Sacramento's new Mayor Kevin McCarty takes office, council defers vote on city manager contract

BUT THEY CHOSE TO POSTPONE IT. IT WAS A CELEBRATORY EVENING. HERE WE GO. AS FORMER MAYOR DARRELL STEINBERG PASSED THE GAVEL ONTO SACRAMENTO’S 57TH MAYOR, KEVIN MCCARTY, AND A NEW CITY COUNCIL WAS SWORN IN. PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ROGER DICKINSON TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE TO REPRESENT DISTRICT TWO, AS DID PHIL BAUM FOR DISTRICT FOUR. I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND VOTERS REELECTED ERIC GUERRA TO HIS SEAT REPRESENTING DISTRICT SIX. THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND MY BANK TO HERS FOR DISTRICT EIGHT. WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. I’M EXCITED TO BE YOUR MAYOR. WITH OPTIMISM AND HOPE AND PROFOUND GRATITUDE FOR THIS NEW POSITION. THE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS TOOK A MOMENT TO REFLECT AND THANK VOTERS. THEN COUNCIL TOOK TO THEIR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS. WE HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA. THAT ITEM TO DECIDE WHETHER TO EXTEND CITY MANAGER HOWARD CHAN’S CONTRACT. IT EXPIRES AT THE END OF THE MONTH, BUT CHAN HAS REQUESTED AN EXTENSION UNTIL NEXT DECEMBER. THE CONTRACT HAS BECOME A TOPIC OF CONTROVERSY, AS IT MAKES HIM ONE OF THE HIGHEST PAID CITY MANAGERS IN THE STATE. WE WERE GOING TO DEFER THE ITEM UNTIL THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING RIGHT HERE. THE MAYOR EXPLAINED WHY, SAYING THIS SHOULD BE A DAY OF CELEBRATION. I THOUGHT THAT WAS APPROPRIATE TONIGHT TO FOCUS ON THE NEW COUNCIL AND GIVE US SOME TIME TO SUCK IN THE OXYGEN AND TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES. SO WE’LL COME BACK TO THIS ISSUE AT A LATER DATE, AND THAT LATER DATE WILL BE NEXT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17TH AT 5 P.M. AND OF COURSE, THAT’S NOT THE ONLY BIG ISSUE. THE NEW MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO ADDRESS. THE CITY IS FACING A $77 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT AND ONGOING CONCERNS WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELESSNESS. IN THE NEWSROOM, PEYTON HEADLEY KCRA THR

Outgoing Mayor Darrell Steinberg officially passed the baton on Tuesday to the new mayor of Sacramento, Kevin McCarty.Steinberg held his last meeting at 2 p.m.At the 5 p.m. meeting, McCarty and council members decided to defer the consideration of city manager Howard Chan's new contract to the next council meeting."We have a new council tonight. Tonight's about celebrations and swearing-ins," Mayor Kevin McCarty said. "And so, I thought that was appropriate tonight to focus on the new council and give us some time to suck in the oxygen and talk about these issues. So we'll come back to this issue at a later date."Originally, the council meeting schedule showed no meeting happening on Dec. 17. However, the Sacramento city clerk noted Tuesday's meeting was adjourned to a meeting on Dec. 17 at 5 p.m.Howard Chan's current contract with the city of Sacramento expires at the end of the month.He has requested a contract extension until Dec. 31, 2025. His pay has been a political issue of late. At the beginning of the year, the Sacramento City Council gave the city manager a raise and then had to rescind it after public outcry because it was done without the community's input.Chan is one of the highest-paid city managers in California. His base salary is $400,000, which was last increased in 2022. The State Controller’s Office reports his total wages in 2023, which included a vacation payout, were nearly $600,000. His total wages after his first contract in 2017 were $272,339, according to the office.During a KCRA 3 election debate in October, McCarty expressed interest in voting to extend Chan's contract by one year "and then talk about what's after that." He said Chan's experience was needed when a new mayor is coming in. “I don’t support any pay increases for our executive,” McCarty said. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Outgoing Mayor Darrell Steinberg officially passed the baton on Tuesday to the new mayor of Sacramento, Kevin McCarty.

Steinberg held his last meeting at 2 p.m.

At the 5 p.m. meeting, McCarty and council members decided to defer the consideration of city manager Howard Chan's new contract to the next council meeting.

"We have a new council tonight. Tonight's about celebrations and swearing-ins," Mayor Kevin McCarty said. "And so, I thought that was appropriate tonight to focus on the new council and give us some time to suck in the oxygen and talk about these issues. So we'll come back to this issue at a later date."

Originally, the council meeting schedule showed no meeting happening on Dec. 17. However, the Sacramento city clerk noted Tuesday's meeting was adjourned to a meeting on Dec. 17 at 5 p.m.

Howard Chan's current contract with the city of Sacramento expires at the end of the month.

He has requested a contract extension until Dec. 31, 2025.

His pay has been a political issue of late. At the beginning of the year, the Sacramento City Council gave the city manager a raise and then had to rescind it after public outcry because it was done without the community's input.

Chan is one of the highest-paid city managers in California. His base salary is $400,000, which was last increased in 2022.

The State Controller’s Office reports his total wages in 2023, which included a vacation payout, were nearly $600,000. His total wages after his first contract in 2017 were $272,339, according to the office.

During a KCRA 3 election debate in October, McCarty expressed interest in voting to extend Chan's contract by one year "and then talk about what's after that."

He said Chan's experience was needed when a new mayor is coming in.

“I don’t support any pay increases for our executive,” McCarty said.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter

Sacramento's new Mayor Kevin McCarty takes office, council defers vote on city manager contract

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