Sacramento City Council

This article was published on 05.27.10

Here are responses to the SN&R endorsement questionnaire from the candidates for the Sacramento City Council.

District 1, Angelique Ashby:

1. Do you think Sacramento is or should aim to be a world-class city?

Sacramento is a city full of potential. We have a great destiny ahead of us and we are on our way to being a world-class city. We need leaders willing to roll up their sleeves, work together, build partnerships, listen to the community and advocate for the region.

2. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s past and/or current effort to move to a strong-mayor form of government?

I am not opposed to a strong-mayor form of government, though I do believe the initial proposal was flawed and I did not support it.

Sacramento needs an open dialogue on this issue. The people need to have an opportunity to discuss the impacts and outcomes of such a change to the structure of governance.

I do believe that elected officials should be held accountable and therefore need an opportunity to lead. It is about finding a balance. One thing is certain, the conversation is healthy and the charter needs to be revised.

3. What three things would you do, specifically, to close the city’s $40 million budget deficit? How would you ensure sustainable budgets in the future?

First, I would like to see audits of each department and then do cost-benefit analysis to manage efficiency at every level.

Second, we will need to reign in some spending and will obviously not be able to expand services outside of what is mandated or essential.

Third, we need to be good at what we do and use our strengths to bring in business that will help us build our local economy.

I also think we will need to collaborate with other local entities (schools, counties, states, etc.) to consolidate services where it is feasible to do so. We have to look at regional collaboratives as a tool to plan and coordinate an effort to strengthen the entire valley with Sacramento as the epicenter of activity and opportunity.

As for sustainable budgets in the future, it is important to balance spending with available funding. We can’t expand beyond our means. If we find a gap in service, we will need to identify a funding mechanism to address the issue and prioritize spending with the goal of doing what is best for the people of Sacramento.

4. What’s your opinion of the way the city handled apparent abuses in the building department, including the approval of construction of 25 homes in the Natomas floodplain after a federal moratorium had been imposed there?

One of the reasons I am running for City Council is because I believe District 1 needs a stronger advocate. This incident is an example of a time I think our representative should have stepped forward and made a commitment to defend this community, address the issue and work hard to protect the families of Natomas.

Instead we heard from the city manager and the mayor and several other members of the council, but the incumbent was largely absent from any meaningful public discussion of how to repair the damage done as a result of the permits being issued. I would have been present and involved in every effort to keep us on track, inform residents and prevent the greater community from being negatively impacted.

5. The city is an important partner on the Sacramento Regional Transit Board. What ideas do you have for preserving and improving our local public transportation system?

Many of the policies implemented in Sacramento have created a reliance on public transportation and to not have it creates other problems in the regions where residents cannot access services, employment, education and health care.

People who live in low income housing in North Natomas are cut off from the rest of the city on weekends and evenings because there are no bus routes and no light rail alternatives. That means they can’t get to food banks, jobs, medical appointments or anything else that is not within walking distance of their home.

The public transportation in this city is woefully inadequate and does not meet the needs of the region and yet ridership is down. We must address the concerns of safety, efficiency and accessibility.

We also need to be open-minded about cost saving alternatives such as bus rapid transit and at least discuss it as an option.

There is no easy solution to this issue because we need to be able to spend money to make it work and we will need to find revenue sources for the effort. However, once we identify funding the money will stimulate local economy because it will create jobs right here in Sacramento. We will need federal, state and regional partners to make it work.

6. Do you back the three-way land swap deal for a new arena? Under what circumstances would you support city financing for a new arena?

I would not support public funding for the build out of a new arena in this economic time. The people of Sacramento already said no to measures Q & R, which asked that very question (in a less difficult financial period) and the answer was a resounding no.

The land swap deal has a lot of moving parts and ambiguity that raises red flags for residents in multiple parts of District 1. People in Alkali Flat are concerned about the impact of a new arena on their historic and unique community. Likewise, residents of Natomas are split on keeping it or sending downtown, but voice many concerns about what a “Cal Expo” would look like in the heart of the community.

The truth is that this conversation begins and ends with funding. It is most likely that a private investor (and we have already established that it won’t be publicly funded) will choose the rail yards or some downtown location for three reasons: First, the NBA has recommended that location. Second, the Maloofs have requested that location. And third, the national trend is to build arenas in or near a metro area that will support the venue with hotels, restaurants, entertainment and local attractions.

Knowing that up front is half the battle. I want to be sure the residents have a seat at the table and voice in the process. Alkali Flat should benefit from the arena moving in. They need an opportunity to share their concerns and requests and have those issues addressed in the process.

Likewise, Natomas must be a part of the discussion about what replaces the old Arco Arena. It cannot be Cal Expo as we know it today. It must be new and modern and most importantly responsive to the needs of the community. Whatever is built on that land (and something must be built) needs to stimulate local economy, bring in public safety presence and create jobs for the region. That is the minimum standard and what they would have received had the arena stayed in Natomas.

Much of the infrastructure in place around the current site was funded by North Natomas specific funding sources (developer fees) and the community should either be compensated for that cost or the infrastructure should be put to use for another desirable venue that serves the area.

There are many wrinkles to be ironed out, but the good thing about the land swap deal is that it comes with a funding source and that allows us to talk about potential.

Helping Sacramento become a “world-class” city means we need to take on these types of challenges and find ways to move forward with solutions that serve everyone. The best way to do that is to work together.

7. What’s your position on a law that would limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries allowed within the city limits? Should the city collect taxes from these dispensaries?

I do think we should collect a city tax on the dispensaries and I think we need to be sure we have limits in place that keep communities and medical marijuana users safe. It is imperative that we regulate the facilities and make a commitment to maintaining reasonable standards.

8. Do you think current city employee unions’ contracts should be on the bargaining table in these times of budget cuts? Would you support new employee pension benefit formulas to deal with future liability issues?

Yes, we need to have tough conversations about every line item on the budgets and potentially rethink how we operate for the future while balancing our commitment to those who have served our city in the past.

9. Do you think Sacramento’s homeless population should be offered “safe ground”—a legally sanctioned area with cottages or tents where the homeless can stay, leave their belongings and be able to access services?

Yes, I think we need to establish a safe ground as a part (one component) of a larger and more comprehensive solution that balances meeting needs, partnering regionally and serving the existing population without creating a demand that cannot be served.

10. Do you support Mayor Kevin’s Johnson’s green agenda for the city of Sacramento? What steps would you take to make the city more sustainable?

Yes, I like the idea of Sacramento taking the lead on green issues. We need to focus on infill projects and incentives for green technology in both transportation and development. We can use this agenda as a mechanism to draw employers to the region and begin to build our economic base. Sacramento needs to diversify and going green is an excellent goal.

District 1, Efren Guttierrez:

1. Do you think Sacramento is or should aim to be a world-class city?

Yes. As the capital city of the wealthiest and progressive state, we should show it, but we need to ensure that all of the people are part of that showcase. We should not sacrifice the needs of the voiceless just to “look good.”

2. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s past and/or current effort to move to a strong-mayor form of government?

No. Charter review is a good thing and there may be a need for updating it, but there is a reason the city stepped away from “strong mayor” government decades ago—and it was to preserve more rights for the people over one man or woman. Dictatorships are usually more efficient, but they have no place in a democracy.

3. What three things would you do, specifically, to close the city’s $40 million budget deficit? How would you ensure sustainable budgets in the future?

At this point I have not seen, in detail, the budget or revenue flow predictions. But whatever cuts are made should consider more than just dollar costs, but also human costs—those seem to be largely ignored at the expense of seniors, the poor and disabled. I would consider increasing fees and taxes for those who can pay, such as the wealthiest among us who successfully influence lawmakers with large campaign contributions. “Share the Pain” is a good catch phrase but it should also applied to the wealthy.

Also, we should look closely at combining some services with the county (such as the animal shelter). And also look more closely at some of the contracts we have outside contractors, and see if we can be better served by keeping them “in-house.”

I have a very, very low opinion of those involved. Public trust was betrayed and an investigation should take place. Those involved, including our City Council members who ignored this mess, must be held accountable. I think we’ll find those who benefited are somehow linked to elected lawmakers in terms of campaign contributions.

5. The city is an important partner on the Sacramento Regional Transit Board. What ideas do you have for preserving and improving our local public transportation system?

Freeze the fare rates, utilize federal dollars to enhance light rail—not rail lines only, but Rapid Transit Busses (RTB), partnership with local corporate friends, such as SEAMIS, Intel, HP, etc.

6. Do you back the three-way land swap deal for a new arena? Under what circumstances would you support city financing for a new arena?

