

For many, the question remains: What is Johnson restrained from accomplishing under the current council-manager system? The central benefit of a strong mayor, according to the initiative's author, Tom Hiltachk, is increased accountability.

"A more representative form of city government will lead to a more effective and accountable government," he wrote in the initiative. "If city services are inadequate, citizens should be able to hold their elected representative responsible for such failures.

This still leaves unanswered what issues a stronger [strong?] mayor would be able to address, or for that matter, in what ways the current system is ineffective. Opponents to the measure make almost precisely the same argument for the reverse outcome: A stronger mayor, to skeptics, would be less accountable due to greater political license.

Maviglio has much to say on the strong mayor initiative, but not a lot on what Johnson would actually plan to do with that unleashed power. Under a strong mayor system, Johnson "would be able to get things done," Maviglio said, but those precise "things" weren't quite clear. "He'd put more cops on the street, work for economic development, and support our schools," he said.

Those changes are political bread and butter. A councilmember would risk their public image by opposing any of those reforms. Again, what would a strong mayor do?

The clearest answer may be tighter control over Sacramento's budget, but many argue that enough can be done in the present budget system.

"I have a vision for what I think the city can become," Johnson told The Sacramento Bee last week. "But if I can't allocate some resources toward making that vision happen, then it never will."

Whether a strong mayor in Sacramento is a means to accomplish otherwise impossible goals or merely an end in itself is a contentious point in the ongoing debate. City Hall is presently counting petition signatures and the charter review committee met July 2 to continue discussion in a forum open to the public. According to Edgar, no decisions will be reached until August.

"Strong Mayor" campaign brings signatures to City Hall

2009-06-27T01:45:26Z

Friday, the group organizing the campaign to provide Sacramento’s mayor with more power delivered to City Hall signatures of residents who favor a “strong mayor” city government. The paperwork that contained the signatures filled 13 boxes, said acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson.

The idea of changing Sacramento’s current “council-manager” system to a “strong mayor” format continues to be controversial. The group, Sacramentans for Accountable Government, brought signatures to City Hall to meet requirements to put the “strong mayor” proposal on an upcoming ballot. Mayor Kevin Johnson supports the "strong mayor" campaign.

At the same time, the city’s Charter Review Committee is examining the “strong mayor” idea.

The total number of signatures must be 15 percent of the city’s registered voters. Staffers at the City Clerk’s office will now count the signatures. After that, the signatures will be verified by the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters. The City Council will then decide when the proposal will go before voters.

Thomas Hiltachk, an attorney with the group, was not immediately available to return phone calls Friday afternoon.

The campaign said it had gathered more than over 45,000 signatures, according to The Sacramento Bee.

City Attorney Eileen Teichert explored the issues raised by the "strong mayor" campaign in February reports to the City Council.

Teichert noted that the proposal would give Johnson numerous powers. “A true strong mayor system grants its mayor budgetary powers, appointment and removal powers, management of day-to-day city affairs, power to propose legislation and veto power,” Teichert wrote. “The Strong Mayor Initiative includes each of these powers and more.”

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Experts weigh in on "strong mayor" city governments

2009-05-19T05:04:25Z

The ambition of local leaders and city crises are two reasons cities choose to give their mayors more power, an expert on city governments told a Sacramento committee Monday.

The Charter Review Committee is analyzing the rules in the city’s charter. The city charter is similar to a constitution.

The 11-member committee is researching the idea of changing city government to a “strong mayor” format that would give the mayor new powers. The committee is examining both the “strong mayor” system, and the city’s existing “council-manager” system.

Mayor Kevin Johnson backs the campaign by the Sacramentans for Accountable Government group to bring a “strong mayor” system to Sacramento.

Committee member John Taylor asked experts at Monday's meeting why communities decide to form a “strong mayor” form of government.

Raphael Sonenshein, a political science professor at California State University, Fullerton, said the ambition of a city and its leaders plays a large role in a city’s decision to adopt a “strong mayor” system.

“I think it’s also a sense of unrealized ambitions,” Sonenshein said. When cities are growing and becoming more diverse, he said, many kinds of issues become seen as “political,” instead of “managerial.”

If a city is in such a situation, and also has one or more ambitious leaders, the public may then favor the idea of a “strong mayor” running city government.

