County of Sacramento Government News Digest

A California state agency is paying $2.26 million to Sacramento and Alameda counties to settle a lawsuit that alleges underground leaking storage tanks.

The latest vote tallies show Folsom City Councilmember Rosario Rodriguez with 51% of the vote, securing the District 4 seat on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors formerly held by Sue Frost.

Sacramento County Consolidated Utilities Billing & Service is making it easier for customers to view and manage their utilities accounts online with MyUtilities.

Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho went public with a new approach to retail theft. An organized retail theft unit has filed 35 criminal cases.

Inspector General Francine Tournour Kerridge, the official whose office is charged with oversight of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, left the job in September to take over as director of police oversight in Long Beach.

Sheriff Jim Cooper, a Democrat and former Elk Grove Assemblyman once called law enforcement’s biggest advocate in the state capital, infuses his politically honed instincts with experience forged by a 30-year career wearing a badge.

Sacramento County’s second tiny home village, or Safe Stay Community, is set to welcome unhoused residents to South Sacramento starting next week.

Applicants are now being sought for jurors to serve on the Sacramento County Grand Jury. The application period opens today. The one-year term for volunteer jurors runs from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.

​​The Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks is laying the groundwork for its Dry Creek Parkway Trail project.

The city of Sacramento has filed a motion asking the Sacramento County Superior Court to rule that a lawsuit filed by the district attorney is invalid and cannot proceed, according to a statement by the city.

On Oct. 1, the Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services will delete some data from their emergency notification system, which they use to send important alerts. The agency is transitioning to a new service, Sacramento Alert, and residents should either sign up for the service or update their information by visiting the citizen opt-in portal.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors declined to move forward with a proposal aiming to strengthen renters’ protections from harassment by landlords. The decision came about a month after a similar ordinance failed to get enough support from a committee.

A cabin-like home that closes and locks. Showers and restrooms onsite. Air-conditioning to survive the summer heat. These are some of the amenities at the county’s first “Safe Stay Community.”

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Stephen Acquisto is at the center of a move by first-term Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho to bar him from hearing criminal cases from county prosecutors. Here is a look at Acquisto’s history and résumé.

Citrus Heights Vice Mayor Bret Daniels is shifting his focus from a congressional race and will instead pursue the seat Sue Frost is vacating on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.

Sacramento County Supervisor Pat Hume delivered his first State of the County address, speaking on several issues including homelessness, law enforcement and road conditions.

Ultraconservative Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost will not seek reelection in 2024, she told constituents in an email. Frost, on the board since 2017, represents the 4th District, which includes Antelope, Orangevale, Rancho Murieta, Rio Linda and Elverta.

Sacramento County supervisors in 2020 passed a resolution acknowledging racism as a public health crisis. They committed to identifying and implementing solutions to eliminate systemic racial inequity in all county-provided community services.

Older adults make up the fastest-growing share of California’s homeless population. To meet their needs locally, Sacramento County opened Nottoli Place, a small shelter for adults ages 60 and up.

Fed up with what he says is inaction by the city to address Sacramento’s homeless problem, District Attorney Thien Ho said he is launching an investigation that could lead to criminal or civil filings against city officials.

The branch of the Sacramento County Public Library at 11601 Fair Oaks Blvd. has reopened following an extensive refresh, its first since opening to the public in 1976.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors didn’t postpone a carbon neutrality goal after dozens of climate activists pushed back against proposed changes. In a 3-1 vote, with Supervisor Sue Frost abstaining, the board requested revisions including adding a requirement to measure progress on reducing emissions every five years.

In 2015, Democratic Elk Grove Assemblyman Jim Cooper voted for Senate Bill 34, which restricted law enforcement from sharing automated license plate reader data with out-of-state authorities. In 2023, now-Sacramento County Sheriff Cooper appears to be doing just that.

In an agreement with the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, Elk Grove is set to join a $1 million program that will employ a community prosecutor to work with the Elk Grove police.

Sacramento County will fully take over animal control services in Galt, and a leader of a local cat rescue expressed optimism about the change. The five-year contract went into effect on June 1.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to give themselves a 36% raise. Only Sue Frost voted against the move, which was one of more than 50 items on the consent calendar and thus did not involve any public discussion.

Sacramento County and Galt Joint Union High School District took some time on May 10 to recognize some hardworking young people within the district who are making the transition from school to employment while overcoming disabilities.

After years of threatening to do so, Sacramento County has cleared the Bannon Island encampment of roughly 30 homeless seniors. In February, after a rainstorm flooded the island, the county announced it would permanently clear the camp.

Marlon Yarber was born and raised in Stockton. His personal experiences there, in large part, he says, helped shape his career.

With more and more residents voicing concern about Galt's homeless population, a new Mobile Crisis Team has been formed to deal with mental health situations. A Sacramento County social worker and Galt police officer recently shared recent developments.