No, I do not support the “plan.” Leave ARCO in Natomas; the infrastructure was put in for the Kings—don’t forget it was paid for by taxpayers, who should not have to foot any part of this new gambit. After the Maloofs—and I love the Kings—pay back the loan that is still unpaid, then let’s see what would benefit the public the most. But no public money should be used.

7. What’s your position on a law that would limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries allowed within the city limits? Should the city collect taxes from these dispensaries?

I am opposed to any such law. The market should and will dictate how many dispensaries there will be. I am opposed to restrictive laws like this that would add to the concerns of those needing these services for their health, especially those with serious diseases such as cancer.

And, yes, the dispensaries should be taxed. The money can be used to help, for instance, needed after school programs for our youth.

No. We need to look a little closer at the situation. We must remember that by cutting jobs and/or income, this hurts not only people and working families, but also our tax base. We also want to be able to hire the “best and the brightest” for city positions. That pays off in the long run.

If we do “look” at pensions, we should not focus on regular workers, who earn, by comparison, modest incomes, but on those in top-heavy management.

Yes. It should have been done long, long ago. The current city council sits on its hands, while the law enforcement continues to ticket people just looking for a place to lay their head down for the night. “Safe ground” is the first step, and then look at cottages, and other projects (like Habitat for Humanity) who can partner with the homeless/campers.

10. Do you support Mayor Kevin’s Johnson’s green agenda for the city of Sacramento? What steps would you take to make the city more sustainable?

I support a real “green agenda,” not something that is all hype and no substance—green washing. I support any serious efforts to create true green job to train and employ people, especially local youth and those that need to be re-skilled. There is no reason it cannot happen here.

I also support more community gardens for our youth in particular, so they can learn how to be more sustainable, eat fresh food, etc.

I believe there are many areas where as a city can save money, and preserve the environment—for instance, the duplicative services of the city and county in waste management services.

District 1, Ray Tretheway:

1. Do you think Sacramento is or should aim to be a world-class city?

World-class cities are not stagnant, they are always working to attract innovative people who are not happy with the status quo and are challenging themselves to reach beyond our current capacity of what is present.

My vision for Sacramento is a city with people from all generations. With thriving educational systems that draw not just the best and brightest in the region, but throughout the world. A city with a first-class transportation system, with both public transit and bike and pedestrian transit. One, or even no, car families will be not just possible, but totally achievable.

A world class city has both thriving commerce and arts and culture, with a diverse population where people of every race, national origin, religion, and sexual orientation can live, work and play freely and not in fear.

A world class city has an environment ethic and people understand that they are stewards of the city, committed to preserving and building upon the city’s history, architecture, and open space so they can leave the city to the next generation better than they found it.

Sacramento can be that city, and we need leadership on the city council who will work to bring us there.

2. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s past and/or current effort to move to a strong-mayor form of government?

I was the first City Council member to publicly oppose Mayor Johnson’s strong mayor proposal last year because I thought the initiative was poorly crafted and frankly left me with more questions than answers after I read it.

When it comes to charter reform, I am always open to ideas that will change our form of government to be more responsive and empower individuals as communities. For me, the question is not how much power the mayor should or should not have. The issue is who do we want to be as a city and what is the form of government that is most responsive to those needs.

I believe that we need to reconstitute the charter commission to empower them to really listen to the neighborhoods and communities. In addition to needing to draft a charter amendment that better enables people to take part in the governance of the city of Sacramento.

3. What three things would you do, specifically, to close the city’s $40 million budget deficit? How would you ensure sustainable budgets in the future?

The first thing that we need to do is make sure that we have appropriate people doing the appropriate jobs. There are a lot of jobs within the police department that law enforcement officers are performing that could be done just as well as and at much less of a cost if they were done by civilians.

Next, I would have the city manager and the county executive, as well as the city police chief and county sheriff, sit down and look at what services the city and county are duplicating in order to streamline services without putting the overall service levels at risk for our residents.

And finally, we need to look at bringing in additional revenues to make sure that we will continue to provide service levels for city services that people expect.

4. What’s your opinion of the way the city handled apparent abuses in the building department, including the approval of construction of 35 homes in the Natomas floodplain after a federal moratorium had been imposed there?

Danny Waters clearly made a mistake when he overrode the city’s computer and decided to issue the permits for the 35 homes in North Natomas. It is important to understand that it was the city that discovered the mistake and the city who immediately notified FEMA, and I personally called Congresswoman Doris Matsui to let her know.

The city did the right thing by working with FEMA and coming up with a solution that required the developer: to cover the insurance costs for the homes that are occupied, to not sell the unoccupied homes, and to leave incomplete the remaining undeveloped lots where the city issued permits.

We are awaiting FEMA’s response to the city’s corrective action plan and will continue to work with them to develop a response that works for them and does not negatively impact not just Natomas residents, but all of Sacramento.

5. The city is an important partner on the Sacramento Regional Transit Board. What ideas do you have for preserving and improving our local public transportation system?

The first thing that Regional Transit needs to do is to place a measure on the county’s ballot that would raise the sales tax for transit costs. Sacramento is well behind other metropolitan areas (as SN&R has pointed out) in our local match that we provide for public transit. When the state cuts funding to public transportation, Regional Transit is disproportionately impacted compared to other cities in the state.

The next thing that we need to do is look at other successful transportation models such as the North Natomas Transportation Management Association. It is the only TMA in the country where all property owners—residential and commercial—in North Natomas that pay into the TMA which provides community specific transportation needs. One of which is the North Natomas Flyer, which provides low-cost van transportation from North Natomas to downtown with a guaranteed ride home.

Additionally, we must continue to move forward on the dream of building light rail to the airport. We broke ground last year on the Green Line, which will connect Downtown Sacramento to Township 9 in the River District. This is the first step of fulfilling the regional promise of connecting people in Sacramento not just to Downtown Sacramento, but to the rest of the world.

6. Do you back the three-way land swap deal for a new arena? Under what circumstances would you support city financing for a new arena?

I supported entering into an exclusive negotiating agreement with the Convergence team because they were the only proposal that had the NBA on board plus had reasonable financing. However, I am adamant that they must meet key deadlines and provide information to the city in order for this partnership to be successful.

I will not support any financing that puts one dollar of the city’s general fund at risk or raises taxes on working families to pay for the new arena. Other cities have done financing where the tax increment would be reinvested into the redevelopment area to pay for infrastructure, and I believe a similar financing strategy could work in the rail yards.

7. What’s your position on a law that would limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries allowed within the city limits? Should the city collect taxes from these dispensaries?

I do not believe in arbitrary policy decisions, so I need to hear reasons why 12 dispensaries make sense instead of 6 or 60. I would also like to know the reasoning behind the 500-foot placement from civic entities (what magically doesn’t happen at 501 feet that takes place at 499?).

I think we should first look at the litigation that is taking place following the recent passage of a similar ordinance by the city of Los Angeles to see if they’re legal. Then we can move forward on an ordinance that maintains quality of life in the city without keeping people from obtaining something that they have every legal right to have under California law.

I do support taxing these dispensaries as other jurisdictions in California have done.

I think all options need to be on the table to balance the city’s budget, including opening up employee unions’ contracts and pension benefits for new employees.

I think the answer to the homeless problem is to first and foremost invest in transitional housing and programs that are working. The ten-year plan to end chronic homelessness that has moved hundreds of the Sacramento’s chronically homeless into permanent housing is a success that should be invested into greater detail.

I am open to all policy ideas, but would need to make sure that the neighborhood where the “safe ground” was proposed to be located, supported the proposal as well as a budget for maintenance of the facility.

10. Do you support Mayor Kevin’s Johnson’s green agenda for the city of Sacramento? What steps would you take to make the city more sustainable?

I support any initiative that would make the city more sustainable, regardless of who proposes it. I supported the mandate that the city buildings receive LEED certification, and we have bought multiple city facilities—including the beautiful new North Natomas Library—online. I worked with private sector residential and commercial property owners to build sustainable homes and office buildings in the city.

I am working on proposals to encourage sustainable farming by allowing city residents to keep chickens in the city limits, increase the amount of open space (especially in older neighborhoods where parks were not a part of the planning that they were in North Natomas) and continue to plant more trees along our city streets and in neighborhoods where they are needed.

I also think we should be working to support AB 32 and the Green Jobs that will follow. SMUD has proven that a utility can be an AB 32 compliant and keep their rates down. We should use our region as an example to the private sector on how to achieve those goals.

District 3, Steve Cohn:

1. Do you think Sacramento is or should aim to be a world-class city?

I think a more appropriate goal should be “America’s most livable city.” This, by the way, is the goal of the city’s recently adopted General Plan, which won multiple awards for excellence in urban design and planning, environmental protection, transit focus and walkability. I think the term “world-class city” is overused and could describe cities like Los Angeles, Houston, Mexico City, Detroit, etc., that are not good role models for Sacramento. When I look at cities to emulate, I prefer walkable and bikable cities that maintain a high quality of life, such as Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Vancouver and Paris.

2. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s past and/or current effort to move to a strong-mayor form of government?

I do not support Mayor Johnson’s proposed strong-mayor initiative, which was invalidated by the Courts. It contained inadequate checks and balances, vesting the mayor with virtually unchecked powers to hire and fire over 700 city employees and approve all city contracts.

However, I believe there are a number of areas where the charter should be changed, and in more significant ways than were recommended by the Charter Review Committee. After all, it’s been almost a century since we last did a major overhaul. The city has grown and things have changed tremendously. However, the charter changes must be reasoned and balanced, and there must be an opportunity for extensive public outreach, which did not occur with the SMI.

3. What three things would you do, specifically, to close the city’s $40 million budget deficit? How would you ensure sustainable budgets in the future?

First, this isn’t a theoretical question for me, because in June 2010, I will be taking a lead role on the City Council in adopting a budget for fiscal year 2010-11 and a budget strategy for the two successive fiscal years. I plan to review very carefully City Manager Gus Vina’s proposed budget that was issued on May 1, 2010, along with his “POD” analysis of which programs and services are mandatory, essential, and non-essential. Only non-essential services would then be considered for elimination or reduction.

But essentially, I support City Manager Vina’s strategy of closing the $43 million budget gap by (a) eliminating most of the currently vacant positions ($14 million), (b) achieving labor savings ($5.6 million—see item 2 below), (c) achieving POD savings of $10.5 million upfront with another $8.8 million in annual savings to be determined by January 2011, and (d) use $10 million of the city’s one-time contingency reserve to close the remaining deficit.

Second, to minimize the elimination of non-essential, though clearly desirable programs, such as youth recreation, I will continue to support the City Manager’s efforts to negotiate about $5.6 million in non-public safety labor cost savings. Thankfully, Police and Fire stepped up to the plate taking a leadership role to agree to five percent pay cuts last year. In exchange, we are able to maintain police and fire staffing without layoffs.

Management employees have also taken a five percent reduction in pay. If the remaining city employees follow this bold and courageous lead set by police and fire, the city would save $30 million over 3 years.

Third, I will carefully consider both cost-cutting and revenue-enhancing measures recommended by the city’s outside consultant, Management Partners. Their preliminary recommendations included both strategic cost reductions as well as revenue enhancements such as using some of the city’s transit occupancy tax for general fund programs, increasing developer fees, taxing commuter parking, charging the state in-lieu fees, etc.

City management could have and should have done a better job in the first instance of not allowing the abuses to happen in the first place, then more quickly responding to remedy the situation after it occurred. I believe the City Council did the right thing to bring in both an independent investigator to get to the root of what happened, then following up with an independent auditor to recommend ways to remedy problems throughout the Development Services Department.

Moreover, I believe that the city’s longstanding track record on flood control and excellent relationship with FEMA and the flood control agencies will ensure that taxpayers are not unfairly penalized through any sanctions on flood insurance.

5. The city is an important partner on the Sacramento Regional Transit Board. What ideas do you have for preserving and improving our local public transportation system?

As Chair of the RT Board in 2009-10, I led the Board’s adoption of the Transit Action Plan, a visionary plan to achieve 15-30 minute level of service within walking distance of virtually all city residents and 80-90% of county residents. The plan includes a broad range of transit options, including light rail, commuter rail, streetcars, express buses, bus rapid transit, shuttle/neighborhood buses. The key missing ingredient thus far is the political will to fund the plan. If reelected, I will make this one of my primary goals for my four-year term.

My promises are backed by real results. As Chair and charter Board Member of the Capitol Corridor Board, I led the emergence of the most successful intercity rail system in America, which went from six trains a day to 32 trains a day between Sacramento and the Bay Area. This is the fastest growing intercity corridor and the third largest passenger volume in the nation.

I am also a charter member of the Central Valley High Speed Rail Working Group which is working to bring both high speed rail long term and higher speed rail short to medium term to Sacramento. I have also been the lead council member on the expansion of the intermodal station downtown.

Finally, I have also been a regional leader in promoting transit oriented development, earning the Urban Land Institute’s special award in 2007 for Transit Development Leadership.

6. Do you back the three-way land swap deal for a new arena? Under what circumstances would you support city financing for a new arena?

It was the best of the seven proposals submitted and deserves to be carefully scrutinized. That is why I voted to enter into an Exclusive Right to Negotiate Agreement with the Convergence partners. The rail yards are certainly a good location, as the transit hub for the entire region.

However, I have not seen any detailed financial analysis, and a lot of details need to be worked out in terms of how Cal Expo would be relocated to Natomas and what kind of development would take its place in the Point West/Arden Fair area. As a member of the City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee charged with reviewing this proposal, I expect there to be a full due diligence review of all aspects of the proposal.

I will do all that I can to protect taxpayers first and ensure that the project truly is financed with private money and without taxes or risk to the city’s general fund. Don’t forget that I was the only Councilmember to oppose Measures Q and R, which were subsequently rejected by a public vote of 80-20. Taxpayers need someone with my experience and “know how” to protect them this time around as well.

7. What’s your position on a law that would limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries allowed within the city limits? Should the city collect taxes from these dispensaries?

I support Prop 215 and the rights of medicinal marijuana patients to have access to marijuana under state laws and regulations.

I don’t support city staff’s proposed limit of 12 facilities citywide and the proposed siting criteria that would essentially restrict dispensaries to industrial zones like payday loan centers and strip clubs. While I agree that these facilities should not be sited in or next to single family residential zones, many medicinal marijuana customers are sick or disabled and need access to transit. Moreover, I have had no objections to the eight or so dispensaries located currently in Midtown. Yet under the proposed rules, these locations would not be allowed. A more flexible special use type permit is warranted.

Police and Fire already stepped up to the plate taking a leadership role to agree to five percent pay cuts last year and deferring raises to the back end of a mutliyear contract. In exchange, we are able to maintain police and fire staffing without layoffs. Management employees have also taken a five percent reduction in pay.

If the remaining non-public safety employees, whose current contracts expire in June 2010, follow suit, this will go a long way towards solving the city’s budget problems as outlined above.

As far as employee pension benefit formulas, I believe the issue of changing pension benefit formulas for new hires has to be on the table for discussion with labor.

I am still open to this idea; however, any type of temporary housing should be within minimum standards to support health and safety as well as building standards.

In addition, it is important to understand (1) that the Safe Ground concept would serve a very small portion of the homeless population, and (2) that the city and county are already shouldering the lion’s share of the homeless burden, with the Temporary Housing Shelter Program and support for shelters and transitional housing.

I believe it is more important to emphasize the need for permanent housing. Ending homelessness is a complex and challenging issue, but we do have evidence that providing permanent housing works. This region developed an ambitious 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness centered on permanent housing solutions. Through the 10-year plan we have seen a 35 percent drop in chronic homelessness - evidence that when we focus on proven strategies our approach works.

In addition, with new federal programs and resources such as the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program, we have developed a countywide infrastructure to deliver coordinated prevention and rapid rehousing services at a scale to address the problem.

As we continue to face limited resources locally and at the Federal level, focus, alignment and leverage of resources toward successful, proven solutions to the problem is critical. We need to continue to stay the course to secure permanent housing solutions for all Sacramento residents. A campground is not a permanent housing solution, will not serve a significant portion of the homeless population, and will divert our time and resources away from the critical systemic housing approaches we need to continue to support and develop.

10. Do you support Mayor Kevin’s Johnson’s green agenda for the city of Sacramento? What steps would you take to make the city more sustainable?

Yes, I do. He has appointed me to head up the Land Use, Transportation and Building Design Team, which I am thrilled to get going on.

I also believe that the city and region must sustain a consistent and long-term economic development policy of incubating local start-ups and recruiting companies with value-added jobs, particularly in the clean energy and clean tech sector, where green jobs grew by 38 percent in Sacramento in recent years, the most of any city in California, even while overall unemployment rose to 13%. All too often economic development policies inappropriately focus on jobs that do not build the economy such as retail and housing construction jobs that would be in Sacramento no matter what.

In concert with other regional governments and regional entities such as SACOG, SACTO, the Metro Chamber and Valley Vision, the correct strategy entails a combination of site readiness, recruitment, reducing barriers to infill development, and streamlining permitting for appropriate industry and jobs producers. The flip side is we have to be careful not to go overboard à la the Natomas permitting scandal.