Sonenshein said the ambitiousness of both the public and the selected leader to realize the potential of the city are major factors in a transition to a “strong mayor” government.

“I say it’s 70 percent ambition and 30 percent visible crisis problems,” Sonenshein said.

James Svara, an expert in local government at Arizona State University, said he generally agreed with Sonenshein’s view, but noted that many proposals for “strong mayor” governments fail. Crisis is often a “critical factor” in making a “strong mayor” proposal successful, he said.

While a leader in the city may say he or she want the new form of government to address the city’s potential, the leader may not be successful unless there’s been “some shortcomings in the performance of the city before that time,” Svara said.

Committee to study "strong mayor" format for Sacramento

2009-05-07T05:55:16Z

A committee tasked with examining the city government’s structure and functions is starting to address the contentious issue of whether Sacramento’s mayor should have more power.

Sacramento’s 11-member Charter Review Committee, which began meeting last month, is studying the rules in the city’s charter. The charter is similar to a constitution, the city explains.

One of the items on the committee’s list is the idea of changing city government to a “strong mayor” format that would give the mayor more responsibilities. The committee will contrast the "strong mayor" format with the city's existing "council-manager" system.

JoAnn Fuller, a committee member and associate director for the group California Common Cause, noted that the committee will not immediately address the “strong mayor” issue. The committee wants to present information to the public on the issue so community members can respond, she said.

She acknowledged that the “strong mayor” plan is “certainly a large issue on the agenda of the committee.”

While the committee is not yet diving into the topic, it is starting to plan how it will approach the issue. Charter Review Committee members Bill Edgar and Bob Murphy are suggesting that the committee study the “strong mayor” idea through a series of presentations on cities that changed the structure of their government.

“I believe an organized set of presentations should include representatives of cities in both California and other states that have converted both to a strong mayor and/or to a council-manager government,” according to an e-mail between Edgar and Murphy in a committee report.

A list of topics the committee will address can be read here.

The committee’s next two meetings are scheduled for May 7 and May 18, and will take place at City Hall, 915 I Street. The May 7 meeting begins at 6 p.m. All committee meetings are public.

By mid-December, the committee will make suggestions for possible changes to the charter. Sacramento voters have the final word on any charter changes – proposed changes go before the public on a ballot.

Fuller noted that the committee hasn’t yet finalized an outreach strategy, but she said her vision would be for the committee to “get out in the neighborhoods.”

Sacramento’s government is run in a “council-manager” format.

With the Charter Review Committee analyzing the “strong mayor” format, there are now two separate actions taking place.

The Charter Review Committee is studying the issue, and a separate campaign is promoting a “strong mayor” government for Sacramento. The campaign, Sacramentans for Accountable Government, is planning to bring the issue before voters. Mayor Kevin Johnson backs the campaign.

In February reports, City Attorney Eileen Teichert addressed the issues raised by the campaign’s December proposal to put the “strong mayor” government style on an upcoming ballot.

Teichert noted that the proposal would give Johnson numerous powers.

“A true strong mayor system grants its mayor budgetary powers, appointment and removal powers, management of day-to-day city affairs, power to propose legislation and veto power,” Teichert states in a report. “The Strong Mayor Initiative includes each of these powers and more.”

By contrast, the city’s current “council-manager” provides the city manager with considerable powers. The current format is a mayor and eight council members, “with the city manager as the chief executive officer of the city who shall be responsible for the effective administration of the government,” Teichert wrote.

Acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson notes that the “strong mayor” campaign is still alive. The campaign must submit signatures from 15 percent of the city’s registered voters by June 29.

The Sacramento Bee reported Wednesday that the Sacramentans for Accountable Government group has a total debt of $94,992.72.

City Council to Throw Out Fair Election Ordinance

2009-03-31T19:04:00Z

Today's (Tuesday, March 31st) Sacramento city council meeting includes an item on the "consent calendar" (meaning a group of items expected to be non-controversial) that would eliminate portions of Sacramento's campaign finance law. This change would remove any fundraising limits for organizations called "independent expenditure committees" and also raise campaign contribution limits for political candidates.

