County of Sacramento Board of Supervisors Supervisor Phil Serna

Reelected to his District 1 seat on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors in the June 2022 primary, Phil Serna has established himself as one of its two liberal voices, becoming active on a range of issues from Black infant mortality to opposing conservative Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones.

The son of late Sacramento mayor and farm labor organizer Joe Serna Jr., Phil Serna wrote in a letter to constituents on his district website, “Growing up in a home where civic engagement was a part of everyday life, I learned at a young age that it is not enough to sit on the sidelines and let government happen to you. A commitment to lead and the privilege of representing a community is about ensuring everyone has a voice in shaping the public policies governing our lives.”

Background

Prior to being elected in 2010, Serna did public advocacy work for the development community. He earned a master’s degree with honors in 1994 in city and regional planning from California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo and did his undergraduate studies at California State University, Sacramento.

Serna’s biography on his district website notes that he and his wife, Roxanna, have been married 24 years and live in North Natomas in Sacramento.

Board and Committee Appointments: Agency on Aging (Area 4), California Air Resources Board​, California State Association of Counties (alternate), Downtown Sacramento Partnership, First 5 Sacramento Commission, Lower American River Conservancy Program, Midtown Association, National Association of Counties, North Franklin Blvd. Business District​, Oak Park Business Association, River City Region​al Stadium Financing Authority​, Sacramento Abandoned Vehicle Service Authority, Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, Sacramento Area Sewer District, Sacramento County Water Agency, Sacramento County Public Facilities Financing Corporation, Sacramento County Tobacco Securitization Corporation​​, Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission, Sacramento Metro Air Quality Management District, Sacramento Metropolitan Cable TV Commission, Sacramento Public Library Authority, Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, Sacramento Regional Solid Waste Authority (alternate), Sacramento Regional Transit District, Sacramento Transportation Authority, Stockton Boulevard Partnership, The River District

Select Issues

Black child mortality: Serna formed a Blue Ribbon Commission in 2011 after hearing that Black children had been dying in the Sacramento area at twice the rate of other youth. “I let it affect me,” Serna told Sacramento News & Review in 2013. Serna’s commission recommended the creation of a steering committee for the Black Child Legacy Campaign, which sought to lower deaths of Black children in the county by at least 10 percent by 2020.

Opposition to Donald Trump: Following the Jan. 6, 2020 U.S. Capitol riot, Serna faced some calls to resign after writing in a Facebook post that supporters of former President Donald Trump were “dead to me.” Serna was subsequently found to have not violated county policy with his comments.

District Boundaries and Office Locations

Serna’s district covers much of the city of Sacramento, its only incorporated area, with Natomas and South Sacramento the district’s two community planning area. Roughly, the district boundaries are the Sacramento River to the west, Elverta Road to the north, Howe Avenue to the east, and Florin Road at its furthest point south. District 1 contains a number of local landmarks, including the State Capitol and the Sacramento Kings’ Golden 1 Center.

Office address: 700 H St, Suite 2450, Sacramento, CA 95814​