Two specific ideas I’ve been working on are (1) establishing a clean tech/green energy incentive zone near Sac State, and (2) developing a formal partnership between SHRA and RT to allow SHRA to develop mixed use transit and pedestrian oriented development next to RT’s light-rail stations.

District 3, Shawn Eldredge:

1. Do you think Sacramento is or should aim to be a world-class city?

I have traveled the country and believe, excluding a few amenities (better pedestrian and bike access, downtown entertainment complex), we are a very attractive city. What is world-class, anyway? Yes, Sacramento is a world class city (to answer the question); a little young, but yes.

2. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s past and/or current effort to move to a strong-mayor form of government?

I despise paid-by-signature petitioners. I don’t believe you need a charter to have a strong leader.

Yes, I support a charter change and believe an executive style charter would better fight special interest buying of councilmen, as well streamline and improve city staff efficiency. (I know; there goes the SN&R endorsement.)

3. What three things would you do, specifically, to close the city’s $40 million budget deficit? How would you ensure sustainable budgets in the future?

Bring in more business. Create a more business friendly environment in city hall. Combine duplicated departments with the county. Cut part time positions in various city departments. Renegotiate union contracts. Increase community sponsorship of parks and schools (thus cutting staff levels accordingly). Introduce a profit sharing proposition with enterprise funds, i.e. utility department, parking, etc.( there is no reason a department should be making a profit and not giving back to the general fund, one-time contributions, etc.). (Possibly sue neighboring cities for their share of social service costs, to be shared with the county.)

Set money aside every budget cycle—a set percentage. Not fund long term programs with short term income (a grant to the police department does not mean you can hire more cops; the grant will disappear, their salaries will not).

I know more about this then most people. Natomas issue: Someone (several people) screwed up. I am sure there was another way to build those previously permitted homes on a different lot than to cancel the existing permits, then issue new ones triggering the FEMA flag, etc.

The attack of the DSD cost the city and many humans hundreds of thousands of dollars, mostly just to make one councilman look good (then a couple others joined in). The city and staff could have handled the policy issues needed to facilitate the FPP program legally, as well as common fee collection policies, internally over a year ago, yet decided to not do their jobs, blow it off—just like the proposition 218 violations—until it bit them, then costing all of us valuable general fund dollars. Not to mention the egg on the face of the city.

5. The city is an important partner on the Sacramento Regional Transit Board. What ideas do you have for preserving and improving our local public transportation system?

As much as I don’t want to take money from local business or development community, we have to create an additional funding source that is more consistent then sales tax dollars alone. If we are going to implement a parcel tax like the one proposed for the community benefits program being promoted by the unions and some Dems, or even increased development fees (TDIF), I believe the money (or a portion) should go to RT.

As we go into the future it is clear that a healthy public transit system is critical to our social and economic survival.

6. Do you back the three-way land swap deal for a new arena? Under what circumstances would you support city financing for a new arena?

Yes, I support it for several reasons, despite the many hard details yet to be discussed (i.e., the value of the land at Cal Expo). Is it OK for the state to give it away to developers? Will they? What will the impact be to Natomas?

I support it because it has a funding source outside the taxpayers. It will provide millions of dollars in jobs and revenue for our region. It will provide some badly needed revitalization to the Arden/Cal Expo neighborhood. It will assist Thomas Enterprises in keeping the rail yards project alive (we as a city are heavily invested in that project).

Under more prosperous times I might have considered some form of parcel fee or assessment district monies going to the arena, but I don’t see that being an option for many years—if ever.

7. What’s your position on a law that would limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries allowed within the city limits? Should the city collect taxes from these dispensaries?

What a disaster. I believe in the use of medicinal marijuana. I also believe the sate and city have sucked in handling this issue.

If it’s a drug, it should have been dispensed through pharmacies. Now you have entitled business owners who have invested their money in a business the city could shut down? That is not an option. At this point, you have to leave them alone. Tax their sales and let the free market weed them out (no pun intended).

Yes I think it should be taxed, the same as alcohol or prescription drugs (I know these two are taxed very differently). The government has legalized tobacco and alcohol and taxed both heavily. If marijuana is to be classified like tobacco or alcohol, then it will and should be taxed the same. Otherwise, it’s a drug and should be treated as one.

Yes, we all have to sacrifice and there needs to be some trust there. Unions can’t be afraid to give concessions in fear they won’t get them back in better times.

Pension reform needs to happen. It really shouldn’t happen in bad times, but it should still happen

Yes, I believe we can provide a place for them to sleep without getting arrested or their belongings taken. I also believe we can do this without tax dollars and without infringing on property owners / public rights.

10. Do you support Mayor Kevin’s Johnson’s green agenda for the city of Sacramento? What steps would you take to make the city more sustainable?

Yes, there are so many things we can do. I would love to see an arena-style RFP sent out by the mayor, and really rally behind some projects (starting with low cost improvements of our pedestrian and bike routes).

We should encourage off-the-grid development projects, LEED certification of all subsidized projects, and all development could be transit-oriented if we improve our transit systems.

I would like to see us be better stewards of our local resources, utilizing habitat and reusing warehouses to reclaim our local materials. There are some ordinances that need to be changed in the building codes to allow the use of small wind turbines and solar power in residential uses. Then there’s also grey water reclamation. There’s just so much we can do! Oh, yeah, what about WTE (waste to energy)? We are still shipping our waste over the hill—did the city forget about it, blow off the county s offer to handle our waste locally at little or no cost increase?

The city is lazy and stuck. We need to remind them their jobs entail working—hard work, doing the big things that need to be done. It can’t be blown off anymore. If they don’t handle these issues, no one else will.

District 3, Chris Little:

Chris Little did not respond.

District 3, Jeff Rainforth:

Jeff Rainforth did not respond.

District 5, Henry Harry:

1. Do you think Sacramento is or should aim to be a world-class city?

We are the capitol city of the eighth largest economy in the world. It is great that we look to a future of becoming a world class city. That does not mean there is anything wrong with Sacramento.

New York and Los Angeles are world class cities, yet they have great poverty, serious crime and citizens who are locked out of the mainstream. We will be a world class city when we make significant progress in the fight to solve an education crisis in which 34.9 and 32.3 percent of Black and Hispanic students are failing, respectively. We will not be a world class city until we end the existence of two America’s: one for poor and one for the rich, one for gays and one for straights. Until everyone has a fair chance at a decent living, equal pay, and we have banished systemic gaps in unemployment rates among races, we should not be called a world class city.

2. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s past and/or current effort to move to a strong-mayor form of government?

I did not support the sweeping changes in Mayor Johnson’s first proposal. I support limited changes. In my vision, and consistent with the Charter Review Committee, I want to see the mayor pick the city manager and have authority to submit a city budget reflecting the issues he campaigned on.

These changes do not amount to a true strong mayor.

I believe the best method of changing the charter should come for a committee process with a lot of public input.

In the fall of 2009 at the APAPA forum, I expressed hope that there could be compromise on Mayor Johnson’s first strong-mayor proposal. Today, Mayor Johnson is proposing a compromise to his strong mayor idea. In his compromise version, he limits the number of top officials he could hire and fire and he wants an ethics panel and term limits for council members. While much is up for discussion in this process, I do not support term limits.

As I expressed to Mayor Johnson at a city council meeting, I am hopeful he will hold some town hall meetings on this subject if he is going to put it on the November ballot. I believe Mayor Johnson can incorporate reforms in his proposal that would persuade citizens to vote for a compromise version of his plan.

As we discuss strong mayor issues, I want to explore expanding the size of the city council. In my vision the council can grow four to eight positions, which may cut district sizes by half. We can increase racial diversity on the council and possibly reduce the number of meetings throughout the year.

We pay for this in general by using money we pay to District Directors for each councilmember. The remaining Executive Assistants to council members can work from a pool to serve administrative and district needs. Additionally, interns/volunteers will continue to cover operational needs.

This is a framework for discussion and something I would love to pursue if citizens can get behind it.

3. What three things would you do, specifically, to close the city’s $40 million budget deficit? How would you ensure sustainable budgets in the future?

Just like we do within our household budgets, we cut the things that are not essential to the family’s survival.

With the advice and expertise of city staff, I would make the following cuts to help close the deficit, given no other choices: Parks and Recreation, Capital Improvement Program, eliminate take home cars, reduce the level set aside for financial reserves, reduce/eliminate overtime and temporary help funding, eliminate vacant positions, reduce funds budgeted for contractual employment, reduce/eliminate reimbursements for conference and travel, reduced electricity spending/implement energy efficiency protocols, delay other improvement projects, reduce fleet services and new vehicle purchases, delay general fund purchases of IT equipment.

To create sustainability, I would: Immediately work toward regionalization of some city and county services; negotiate for a portion of contracted raises to rise and fall with market conditions; negotiate with unions for the use of a higher number of reserve and volunteer staff.