What is an "independent expenditure committee," you might ask? Wikipedia defines them as: "In elections in the United States, an independent expenditure is a political activity intended to assist or oppose a specific candidate for office which is made without their cooperation, approval, or direct knowledge. Most commonly, this takes the form of advertising. In some cases, independent expenditures may far exceed direct spending by the candidates' campaigns. Groups which frequently make use of independent expenditures include political party committees, political action committees, and 527 groups."

Some examples of "independent expenditure committees" include groups like MoveOn.org or the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (527 groups) or the Democratic National Committee or Republican National Committee (political party committees.)

The full report can be found here:

http://sacramento.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=8&event_id=80&meta_id=174038

The reason given for this change is the risk of a court challenge. During the last election cycle, attorneys representing independent expenditure committees, one supporting former Mayor Fargo and one supporting current Mayor Johnson approached the city. They wanted to spend money beyond the current spending limits to support their respective candidates, and threatened to sue the city over their campaign-finance laws based on the following precedents:

N.C. Right to Life, Inc. v. Leake, 525 F.3d 274 (4th Cir 2008) and Arkansas Right to Life State PAC v. Butler, 29 F.Supp.2d 540 (W.D. Ark. 1998)

The city, faced with the threat of lawsuit, declared that the city would not enforce its spending-limit laws during the last weeks of the election. Now, the city government plans to eliminate these laws entirely. It is not being discussed as a city council issue, but passed with a series of purportedly non-controversial regulations. Its result will probably be an even greater level of influence for developers and other moneyed interests, while restricting the ability of members of the public who are not wealthy or backed by the wealthy to run for public office.

If you are interested in providing feedback to the City Council, or asking them to take this item off of today's consent calendar, please call the City Council members at the numbers below. The item in question is Item 5 on the consent calendar: Ordinance Amendment: Ordinance Amending and Repealing Various Sections of Title 2 of the Sacramento City Code Relating to the City's Campaign Chapters (Contributions and Spending)

Kevin Johnson
Mayor
Mayor's Office
916-808-5300

Ray Tretheway

Ray Tretheway
District 1
916-808-7001

Sandy Sheedy
District 2
916-808-7002

Steve Cohn
District 3
916-808-7003

Robert King Fong
District 4
916-808-7004

Lauren Hammond
District 5
916-808-7005

Kevin McCarty
District 6
916-808-7006

Robbie Waters
District 7
916-808-7007

Bonnie Pannell
District 8
916-808-7008

Sacramento City Council Meeting

2009-02-04T22:14:36Z

Concerned citizens, city council members and Mayor Kevin Johnson all gathered in Sacramento City Hall to discuss the "Strong Mayor" initiative. Though only one out of every 5-10 seats were filled, a sense of urgency permeated the crowd that was present. Nearly a dozen citizens spoke, some with a tone of disdain and fury, in front of the mayor and council.

Before the public could comment, City Attorney Eileen Teichert gave an in-depth presentation (view powerpoint here, and video here) comparing and contrasting versions of governance of the top 10 California cities. It also compared and analyzed how Sacramento's proposed Strong Mayor initiative stacked up to cities in California and other west coast cities.

Afterwards speakers such as Sacramento resident Chester Newland, a USC professor with a Ph.D in public administration, voiced their opinions on the current Strong Mayor initiative. Newland said, "We want a team of stars, not one star acting as a 'boss mayor'. [Having a team of experienced council members inputing their own wisdom] will help distinguish the mayor as a worldwide success, and make the city a great city, like, for example, Phoenix and San Antonio."

Former Mayor Anne Rudin, the first woman to be elected Sacramento Mayor added, "I am still not convinced that currently cities with 'Strong Mayors' have a better government than Sacramento." Others called the proposed initiative a "huge distraction", while praising Mayor Johnson for postponing the initiative amidst the state's budget crisis.

Council member Steve Cohn spoke for many other council members when he said, "it is exciting to rethink," the current governance system in Sacramento. Council member Rob Fong added that we should be asking of our system "is there something that needs to be corrected?", before jumping the gun to change something.

Visit this website for upcoming city council meetings and events.

City Council Holds "Strong Mayor" Initiative Workshop Feb. 3

2009-02-02T22:26:05Z

http://sacramento.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=8&event_id=74

Tomorrow, the Sacramento city council will discuss the "Strong Mayor" initiative. The workshop will include a summary of Sacramento's past charter changes, a comparative analysis of the "Strong Mayor" initiative compared to charters in the ten largest California cities, and the legal means by which the City of Sacramento may change its charter.

