Sacramento city manager criticized for management’s white blight

A crowd of residents told Sacramento officials last week to stop bragging about the city’s famed diversity until its work force reflects that distinction.

The message came on the heels of a report documenting that the majority of Sacramento’s employees are white, while its highest-paid managers are overwhelmingly men.

City Auditor Jorge Oseguera presented the information at an August 4 city council meeting, showing slides that revealed whites make up 70 percent of the city attorney’s office, 72 percent of Sacramento’s firefighters and 75 percent of the city’s police force. The report also indicates that, while Hispanics are nearly 27 percent of Sacramento’s population, they represented roughly 7 percent of the city’s management.

Leaders from more than 15 community organizations flocked the hearing, including Asian Resources Inc., United Latinos, the NAACP, Sacramento Chinese of Indochina Friendship Association, League of United Latin American Citizens and Council of Asian Pacific Islanders Together for Advocacy and Leadership. All expressed concerns about the city’s monochromatic payroll.

Councilwoman Angelique Ashby also announced she’d be collecting additional data surrounding the lack of women in management positions, while Councilman Steve Hansen requested another report exploring whether Sacramento’s LGBT community is underrepresented inside City Hall.

Before the night was out, City Manager John Shirey was given a directive by council members to form an immediate action plan, with Councilman Larry Carr saying he would hold Shirey “accountable” if he fell short of a meaningful remedy.

When it was his turn to speak, Shirey acknowledged the city had grown “lazy” in its hiring and recruitment practices.

Throughout the night, speakers referenced a Time magazine article published in 2002 naming Sacramento the most diverse city in the nation. For Georgette Imura, who grew up in the city, the auditor’s report was proof Time’s declaration was celebrated too quickly.

“I was not shocked by the numbers contained in the report, but I am very disappointed we’re still talking about this in 2016,” Imura told the council. “Sacramento prides itself, and boasts often, about being the most diverse city in the United States. So shame on us for not having a city staff that reflects the diversity of our population.”

NAACP Sacramento Branch President Stephen Webb noted he was raising his dismay on his organization’s 100th anniversary in the city. “If we’re one of the most diverse cities, then I would hate to see the others,” Webb said. Councilman Rick Jennings echoed those concerns.

“We all were very proud when the 2002 Time report came out that had Sacramento as the most diverse city in the country,” Jennings recalled. “And now we sit here in 2016, and this gender and equity report doesn’t make us feel so proud.”