4. What’s your opinion of the way the city handled apparent abuses in the building department, including the approval of construction of 25 homes in the Natomas flood plain after a federal moratorium had been imposed there?

First, this and other problems including the utility scandal, the Nestlé water deal, and the water meters scandal are direct products of poor accountability of top managers to the public. We learn more about the war in Iraq from the President than we learn about our city from the city manager or department heads. That’s not the way to run our city.

Second, we have to admit there is some level of information regarding this and other incidents that outsiders (the public) is not getting.

I am not ready to throw the book at anyone right now - other than the employee(s) who knew the rules and broke them anyway. They jeopardized this city and may affect insurance rates. They should not avoid harsh punishment.

The city is investigating, frequently reporting and implementing appropriate changes. From the outside, it appears the city is taking the right steps regarding the building permit scandal.

I have said from the start of this campaign that department heads and the city manager must answer citizens’ questions about the operation of our city. We would avoid a lot of problems.

5. The city is an important partner on the Sacramento Regional Transit Board. What ideas do you have for preserving and improving our local public transportation system?

This is a tough issue. Seniors, youth, workers and the disabled depend on public transportation to get them around town and get them to work. With only about one fourth of RT’s operational costs being met by passenger fares, stability in our system is always dependent upon the level of funding from other government agencies.

In addition to smart building along transit routes to increase ridership over the years, we have to look at more sustainable pension formulas for workers. Additionally, enhancing the sense of safety on public transportation is key to drawing more people to ridership.

6. Do you back the three-way land swap deal for a new arena? Under what circumstances would you support city financing for a new arena?

Yes to the concept. I would love to see a group of private investors pull off the extraordinary event of a three-way land swap that results in a sports complex downtown.

At every stage, I am concerned about the public’s interest—hoping citizens are not left holding the bag somewhere in the process. Will state representatives at Cal Expo allow themselves to be duped somewhere in this process for the benefit of developers?

The city is asked to contribute 100 acres we own next to ARCO and some land in the downtown rail-yard. What is the value of these pieces of land? If the city is making any other financial “commitments” to this convergence plan, it needs to be spelled out clearly and upfront.

I do not support a plan that involves significant city financing. However, if it came down to the wire and a relatively small amount of city money was needed to complete the deal, I would see that as an investment in the city’s future and an immediate creation of local jobs.

7. What’s your position on a law that would limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries allowed within the city limits? Should the city collect taxes from these dispensaries?

This is our test phase. Limiting the number of shops is appropriate. Once we know what we are dealing with, we may want to expand the number of shops. In my experience, people are more concerned with proper regulation of the shops than the number of shops.

We are hurting financially, but I do not support government taxing anything and everything to raise revenue. If we have decided marijuana is a medicine, then we should not tax it, just as we do not tax antibiotics or insulin.

I think we are in a budget crisis and it is highly appropriate to negotiate a small one year wage cut with workers. I am on record supporting a two to three percent cut for low-level workers, five percent for mid-level workers and seven to ten percent for upper-level employees. This would put money in the city’s hands immediately to help pay pension costs.

I should note that the city of San Jose just put into place a plan for top workers to take 10 percent in benefit reductions.

I work under a two tiered pension system for Sacramento County. I could support a multiple tiered system in the city, depending on the details of the plan and if a committee of citizens were involved in the move toward such a system.

Yes. However I am not sure what that full vision looks like. There must be a core element of work (sweat equity). For example, participants should work on local farms and participate in cooking and cleaning of the “safe ground” facilities.

10. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s green agenda for the city of Sacramento? What steps would you take to make the city more sustainable?

Mayor Johnson enthusiastically articulated a vision of Sacramento being ground-zero for what he calls a “green rush,” a parallel to the gold rush era. I support this vision. A lot of neighboring cities would also like to lay claims to the “green rush.”

To achieve this vision, I would: Make sure federal money flowing through the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency is wisely used to coordinate educational, private and public efforts to build a green economy; work to secure financing and training opportunities to prepare our workforce for the emerging green era; develop short-term and long-term plans (for example, one short-term plan would teach people how to build solar panels from the ground up and then to install them onto senior housing, as seniors have fixed incomes and energy costs will rise).

District 5, Letitia Hilbert:

1. Do you think Sacramento is or should aim to be a world-class city?

Yes, Sacramento will become a world class city and in order to accomplish it we should start from the basics, our families. A priority for city hall should be for each and every one of its citizens to be able to enjoy a clean and safe city where they can raise a family, find a job, have venues of culture and entertainment. The aim is to build strong neighborhoods where the communities can work together for the welfare of all.

2. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s past and/or current effort to move to a strong-mayor form of government?

I believe that it is not necessary to have a strong-mayor form of government.

3. What three things would you do, specifically, to close the city’s $40 million budget deficit? How would you ensure sustainable budgets in the future?

The first thing that should be done is to find out through an audit where the city is wasting its money. Then we need to find places where we can increase our revenue for example, the reassessment of commercial properties that have not been assessed for years.

I believe that more than abuse, it is a crime to grant permits where you put people in danger. The responsible parties should be made accountable.

5. The city is an important partner on the Sacramento Regional Transit Board. What ideas do you have for preserving and improving our local public transportation system?

Local public transportation is vital for our city. As a city we should encourage its use since it reduces the smog produced by so many cars in our streets. We should promote the use of public transit through educational campaigns.

The city should use development funds not to make more streets for cars (6th Street bridge connection with downtown), but provide more ways for the public to use public transportation. The city should look for smart growth opportunities inside the city and not expand the city limits more so our services are more efficient and can serve more people.

Money can also be saved if the fleet of buses is exchanged for smaller and more efficient buses.

6. Do you back the three-way land swap deal for a new arena? Under what circumstances would you support city financing for a new arena?

The arena is an important venue for our city; nevertheless, the city should not finance it. The owners of the Kings should find private financing. The swap deal has too many challenges.

7. What’s your position on a law that would limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries allowed within the city limits? Should the city collect taxes from these dispensaries?

I agree that there should be a limit in the number of medical marijuana dispensaries. If medicine is taxed, so, should the medical marijuana be taxed.

8. Do you think current city employee unions contracts should be on the bargaining table in these times of budget cuts? Would you support new employee pension benefit formulas to deal with future liability issues?

Yes, I think so. I hope the union leaders are willing to work with the city to save jobs.

I would suggest the 6.5 hour per day shift. Employees would not lose their jobs and have more time to spend with their families, and there will still be services every day of the week.

9. Do you think Sacramento’s homeless population should be offered “safe ground”?

I think the homeless population is growing and definitely need attention. We need programs where we can help these individuals come back into society if that is what they want.

10. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s green agenda for the city of Sacramento? What steps would you take to make the city more sustainable?

I am interested in working in coordination with the mayor, as well as the other council members, to improve the city. We do need to encourage our community to think and act green.

District 5, Terrence Johnson:

1. Do you think Sacramento is or should aim to be a world-class city?

Of course. We are and we—as a city - can be more. Let’s aspire to more.

2. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s past and/or current effort to move to a strong-mayor form of government?

I support the concept of a hybrid-executive form of city government. The Charter Review Committee shared several that are in place that we could work toward within that ‘hybrid’ definition.

3. What three things would you do, specifically, to close the city’s $40 million budget deficit? How would you ensure sustainable budgets in the future?

I think that amount is really a moving target due to the instability of the housing market. When the housing market stabilizes then we will be able to assume the deficit amount. Notwithstanding the city will need to look seriously at on-going expenditures as well as any future expenditure that will exceed the expected revenue. No doubt there will be concessions to be made by all the stakeholders.

I’m sure I don’t know the half of it, but as a resident within the city, it’s shameful behavior on the part of a city employee and the collaborators.

5. The city is an important partner on the Sacramento Regional Transit Board. What ideas do you have for preserving and improving our local public transportation system?

I want to participate with the RT / RTB in the future to represent the population who will be most impacted by the reduction of availability of public transportation. I think that we can be fiscally responsible while serving the people that rely on the system.

6. Do you back the three-way land swap deal for a new arena? Under what circumstances would you support city financing for a new arena?

I am glad to see a project that intends to leverage private resources to achieve this goal. I don’t see the revenue coming from the city—it’s not a burden that I would encourage. As far as the land swap—we need to keep the level of participation with the public to the highest possible so that it truly becomes a regional decision—for highest and best use of the land.

7. What’s your position on a law that would limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries allowed within the city limits? Should the city collect taxes from these dispensaries?

The restriction proposal is outside my scope at this time. Obviously, it is a viable revenue resource that needs to be considered.