A staff report for the meeting on the "Strong Mayor" initiative can be found (in PDF form) here:

http://sacramento.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=8&event_id=74&meta_id=169120

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 3, at 6:00 PM. It takes place in New City Hall, 915 I Street, in the first floor Council Chamber.

The public is welcome to attend and participate in City Council meetings; those wishing to speak to the council can fill out a speaker slip, indicating which item they would like to address, and speak for three minutes.

Any advice for Mayor Johnson?

2009-01-31T03:30:08Z

On Thursday, the Sacramento Bee reported that Mayor Kevin Johnson has decided to postpone the strong-mayor initiative to focus on more pressing issues like the budget.

The strong-mayor initiative has been a pretty hot topic on Sacramento Press in the past few weeks, with readers voicing their opinions for and against the initiative and discussing the actual campaign tactics.

Now that the initiative has been pushed back, what is your opinion? Did Kevin Johnson make the right move by postponing it? What are your suggestions for the next round of campaigning? What would you like to see from Mayor Johnson before you are willing to sign the initiative?

Here are some previous SacPress articles about the strong-mayor initiative: "A stronger Mayor for a stronger Sacramento?, "Strong Mayor initiative and petition" and "Strong Mayor, Weak Ethics?".

Citizens Rally to "Stop the Power Grab"

2009-01-23T07:07:34Z

Sacramento citizens gathered, at the South Natomas Community Center, to oppose the proposed costly mayoral power grab. Joan Bryant, co-chair of the grass roots coalition "Stop the Power Grab", was joined by former Sacramento Mayor Anne Rudin, to speak to the crowd. "We are here today as a group of ordinary citizens who want to keep the doors of city hall open and accessible", said Rudin. "I applaud this group of citizens for coming together to do the right thing to stand against this." Bryant announced that the formation of this coalition, "Stop the Power Grab", is intended to make sure that the voice of the people is not shut out of city hall.

"This measure is an unnecessary power grab", said Bryant. "If passed, Sacramento will be a city with one mayor who will have two votes. Instead of appointing five political positions, the mayor will have over five hundred political appointments". The proposal would amend the city charter so that the mayor would vote on issues as a city council member and then have the ability to sign or veto them as mayor. In addition, the proposal would allow the mayor to appoint all department heads and city supervisors and single handedly fire the city attorney, city treasurer, city clerk and city manager. This proposal also gives the mayor the authority to spend taxpayer money without the approval from the people or their duly elected local representatives. "This measure is unnecessary and costly," Bryant continued. "In this time of economic hardship and budget deficits, when we are discussing laying off people, we will spend over one million dollars on a dangerous ballot initiative."

Over the past several weeks, paid signature gatherers have been collecting signatures to put the "strong mayor" measure on the ballot. Grassroots opponents have begun circulating a petition to oppose this measure.

Should Our New Mayor be Granted More Power?

2009-01-20T08:34:19Z

While exiting Target or the supermarket recently, I've been approached by young folks with clipboards collecting signatures. The first of these petitions is to put proposal on the ballot to grant Sacramento's mayor more power (to propose budgets and appoint positions, currently the City Manager's role). The conversation went something like this:

Petitioner: "Excuse me, are you a registered voter in Sacramento?"
Me: "Yes. What is that?"
Petitioner: "Would you mind signing this? It's to give the mayor the power to get things done."
Me: "No thanks, I think the mayor has enough power."
Petitinoer: "Well, this is just to get it on the ballot so voters can decide. Would you sign it?"
Me: ... walking away.

So, I wasn't surprised when I read in the Bee that they already have enough signatures to put this on the ballot. With pushy kids getting paid-per-signature like that, no surprise. The question is - should we grant our newly elected mayor these additional powers? On one hand, I don't disagree with having the City Manager's responsibilities put in the hands of an elected official (the Mayor). I can't really think of a problem with the Mayor proposing the budget either, so long as the city council remains part of the input and approval process.

