Mayor Steinberg says he won’t run again. New legal opinion on Measure A leaves door open
An eleventh-hour legal opinion from the Sacramento city attorney’s office leaves the door open for Mayor Darrell Steinberg to run for another two terms, even if voters approve Measure A, the so-called strong mayor measure.
Steinberg has repeatedly said he does not intend to run again in 2024, regardless of whether voters approve the measure, which would make the mayor’s position the most powerful in the city.
“I have no intention of running for a third term,” Steinberg said. “I am beginning my 25th year of elected public service. I will be ready to do something else with my life.”
City Councilman Jeff Harris, who strongly opposes Measure A, said even though Steinberg says he will not run again, it’s important for voters to know the language does not prevent him from doing so.
“It matters because he can change his mind,” Harris said. “Not only would he get those powers but he could run two more terms. That’s very important to (voters’) decision making.”
Steinberg was reelected this year for a second term. If he changes his mind and decides to run again in 2024, then again in 2028, he could be mayor until 2032.
The measure originally did not include term limits. The mayor’s office added a two-term limit and other tweaks in July before the measure went to the council for its placement on the ballot. When voters rejected a similar “strong mayor” measure in 2014, it included a three-term limit.
Mayor’s office staff in July told The Sacramento Bee that the proposal would mean the mayor’s term would end in 2024. But it appears the finalized language did not end up technically preventing him from another run four years from now.
Harris asked the city attorney’s office for an opinion on the matter and received it this week, he said.
Steinberg said he’s been campaigning for Measure A because he believes it’s the right form of government for Sacramento, both for him and future mayors.
“The city’s government should change with the growth and evolution of the city,” Steinberg said. “It should keep up. There is a significant gap around the rightful demands of the people around equity, around housing and homelessness, and the ability of the current system to be able to deliver.”
The mayor’s position does not currently have term limits, though no mayor has served more than two terms, at least since 1971.
If voters approve the measure, the mayor would no longer sit on the City Council, but would become the chief executive of the city. They would write the city budget and have the ability to veto council decisions and budget line items. The council would be able to overturn mayoral vetoes with a two-thirds vote.
The measure also includes several pieces aimed at improving transparency and equity. It would set aside $40 million each year for inclusive economic development, including at least $10 million for youth.
Steinberg, former head of the California State Senate, said his next move after 2024 will “probably” be something outside politics, though he left the door open for another statewide position.
“There could be another statewide political opportunity, but in all likelihood, I might want to figure out a different way to live life,” Steinberg said.