Tough times will require tough decisions. We can’t ignore any item and consider the long-term and short-term effect on the limited revenue resources.

9. Do you think Sacramento’s homeless population should be offered safe ground?

Yes, I believe in a safe-ground area. But I don’t think that it should be the final destination. We need to work toward the goal of ending homelessness—a far more dynamic problem than this question addresses.

10. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s green agenda for the city of Sacramento? What steps would you take to make the city more sustainable?

The green agenda is an international consideration and I’m happy to see Mayor Johnson taking the lead and bringing awareness to the cause.

There are endless ways to make a city sustainable. Cutting the dependence on energy provided by others would be a huge step. The city-wide transportation system improvement to make it a system that people can actually rely on as an alternative to the auto would be another huge step.

We live in a food basket. Focusing on where we get out food from, keeping it local, encouraging local businesses to be part of the solution—look around there’s something to do right in front of you—system changes, packaging changes - it is endless.

But you have to start by getting the word out and that our leaders are embracing it as well.

District 5, Patrick Kennedy

1. Do you think Sacramento is or should aim to be a world-class city?

“World-class city” is an overused phrase that has different meaning to different people. As a fourth-generation Sacramentan who has raised four daughters here, I think Sacramento is already world-class in many ways. The question really is, “How can we be better?”

I would like to see a Sacramento with the best schools, neighborhoods where families feel safe, a vibrant downtown, and thriving small business corridors linking our neighborhoods. That is the world class city I am aiming for.

2. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s past and/or current effort to move to a strong-mayor form of government?

I think there is room to improve our city’s charter; including strengthening the role of the mayor and City Council if it will create greater accountability to the public. I did not support the mayor’s original initiative because it would have removed valuable checks and balances and placed too much power in one position. I also felt it did not receive adequate public vetting and discussion prior to its development.

If we change the city charter we have to do so with complete transparency and public participation.

3. What three things would you do, specifically, to close the city’s $40 million budget deficit? How would you ensure sustainable budgets in the future?

First, conduct regular line by line budget and performance audits of every department to identify possible waste and opportunities for savings. We have to live within our means.

Second, work with the county and neighboring cities to identify areas where we can consolidate services and operate more efficiently.

Third, look for opportunities for new revenues such as commercial waste disposal franchise agreements, and revenue from cell towers located on public space, which are currently not allocated to programs that benefit most city residents.

We also need to look at our fee structure for services and utilities to ensure it is competitive, equitable and sensible. For example, a tiered utility rate for larger commercial users of city water is fair to impose on operations that consume millions of gallons of our water but pay very little in relative terms compared to smaller users.

The scandals taking place throughout city departments points to the need for greater accountability of the City Manager and department managers. The abuses that have been highlighted in recent press reports this past week are even more concerning than the 25 homes in Natomas. I would call for the immediate dismissal of any employee who has violated the law and not wait months for an audit to be completed.

5. The city is an important partner on the Sacramento Regional Transit Board. What ideas do you have for preserving and improving our local public transportation system?

First, we have to maintain as our first priority delivering services where they are needed most and ridership is traditionally highest: our lower income communities. The State continues to under fund transit, and in some circumstances un-fund it, while large numbers of unemployed and under-employed people need mobility to maintain and find jobs.

Second, as the Capital of California, the city of Sacramento and its elected leaders should take a leadership in promoting legislation that will prohibit the state from raiding or borrowing funds that voters have dedicated to transportation and transit improvements. And, at least in the short term, we have to press to redirect funds away from statewide high speed rail and have them spent on delivering public transit at the local level where it is needed most.

6. Do you back the three-way land swap deal for a new arena? Under what circumstances would you support city financing for a new arena?

I do not support public financing of a new arena.

That being said, I have long advocated the rail yards as the best place for an entertainment facility, as it would be located near the multimodal public transportation hub and will help us revitalize our downtown. Whether this ambitious proposal can be carried out, with all its complex interdependent moving parts, is still not known, but it is certainly worthy of serious discussion and study.

On its face, the proposal utilizes three of the most underperforming properties in the Sacramento region to achieve a significant program of economic stimulus for Sacramento: jobs, enhanced viable transportation choices, revitalized downtown, infill development, green development, new entertainment/sports complex, housing (including affordable housing) and all without new or raised taxes.

7. What’s your position on a law that would limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries allowed within the city limits? Should the city collect taxes from these dispensaries?

Medical Marijuana dispensaries should be closely monitored and regulated to ensure they are in fact being used as legal dispensaries for medical purposes. Like any business, they can operate under city imposed guidelines that will mitigate any potential ill effects on the surrounding area. Our own police chief has said that when operated under the law, they have not posed a law enforcement problem in Sacramento, so I do not see a need for an arbitrary number of outlets.

I am open to discussing the possibility of taxing the dispensaries as a revenue generator for the city but I will be very steadfast not to support something that will be overly burdensome on sick people in need of medicine and relief from suffering.

Of course, mutually agreed upon collective bargaining agreements have to be honored and can’t be unilaterally opened for negotiations.

However, during these difficult times we need to explore all options and look for savings wherever we can. To do this we need to work with the city’s bargaining units to identify potential savings.

Unfunded pension liabilities are threatening to bankrupt governments throughout the nation. We cannot continue this trend and have to work with bargaining units to recalculate future plans and find ways to meet the long term needs of the current shortfall in funding.

9. Do you think Sacramento’s homeless population should be offered safe ground a legally sanctioned area with cottages or tents where the homeless can stay, leave their belongings and be able to access services?

Most of the homeless on our streets are victims of mental and physical illness, domestic violence and a collapsing economy, all beyond their control. We will never adequately address homelessness if we don’t address the problems of the homeless. As a society, we have to find the resources to stop the cycle of homelessness.

Providing a safe legally sanctioned area with cottages or tents where the homeless can stay, leave their belongings and be able to access services isn’t ideal, but it is preferable to fighting floating illegal campsites, especially those in residential areas. Such a designated area can provide an opportunity to better serve the homeless with access to social workers, job counselors and other professionals to lead the homeless to jobs, mental health services, drug and alcohol treatment, and ultimately permanent housing.

10. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s green agenda for the city of Sacramento? What steps would you take to make the city more sustainable?

The green tech sector is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the nation. Sacramento, with its proximity to hi tech and higher education institutions as well as an educated workforce and manufacturing capabilities should lead the way, working with local chambers of commerce and SACTO to develop incentives to attract green jobs.

Further, we need to lead the way and ensure that all city public building projects are sustainable and identify incentives for private development to go green. We also need to adopt city policies such as utility fees that reward eco friendly businesses and practices.

District 5, Jay Schenirer

1. Do you think Sacramento is or should aim to be a world-class city?

You’d have to start with the definition of ‘world-class’, but I think we already are. Sacramento is built on a foundation of strong neighborhoods, and I believe this is where our focus needs to be. Without that focus, I don’t believe it matters one way or another if we have cars on K Street. Towards that end, I would support the following:

Creating an environment that attracts and supports small business. We have to get people back to work.

Safety- expand neighborhood watches, work to get more grants to expand police-POP officers, support community based safe passage to work and school efforts, and ensure code enforcement is able to address problem properties.

Youth Programs: ensure all kids have access to safe places after school and on weekends that offer core skill development, partner with school districts to open schools as community centers, work to support keeping kids in schools- attendance centers, mentors, after school tutoring.

Support economic infrastructure- work to revitalize business corridors in my district, support job and small business development, and ensure we have sufficient transportation links in and out of the neighborhoods (including walk and bike).

Support physical infrastructure: ensure proper build out of Curtis Park Village, code enforcement of substandard properties, infill development, transportation linkages including walkable neighborhoods, bike trails, space for urban farms and gardens.

Support human infrastructure: youth programs, joint use and partnerships with schools, city and CBO to open facilities to kids and improve access to social support services, job training and college awareness.

Neighborhood leadership and input- create a neighborhood leader institute, provide support for neighborhood associations, conduct regular meetings with neighborhood leaders, provide support for neighborhood events to build community, and organize a city-wide neighborhood sharing conference.

2. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson s past and/or current effort to move to a strong-mayor form of government?

I opposed the initial strong-mayor initiative for two reasons—there was no community engagement process to arrive at the content of the initiative, and the content itself was not acceptable as it vested too much power with the office.

I do believe that the Sacramento charter should be updated to create greater accountability and effectiveness, and would support and participate in a real, transparent community discussion that leads to a charter revision proposal.

3. What three things would you do, specifically, to close the city s $40 million budget deficit? How would you ensure sustainable budgets in the future?

This is both a process and content question.