The only thing that bothers me about this proposal is that it's being pushed by a mayor who hasn't yet proven himself or his agenda. Concentrating power and decision making won't necessarily lead to better decisions. I'm not convinced that Kevin Johnson can't work towards his mission within the existing system. If he can't, how would he know? He hasn't been in office long enough to even try. When I think of cities with "powerful" mayors, I think of cities with corruption. I, for one, would like to learn more about the new mayor's plans and approach before seeing a change to the city charter.

Strong Mayor, Weak Ethics?

2009-01-12T22:39:09Z

Lately, many people who signed up to be on the "Sacramentans for Obama" email lists have received emails inviting them to come to events and sign petitions in favor of Sacramento's "Strong Mayor" petition. Kim Mack, one of the principal organizers of the "Strong Mayor" petition, is also involved with "Sacramentans for Obama." The directors of "Sacramentans for Obama" were apparently unaware of this misuse of their mailing list, and are investigating the matter. If Mack made unauthorized use of the "Sacramentans for Obama" mailing list to promote this Kevin Johnson-backed initiative, what other liberties will the parties pushing the "Strong Mayor" initiative take with personal information gathered for an entirely separate cause?

In an age when email use is commonplace but many of us find ourselves deluged by unwanted spam, people do sign up to receive information about political or social causes that concern them. Using an email list gathered for one purpose to promote an unrelated cause is considered, at the very least, a breach of etiquette, and definitely a breach of trust. Perhaps the organizers simply assume that everyone who signed up for "Sacramentans for Obama" is a Kevin Johnson supporter, or that people simply could not tell the difference between Barack Obama and Kevin Johnson, but in either case this sort of misuse of an email list is inappropriate.

Even more troubling is that a December 15 event, billed as a Sacramentans for Obama event, turned out to be an announcement and recruiting event for the "Strong Mayor" initiative drive. Will this misuse of an email list be followed by attemts to manipulate people who supported Obama for president, but did not support Kevin Johnson for Mayor, or the "Strong Mayor" initiative?

Cities like Sacramento revised their charters in the early 20th century in order to avoid the historic corruption of city "machine" politics. Mayors elected by powerful political "bosses" handed out government contracts and jobs as favors to the men who elected them, not on the basis of fairness, fiscal prudence or ethics. The council-manager system was introduced to professionalize city government and restore public trust in city officials. If the backers of the "Strong Mayor" initiative wish to prove that Mayor Johnson is worthy of much greater power, and the trust of the public, antics like misuse of the "Sacramentans for Obama" mailing list, and deceptive public events for Obama supporters, sets a very poor example.

Strong mayor initiative and petition

2009-01-08T01:50:14Z

Here is a link to the Initiative Measure to Amend the City of Sacramento Charter to Change the Structure of City Government. It can be found on the Sacramentans for Accountability website, and is the same link provided by Mayor Johnson in the previous article's conversation. To view the previous article, click on the "storyline" tab to the right.

A stronger mayor for a stronger Sacramento?

2009-01-06T23:55:38Z

Monday marked the kick-off of Mayor Johnson's unprecedented campaign to transition the mayorship from a weak mayor to a strong mayor. The campaign needs over 32,000 petition signatures by Jan. 16 to make the change.

Sacramento has previously operated under a "weak mayor" type of city government. The city council operates as the executive body as well as the legislative and the city manager - an unelected official - acts as the city's Chief Executive Officer. The mayor serves only ceremonial duties.

A "strong mayor" type of government gives the mayor a wider range of political independence and authority. The city council functions solely as a legislative body while the mayor retains his executive powers and functions as the city's Chief Executive Officer.

So what does Mayor Johnson hope to gain with this transition? In a word: accountability.

Since Sacramento still has a weak mayor system in place, the Chief Executive Officer is the unelected city manager.

"[Ray Kerridge is] the Chief Executive Officer of the city and he's not an elected member. And as a result you have council members and a mayor who are actually elected but aren't accountable for the day-to-day operations of the city," Mayor Johnson said on Monday in an interview on NPR's "Insights" with Jeffrey Callison. "If a mayor is the Chief Executive of the city then a voter's vote is able to hold that mayor accountable."

What do you think about Mayor Johnson's campaign for a strong mayorship? Do you agree that it will provide more accountability? What do think are the upsides or downsides to a strong mayor? Do you think a strong mayorship has a better structure than a weak mayorship?

This is what SacBee and KCRA also have to say about the campaign.