The Sacramento City Council is the governing body of the city of Sacramento, California. The council holds regular meetings at Sacramento City Hall on Tuesdays at 5:00 pm, with exceptions for holidays and other special cases.
Sacramento's city council is a nine-member mayor-council system of government. The council is composed of a mayor and eight council members, each of whom is elected to four-year terms from their respective districts. Sacramento's government is a "weak mayor" system in that the council retains executive and legislative authority. The management and operations of city affairs are not under the direct control of the mayor or the council; these matters are delegated to a city manager, who is appointed by Sacramento's Mayor and serves at the pleasure of the council.
History Previous councils Sacramento, the oldest incorporated city in the State of California, has been governed by a council since the city's citizens approved a city charter in 1849. This charter, known as the "City Charter of 1850" in reference to the year that the charter was recognized by the California State Legislature, provided for the election of a ten-member "Common Council" made up of a Mayor and nine council members.
In 1858, the governments of Sacramento County and the City of Sacramento merged. As a result, Sacramento was governed by the Sacramento County Board of Directors (a predecessor to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors) for the next five years.
The revised City Charter of 1863 returned to a separate governing body for the City of Sacramento. The charter established a four-member "Board of Trustees" composed of a Mayor and three trustees. Two more trustees were added to the board under the provisions of the City Charter of 1891. Later, in the City Charter of 1912, the five members of the city's governing body were renamed to "City Commissioners".
Revisions made in the City Charter of 1921 established a nine-member governing body, composed of a mayor and eight council members. The charter established the group's current nomenclature, the "City Council". Councilmembers were elected via a preferential voting system, in which all of Sacramento's electorate were allowed to vote for multiple candidates. Once elected, the council selected one of the councilmembers to serve a two-year term as the city's mayor.
Present council format Since 1971, the city has been divided into eight council districts. Each district's boundaries are created using data from the United States Census so that each district contains a relatively equal number of citizens. Councilmembers, who must be residents of the districts that they are elected to, are selected by the voters of their respective districts for four-year terms. Unlike the previous system, the city's voters elect the city's mayor to a four-year term via a popular vote.
From the time that the district-based city council was established in 1971, the citizens of Sacramento have considered charters that proposed to consolidate the governments of Sacramento County and the City of Sacramento. On both occasions, in 1974 and again in 1990, the ballot measures were rejected by the citizens of both municipalities.
In 1971, all the seats were up for election as the district format was used for the first time. As a result, councilmembers in odd numbered districts were elected to six-year terms in 1971 that ended in 1977. Councilmembers in even numbered districts who were elected in 1987 and councilmembers in odd numbered districts that were elected in 1989 were elected to five-year terms that ended in November 1992 and November 1994 as the city switched to even year elections following those elections.
Council Districts Sacramento's city district boundaries are defined in an effort to distribute the city's population evenly, as required by state and federal law. District boundaries are redrawn based on data from the United States Census. In April 2022, questions were raised when the City Attorney published an opinion stating that the City had incorrectly assigned constituencies in new districts to sitting councilmembers in the period between redistricting and elections, and that sitting councilmembers should instead represent the constituencies that originally elected them.
District 1 +District 1 Councilmembers Name In officeLisa Kaplan 2022–presentAngelique Ashby 2010–2022Ray Tretheway 2001–2010Heather Fargo 1989–2000David Shore 1981–1989John Roberts 1977–1981Manuel Ferrales 1971–1977
Sacramento's District 1 is located in the northwestern area of the city. District 1's neighborhoods include: North Natomas
Councilmember Lisa Kaplan represents District 1.
District 2 +District 2 Councilmembers Name In officeRoger Dickinson 2024–presentShoun Thao 2024"Sean" (Shahriar) Loloee 2020–2024 Allen Warren 2012–2020Sandy Sheedy 2000–2012Rob Kerth 1992–2000Lyla Ferris 1987–1992Charles Bradley 1987Grantland Johnson 1983–1986 Blaine Fisher 1975–1983 Herman A. Lawson 1973–1975 Rosenwald Robertson 1971–1973
District 2 is located in the northeastern area of Sacramento. The district includes the neighborhoods of: Arden Fair Ben Ali Cannon Industrial Park Del Paso Heights Erikson Industrial Park Glenwood Meadows Hagginwood Noralto North Sacramento Parker Homes Robla Strawberry Manor Swanston Estates Woodlake Youngs Heights
Councilmember Roger Dickinson represents district 2.https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/mayor-council/district-2
District 3 +District 3 Councilmembers Name In officeKarina Talamantes 2022–presentJeff Harris 2014–2022Steve Cohn 1994–2014Josh Pane 1989–1994Doug Pope 1977–1989R. Burnett Miller 1971–1977 District 3 covers the northern central area of Sacramento. Neighborhoods in District 3 include: Cal Expo CSUS Downtown Railyards Dos Rios Triangle East Sacramento Gardenland Northgate Point West River District River Park South Natomas
Councilmember Karina Talamantes represents district 3. https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/mayor-council/district-3
District 4 +District 4 Councilmembers Name In office Phil Pluckebaum 2024–presentKatie Valenzuela 2020–2024Steve Hansen 2012–2020Robert Fong 2004–2012Jimmy Yee 2000–2004Joseph Yee 2000Jimmy Yee 1992–1999Tom Chinn 1983–1992Anne Rudin 1971–1983
Sacramento's District 4 is located in the western central area of the city. District 4 neighborhoods include: Alhambra Triangle Downtown Freeport Manor Land Park Little Pocket Mangan Park Mansion Flats Marshall School Midtown New Era Park Newton Booth Poverty Ridge Richmond Grove South Land Park Southside Park Upper Land Park Winn Park/Capitol Avenue
Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum represents district 4https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/mayor-council/district-4 and defeated Katie Valenzuela in the March 2024 Primary.