Process. Sacramento still does not know what it wants to be when it grows up. Without a clear vision, it is impossible to prioritize, and then budget against those priorities. So first order of business, critical in a time of dwindling resources (which will in all probability continue for the next few years), is to establish those priorities. This could also include a public process to include constituent input. I was impressed by the online/ town hall process used by SCUSD in their recent budget deliberations in which 11,000 parents responded as well as what Next 10 is doing at the state level, and would favor replicating something like that. Also, I do not support across the board cuts that ignore the relative value of what is being provided. Finally, on process I would begin with the Council adopting a set of principles against which to measure decisions.

For example, I would include:

Thinking long-term. Not making cuts that, while saving some funds in the short term, will cost the city more over time.

Preserving jobs. Unemployment is already far too high in the city,

Keeping cuts as far away from the provision of services as possible - i.e. cut administration before those in the field.

Closing the gap.

Functional consolidation of service provision. For many years, we have had the luxury of different local governments providing similar services. While I know some discussions are occurring, I would prioritize and expand the conversation beyond collaboration with the county to include the school districts, park and recreations districts, fire districts, and community-based organizations. The conversation should begin with who can most effectively and efficiently provide the service and then conclude with an agreement between the various organizations. I believe that the economies of scale attained by this will result in significant savings.

Employee engagement. City employees are also a resource for identifying new and more efficient ways of providing city services and we should listen to their suggestions.

4. What s your opinion of the way the city handled apparent abuses in the building department, including the approval of construction of 25 homes in the Natomas floodplain after a federal moratorium had been imposed there?

We need a rigorous, department wide audit and evaluation process that is about continuous improvement and preventing abuse. Had that been in place, I don’t believe the abuse could have occurred. Oversight is a primary function of the Council, and we need to be better at it.

5. The city is an important partner on the Sacramento Regional Transit Board. What ideas do you have for preserving and improving our local public transportation system?

Regional transit needs to focus on additional revenue sources to keep as many transit services operating as possible. The State of California is an untapped partner and resource for ridership. Each day tens of thousands of state workers drive into and through Sacramento into parking garages. Sacramento needs to partner with the state to increase transit ridership from state workers. If we can get just 10 percent more state workers to use transit, RT budgets will be stable, we will have improved air quality and we can again begin to look at expanding transit routes.

As the economy improves, RT’s other revenues will improve, too, including its sale tax and fare box revenues. RT needs to get more efficient in its operations as well, including providing better real-time information to riders in terms of when a bus or train will arrive via electronic sign boards at light rail stations and real time data on its web site. RT should partner with the schools, the local air board, and as many public and private employers as possible to promote transit services. Through providing more reliable service and better promoting that service, RT can increase its ridership numbers on the routes it has been able to retain in these difficult times. It will then be poised to grow with this region in the future.

I would also work towards a goal of all young people riding public transit for free—only in this way will we truly change our culture and habits around transit.

6. Do you back the three-way land swap deal for a new arena? Under what circumstances would you support city financing for a new arena?

I would like to see an arena/entertainment complex built downtown. I think it will bring jobs and provide an economic stimulus to the area.

However, I am opposed to public tax dollars being spent on this, which also includes a Natomas land donation that is worth somewhere between $30 and $60 million. At a time when the city is facing a $40 million budget deficit, I don’t see how we can give away a resource that is worth at least $30 million.

7. What s your position on a law that would limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries allowed within the city limits? Should the city collect taxes from these dispensaries?

First, and to be clear, as a drug, medical marijuana should be dispensed by pharmacies. And we need to ensure that those most in need, primarily those with HIV/AIDS, have access. This question is further complicated by the confusion caused by the non-aligned policies and implementation of policy at the federal and state levels.

Notwithstanding the issues raised above, I was not impressed with either the ordinance or how the decision was made. I am not sure there was a problem to be solved. In addition, the final number, 12, was reached based on an average of what other cities have done—without having any evidence if that was successful or not.

Short of having pharmacies dispense, I think the Council needs to make an informed decision about the number of dispensaries that are needed to meet public demand.

I don’t see how we get out of the current budget crisis without having employee unions at the table. I do think we need a new relationship and partnership with our employees that should look at long term agreements that link employee compensation to the financial health of the city. The pension formulas we currently maintain are in all probability unsustainable.

However, I’d approach this issue by beginning with what the city can afford as total compensation, and then work with the union to see how we can collaboratively reach that number.

9. Do you think Sacramento s homeless population should be offered safe ground a legally sanctioned area with cottages or tents where the homeless can stay, leave their belongings and be able to access services?

I am on the record supporting the Safe Ground initiative, and look at it as a part of the solution. We need a venue where people can get connected with services to get their lives back on track.

I believe that the inhumane manner in which the city has treated those individuals who are homeless is shameful. How we handle this issue is a measure of our city, and I would be deeply involved in finding solutions.

10. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s green agenda for the city of Sacramento? What steps would you take to make the city more sustainable?

I am supportive of the agenda.

Sustainability is a great buzz word but action is what we need to move the city forward. There are some straightforward and common sense things that we could do today and tomorrow that will have the greatest impact.

The City Council should take a leadership role in supporting: Land use decisions to promote high density, mixed use development, better bicycle access to downtown, reduced fees for public transportation.

These actions will reduce the amount of distance between people and their jobs and schools, and increase the use of non-motorized and public transportation for commuting. These are the areas that research shows pays the greatest dividends in terms of public investment designed to reduce our impact on the environment.

As individuals, we can start today by: Making a commitment to bike to work at least once a month, making a commitment to walk our children to school when and if possible, reporting to the city any barriers to safe commuting.

One such neighborhood that is taking this issue on is Curtis Park. With a partnership between SMUD and the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association, the Curtis Park Energy Stars are making a difference every day. Through a variety of efforts, the Curtis Park Energy Stars use 17 percent less energy than the rest of SMUD customers and 10 percent less energy than other Curtis Park residents. We should be encouraging this type of action citywide.

District 7, Ryan Chin

1. Do you think Sacramento is or should aim to be a world-class city?

I love Sacramento. I was born in Los Angeles and lived in the Bay Area before my wife Alice and I chose to settle in Sacramento. Sacramento and the Pocket is the place we want to raise our children because it offers a unique best-of-both-worlds blend of big city amenities, with an intimate city and community quality of life.

We should be focusing on what Sacramento is—one of the nicest places in the world to live, with diverse neighborhoods, a lush urban forest, relatively affordable prices and easy access to all of the amenities our city and the surrounding region have to offer. We have a tremendous local art and music scene, a strong and developing dining culture, historical treasures and well preserved neighborhoods and a touch of nature that is rarely found at the heart of such a large city.

Sacramento may not be New York or Rome, so if that is the definition of a world class city, the answer is no. But Sacramento is a world-class place to live and that is something we should be proud of and proactively work to maintain and improve. I believe Sacramento should aim to continue to grow and offer the best we can—whether it’s the art culture, natural attractions or support for its citizens, while protecting our unique and diverse local neighborhoods.

2. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s past and/or current effort to move to a strong-mayor form of government?

I strongly opposed the original strong-mayor initiative.

There are a number of ways our city’s government can be improved. Beyond the more controversial proposals, there are some areas that I believe there is or could be a clear consensus. For example, the Natomas development scandal and the issue with water meters are clear evidence that there is inadequate oversight and accountability for city staff. There are also a number of provisions in the city’s charter that supporters on both sides would agree are obsolete and should be updated or removed entirely.

Beyond these and other areas, I do believe the city could operate more effectively and efficiently. We should be looking to proactively engage experts and the community to determine what reforms should be considered and how they fit into our city’s priorities and values. I believe, with the right collection of reforms, this could be accomplished in either a council-manager or mayor-council form of government. While there is a relatively even split between the two forms of government, the reality is that almost every city, whether technically one or the other, employs a moderate hybrid of the two, selecting features from both that work well with their unique circumstances. Focusing on the binary choice of strong mayor vs. weak is not a productive way to discuss improving our city.

I would support a reform proposal that: Preserves and strengthen neighborhood representation; streamlines and standardizes business development practices; increases staff accountability and oversight without politicizing or weakening the civil service; maintains an independent city attorney, clerk and treasurer; includes an ethics committee; is written through an open, transparent process that includes input from the community and all stakeholders; set term limits for the mayor and city council members.

3. What three things would you do, specifically, to close the city’s $40 million budget deficit? How would you ensure sustainable budgets in the future?

Unfortunately, the City Council has been unable to find long term solutions to recent budget shortfalls and once again, we must look at cutting programs and services that our city depends on. While I believe I have the experience and skill set to strengthen our local economy and correct the budget situation productively and proactively, that will not ameliorate the need for cuts this year.

