Sacramento’s City Council just moved to the left. Here’s what to expect on big issues
The Sacramento City Council moved to the left in the last election and now counts a “solid” liberal bloc of four members, one of them said this week.
That’s not quite enough votes on the nine-member council to be able to adopt any given item, but it means the group is much closer to winning majorities than it was prior to Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony.
The trend began in December 2020 when three new faces took office, including self-identified progressives Katie Valenzuela and Mai Vang.
Vang this week said she counts newly elected Councilwoman Caity Maple as a likely vote on the left wing of the nine-member council, along with Mayor Darrell Steinberg. Maple announced early in her campaign that she would not accept donations from developers or law enforcement unions and she defeated an opponent in Tamiko Heim who had support from those organizations.
“We have four solid votes,” Vang told The Bee Wednesday, the day after Maple and two other members were sworn in. “So we only need one more. Based on the issue, we can get that win.”
That could mean more resources for the homeless, fewer sweeps of encampments, and more funding for the nascent city’s police alternative, the Department of Community Response.
“Mayor, all the progressive things that you’ve been wanting to do, this is your council right here, mayor,” Vang said Tuesday after three new members were sworn in, while the audience applauded. “I’m saying right now. So, you want to get things done, you got the council to do it right now ... I’m excited!”
“I’m excited too,” Steinberg said. “Love it!”
What could new council do?
Vang said she hopes the new council will vote to increase fees on developers to support affordable housing, fund more services in underserved neighborhoods like Meadowview and Del Paso Heights, and invest in crime prevention through the Department of Community Response.
Since they were sworn in in December 2020, Vang and Valenzuela teamed up to vote together on several items, but they usually lost. In December 2021, the mayor joined the two in voting to halt the practice of towing homeless vehicles, but their motion failed 6-3. The city has towed hundreds of homeless vehicles since then.
“If you were to bring that back now, those votes would be different,” Vang said.
Steinberg does not always side with Vang and Valenzuela on key votes.
For instance, Valenzuela and Vang opposed placing a homeless measure on the November ballot, arguing it would be ineffective and punitive. Steinberg sided with the majority in a 7-2 vote to put Measure O on the ballot. Voters ultimately passed the measure, which could allow officials to clear more homeless encampments.
In addition to Maple, Karina Talamantes and Lisa Kaplan were also sworn this week. Vang said she could see them voting with the progressive group depending on the topic.
Majority female council
In addition to moving further left, the council became more female.
With five women members, the council now has a female majority for the first time since 1989, Valenzuela said.
“Ladies and gentlemen we have just seated a majority woman City Council in Sacramento,” Steinberg said Tuesday after the new members took their seats on the dais. “Progress is possible and it’s demonstrated here tonight.”
Angelique Ashby, now a state senator, was the only woman on the council as recently as 2019.
The council has become more diverse in other ways, too. Six of its members are people of color. It now has three Latino members in Eric Guerra, Talamantes and Valenzuela. Vang is an Asian American; Councilman Sean Loloee is of Persian descent; and Councilman Rick Jennings is Black. Steinberg is the only white male on the council.
Another change for the council is the districts. Jennings, who was just sworn in for another term, will now represent Curtis Park and Land Park, in addition to Pocket/Greenhaven. East Sacramento, Deerfield/Mesa Grande, half of Valley Hi and half of Detroit will not have a designated council member for two years, due to redistricting. The mayor’s office will handle constituent services for those areas, and use about $500,000 to hire new staff to do so.
The council’s next meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Jan. 3.
This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 10:04 AM.