District 5 +District 5 Councilmembers Name In officeCaity Maple 2022–presentJay Schenirer 2010–2022Lauren Hammond 1997–2010Deborah Ortiz 1993–1996Joe Serna 1981–1992Daniel Thompson 1977–1981Callie Carney 1975–1977Phillip Isenberg 1971–1975
District 5 is located in the southern central area of Sacramento. Neighborhoods in District 5 include Airport (Executive) Brentwood Carleton Tract Colonial Heights Curtis Park Freeport Manor Golf Course Terrace Hollywood Park Lawrence Park Mangan Park Med Center North City Farms Oak Park (North Oak Park, Central Oak Park, & South Oak Park) SCC South City Farms Woodbine Z'Berg Park
Councilmember Caity Maple represents District 5 of the City of Sacramento.https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/mayor-council/district-5
District 6 +District 6 Councilmembers Name In officeEric Guerra 2015–presentKevin McCarty 2004–2014Dave Jones 1999–2004Darrell Steinberg 1992–1998Kim Mueller 1987–1992Bill Smallman 1983–1987Eva Garcia 1982–1983Lloyd Connelly 1975–1982Ritz Nagrow 1971–1975
District 6 is in Sacramento's southeastern central area. The district includes the neighborhoods of: Avondale Campus Commons College/Glen Colonial Village Colonial Manor Elmhurst Fruitridge Manor Glen Elder Granite Regional Park Sierra Oaks Southeast Village Tahoe Park (Tahoe Park proper, West Tahoe Park, Tahoe Park East, & Tahoe Park South) Tallac Village The district previously included UC Davis Medical Center, however this area was removed through a mid-decade redistricting.
Eric Guerra represents the district on the City Council. An alumnus of California State University, Sacramento, where he earned a Masters in Public Policy and Administration and Bachelors of Science, and later served as Preside of the Alumni Association, Guerra served as a Chief of Staff in the California State Legislature before being elected to the council.
Kevin McCarty represented District 6 of the City of Sacramento until he was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2014. He had been a member of the City Council since 2004 when he was elected to replace Dave Jones who was running for a seat in the California State Assembly. His is an alumnus of California State University, Long Beach and Cal State Sacramento where he earned a Masters in Public Policy and Administration, McCarty served as policy director to then Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante prior to being elected to the council.
District 7 +District 7 Councilmembers Name In officeRick Jennings 2015–presentDarrell Fong 2010–2014Robbie Waters 1994–2010Terry Kastanis 1981–1994Thomas Hoeber 1977–1981Michael Sands 1971–1977
Sacramento's District 7 is located in the southwestern area of the city. Its neighborhoods include: Greenhaven Meadowview (southern portion) Pocket Valley Hi
Councilmember Rick Jennings represents District 7 of the City of Sacramento. Councilmember Jennings is an alumnus of the University of Maryland and won a Super Bowl with the Oakland Raiders.
His predecessor is Darrell Fong who stepped down to run for California State Assembly. A retired Sacramento Police Department Captain, Fong is an alumnus of California State University, Sacramento.
District 8 +District 8 Councilmembers Name In officeMai Vang 2020–presentLarry Carr 2014–2020Bonnie Pannell 1998–2014Sam Pannell 1992–1998Lynn Robie 1979–1992Patrick Donovan 1979Bob Matsui 1971–1979
District 8 is located in Sacramento's southern area. District 8 neighborhoods include: Meadowview (northern portion) North Laguna
Councilmember Mai Vang represents District 8 of the City of Sacramento.
Her predecessor is Larry Carr.
Past Councils & Councilmembers
Past City Councils (1971 election - present)