The first areas I would cut are redundancies. There are a number of services that both the city and county provide that could be consolidated to save money in both budgets. I would look at services like fleet management, park maintenance, boat and helicopter patrols and security background checks for consolidation.

That was the easy part of the answer, though and, unfortunately we are out of easy answers. We need to make tough decisions about our city’s priorities. What are the core services that we must perform to fulfill our basic responsibilities as a city? What services are luxuries that we will have to do without until better times? I believe these are questions that we should answer, collectively. We need to get buy-in from the community so that the people who are affected understand why we need to make these tough decisions and what we need to do to improve the situation.

Finally, we need to acknowledge that we simply cannot cut $40 million from the budget without adversely affecting our city’s workforce. Last year police and firefighters stepped up to the plate and helped close the deficit by forgoing planned raises. At a minimum, it will probably be necessary to ask for similar concessions from city workers this year. As a matter of fairness, we should first ask workers in departments and bargaining units that have not already been impacted to forgo raises. Additional cuts to overtime, staffing or benefits may be necessary beyond that, but it is essential that we work to minimize them. Cutting jobs will only add to the unemployment rolls and the city’s economic woes and should be considered an option of last resort.

The city is still in the process of handling the abuses, so it is too soon to judge in many respects. With the role of the Federal government, the city cannot act as swiftly or proactively as many, myself included, might prefer. The city must take full responsibility and appropriate corrective action to protect the discount on flood insurance policies for all city residents. The city must ensure that nothing like this is allowed to happen again. It is a serious problem that an employee was able to override the computer system and issue the permits. Any override to issue permits in this Natomas flood should require the express approval from the Department head. Between this issue, the water meter issue, the Nestlé issue, it has become more than abundantly clear that there is inadequate oversight of city staff.

5. The city is an important partner on the Sacramento Regional Transit Board. What ideas do you have for preserving and improving our local public transportation system?

Public transportation is an essential part of life to working families, students and countless others. It is how they get to work, to school, get their children to the doctor and do everything else that is necessary to get ahead and even get by in life. Making public transit affordable and accessible is central to making Sacramento a more livable city for people of all incomes levels and backgrounds.

Issues like this, that receive significant funding from the state and federal government present tremendous opportunities for a city with a celebrity mayor. I would work with Mayor Johnson to be a leader at both Capitols in calling on our elected leaders to adequately fund public transit. If the state has money to build canals to ship water to southern California, it has the money to support public transit here in Sacramento.

Locally, we should work to build a stronger transit oriented culture. Transit-oriented developments are fantastic and we should continue to encourage them, but they are only one piece of the puzzle. For many, if not most purposes, the current system is more than adequate—yet a relatively small portion of the city’s residents actually use it. Many, many more of us could choose to take the bus or light rail to work, to school, to the bars or movies but we do not. This is something that we can change over time through leadership and through relatively modest investments in marketing and partnerships with local business associations.

The city needs to work with employers to offer employees incentives to take public transportation. The city should also look at ways that residents could use both private vehicles and public transportation, for example, building more park and ride lots.

6. Do you back the three-way land swap deal for a new arena? Under what circumstances would you support city financing for a new arena?

I do not support any public financing for a new arena.

I am optimistic, though, that the convergence proposal could present a win-win situation for our city. It could spur needed development in under served areas, create good jobs when we need them most, help to expand transit and improve access to affordable housing, while proactively working to define the way we want our city to grow in a thoughtful, inclusive manner, without using public funds. To their credit, to this point, the developers have shown a great willingness to work with community priorities to ensure that the final agreement is a positive for our city and I look forward to working collaboratively with them to ensure the success and mutual benefits of these projects.

I would support an agreement that includes: hiring preference for Sacramento city residents; a fair share of revenues returned to the city; minimal public costs; expansion of Sacramento Mixed-Income Housing Ordinance to include any new areas of development; card check neutrality and a living wage agreement for the new entertainment district; and parks, schools and other important features of a livable community.

7. What’s your position on a law that would limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries allowed within the city limits? Should the city collect taxes from these dispensaries?

I would prefer laws tailored directly to the goals that we are attempting to achieve, rather than drawing arbitrary limits. For instance, if the goal were to limit the number within a given area, then the city should consider zoning ordinances that limited approved permits to a certain number within a certain radius. This type of law is both more equitable and more flexible to work with population changes over time.

We should tax dispensaries. They are businesses that benefit from city services, like any other.

Changes to city employee contracts will likely be necessary to close the budget gap. Our top priority should be avoiding or limiting elimination of jobs, because such a step would only make the city’s economic situation worse. Specific changes should be bargained collectively. It is more productive and fair to work with the city’s bargaining units to identify which specific changes are most appropriate and least harmful to our workforce, but will still get the city to the level of savings that is necessary.

The city must be a responsible employer for its current employees, but it must also ensure that it can be a responsible employer for future employees. Pensions must be set at sustainable levels and should be funded adequately, so that future budgets are not weighed down by former employees.

I will bring the independent voice our city needs to make decisions in the community’s best interest. My ties are to the community and my constituents. As the only candidate without ties to the city’s public employee unions, I can represent the community without bias.

People need a place to be. Most homeless people would much rather have homes, jobs and stable lives, but for a myriad of reasons, they are presently unable to provide that for themselves. I believe there should be “safe ground” for the homeless population. After meeting with representatives from Safe Ground and the Sacramento Housing Alliance, I am hopeful that there will be temporary housing or an area where the homeless can stay, leave their belongings and be able to access services.

We also need to look beyond temporary housing. We need to use the fees collected from affordable housing ordinance to build more affordable housing.

We need to ensure that there is adequate affordable housing and support services for Sacramentans at every part of the recovery cycle. Relatively modest investments in the short and medium term may never completely eliminate these issues, but they can improve the lives of many of Sacramento’s homeless population and improve the quality of life for their neighbors.

10. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s green agenda for the city of Sacramento? What steps would you take to make the city more sustainable?

One of the core ideas I have trumpeted throughout my campaign is working with Sacramento’s natural advantages. Sacramento’s natural advantages could make the city more sustainable and build local businesses. We have an opportunity to increase bicycle commuting by increase bike paths, particularly along the Sacramento River. Green technology is an area where our city and region have a number of strong advantages. SMUD is among the most proactive and successful pioneers into renewable energy in the country. UC Davis and Sacramento State can provide the academic background and work force trained for green technology. The region is already something of a hub for fuel cell development companies. Access to lawmakers in one of the world’s largest economy would also be an asset. There are abundant natural resources in our region: sun, wind, water and land are plentiful in the northern Central Valley. The greatest opportunities for improving sustainability, however, are in changing our behavior and the behavior of our friends and neighbors. We create far more waste, use more water and burn more energy than we need to with today’s technologies. Shopping locally, watering our lawns more efficiently and making smarter heating and cooling choices could cut down on waste tremendously and move us far down the path to sustainability.

District 7, Darrell Fong

Darrell Fong did not respond.

District 7, Deirdre Hobart

1. Do you think Sacramento is or should aim to be a world-class city?

I think Sacramento needs to aim to be the best Sacramento it can be.

2. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s past and/or current effort to move to a strong-mayor form of government?

Absolutely not. One person should hold that amount of power.

3. What three things would you do, specifically, to close the city’s $40 million budget deficit? How would you ensure sustainable budgets in the future?

We need to look over government agencies from top to bottom and get rid of the fluff and waste. We also need to bring more businesses in and encourage local shopping to bring in more revenue. And we need to tax medical marijuana and their dispensaries.

Something was obviously handled wrong because those homes are not safe and flood insurances were jeopardized. I also feel more investigation into the circumstances needs to be done as well as more repercussions for the people who acted and built inappropriately.

5. The city is an important partner on the Sacramento Regional Transit Board. What ideas do you have for preserving and improving our local public transportation system?

We still need more lines and routes that reach all parts of the city—not just downtown and midtown and we need to encourage ridership.

6. Do you back the three-way land swap deal for a new arena? Under what circumstances would you support city financing for a new arena?

I would never support public financing of the arena. I think this issue needs to go on the back burner while we revamp our city and get the budget in order.

7. What’s your position on a law that would limit the number of medical marijuana dispensaries allowed within the city limits? Should the city collect taxes from these dispensaries?

We don’t limit other businesses. Why start now? Yes, collect taxes.

The contracts need to be looked over and reevaluated but done so carefully to ensure people get what they deserve for their service.

Yes. Mayor Johnson should be ashamed of himself for what he has done to our homeless population.

10. Do you support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s green agenda for the city of Sacramento? What steps would you take to make the city more sustainable?

I support making our city more sustainable and green. We need to encourage green businesses to come here, which will bring green jobs.

District 7, Robbie Waters

Robbie Waters did not respond.

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