On Tuesday, the Sacramento City Council voted unanimously to change its Rules of Procedure, following a controversial vote in December that violated state law. The change aims to prevent city managers, like Howard Chan, from placing items regarding their own compensation on the council agenda without approval from the mayor or Personnel and Public Employees Committee.
In December, Chan placed an item on the agenda for the council to consider giving him a raise, which would bring his salary from $400,000 to $420,000, with the additional benefit of 240 hours of leave time that could be cashed out at his discretion. The council approved the raise in a late-night meeting before the holiday break, with Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Katie Valenzuela, and Mai Vang abstaining.
However, the vote was deemed illegal as it occurred during a special meeting, which requires shorter notice and no public comments. The violation was brought to light by The Sacramento Bee, leading to the council placing an item on the agenda on January 9 to redo the vote.
During this meeting, the council tabled the raise and decided to change the rules to prevent city managers from placing such items on the agenda themselves. Councilman Eric Guerra, who proposed the change, cited the importance of avoiding any conflicts of interest and the need for transparency in the council’s decision-making process.
Prior to the vote on Tuesday, the council rules stated that the city manager and city clerk could develop the agenda in consultation with the mayor and vice mayor. The new language now specifies that agenda items related to the compensation of charter officers, such as Chan, can only be brought forward with the initial approval of the mayor or a recommendation by a majority of the Personnel and Public Employees Committee. This committee is currently comprised of Councilmembers Katie Valenzuela, Caity Maple, Karina Talamantes, and Lisa Kaplan.
If Chan wishes to pursue the raise, it would now require approval from either Mayor Steinberg or the committee. This change comes after it was revealed that in 2022, Chan made more than Governor Gavin Newsom and was the highest paid city manager in the state due to cashing out his vacation and leave time, according to data from the state controller. While other large California cities have a “strong mayor” form of government, Sacramento has a “weak mayor” system, making it unique in its structure.
In comparison to other cities with a “weak mayor,” such as San Jose, where the city manager made about $150,000 less than Chan in 2022, Sacramento’s city manager’s salary is significantly higher. The change in the Rules of Procedure aims to prevent any similar violations from occurring in the future and to ensure fair and transparent practices within the city council.