Sacramento Ethics Commission Regular Meeting - June 22, 2026
Sacramento Ethics Commission Regular Meeting - June 22, 2026
The Sacramento Ethics Commission held a regular meeting on Monday, June 22, 2026, from 5:32 p.m. to 7:39 p.m. at City Hall. Chair Alan LoFaso presided, with Vice Chair Nicole Velasquez and Commissioners Michael Kelly, Maikhou Thao, and Annette Emery (arrived at 5:37 p.m.) present. The meeting included a consent calendar, presentations by the independent evaluator, training sessions, and a report from an ad hoc committee. No public comments were made.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the April 27, 2026 meeting minutes, the Ethics Commission Complaint Log, and the Follow-Up Log in a single motion. The motion passed 4–0 (Commissioner Emery absent at the time of the vote).
Discussion Items
4. Presentation by Ethics Commission Independent Evaluator on Complaint Processing
- Independent Evaluator Stephen Miller provided an overview of the commission's philosophy, the evaluator's neutral role, the preliminary evaluation process, and the lack of subpoena power. Commissioners asked about the practical steps for requesting a subpoena from the city council and the distinction between a prosecutorial role versus the evaluator's fact-finding function. The presentation was received and filed.
5. Independent Evaluator’s Report on Complaint Against Mayor Kevin McCarty
- Trevor Tanagucci, of the evaluator’s office, summarized the investigation into two allegations: (1) that Mayor McCarty violated the Political Reform Act by accepting over $500 from a cannabis permittee before voting on a related extension, and (2) that his 2024 campaign failed to aggregate contributions from related entities. The evaluator found no evidence of a violation for the first allegation based on contribution records, and for the second, interviews established that Mayor McCarty lacked knowledge that aggregation was required. The evaluator recommended dismissal.
- Commissioner Kelly noted that the agenda referred to a “no-cause report,” but the evaluator had conducted a full investigation; under commission procedures, this required a public hearing. The commission voted 5–0 to continue the item to a future meeting for a proper public hearing. The motion included directions to comply with notice requirements.
6. Training on Ethics Commission Procedures
- Senior Deputy City Attorney Gary Lindsey presented a flow chart of complaint processing, emphasizing that the procedures are set by the commission and subject to change. He discussed the city clerk’s initial review, referral options, and the commission’s role as final decision-maker. Commissioners discussed the challenge of amorphous allegations and the need for jurisdictional touchstones. The training was received and discussed.
7. Training on Scope of the Ethics Commission
- Mr. Lindsey provided an overview of the commission’s jurisdiction over city officials (charter officers, candidates, lobbyists, board/commission members) and the specific code sections under Chapter 2.112 of the Sacramento City Code. He highlighted 2024 changes to lobbyist registration, including new prohibitions on city council members knowingly accepting gifts from lobbyists. The training was received and filed.
8. Sacramento Ethics Commission Good Government Program Auditing Ad Hoc Committee First Interim Report
- Chair LoFaso and Commissioner Kelly presented the ad hoc committee’s findings on options for auditing campaign finance compliance, including a potential contract with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) or private firms. Commissioner Kelly noted the FPPC offers a package of services for approximately $169,000 over two years, whereas replicating that with staff would cost over $1 million. Commissioner Velasquez raised concerns about unused funds from a previous contract. The commission expressed interest in inviting FPPC staff to present at a future meeting. No formal vote was taken.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved.
- Complaint against Mayor McCarty continued to a future meeting for a public hearing (vote 5–0).
- Meeting extension approved (4–0, Commissioner Velasquez abstained) to allow discussion beyond the two-hour limit.
- Ad Hoc Committee direction: commissioners signaled interest in hearing from the FPPC; no formal motion was made.
- Budget impact: City Clerk Mindy Cuppy informed the commission that the city council’s adopted budget for FY 2026-27 reduces commission meetings by 50%, meaning fewer regular meetings unless complaint-driven hearings are required.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. Good evening and welcome to the Monday, June 22nd, 2026 meeting of the City of Sacramento Ethics Commission. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the role to establish a quorum? Thank you, Chair. Commissioner Kelly. Here. Vice Chair Velasquez. Here. Commissioner Tao. Here. Commissioner Emory is absent. And Chair La Faso. Here. Thank you. We have quorum. Thank you. I would like to remind the members of the public and chambers that if you'd like to speak on an agenda item, please turn into speaker slip before the item begins. The speaker slips are in the back of the chamber on that window sill over there. After the item is called, we will no longer expect speaker slips, and you will have two minutes to speak once you are called upon. We will now proceed with today's agenda, which is starts, which starts with the content consent calendar. Chair, did we want to do the uh land acknowledgement and judge? Look at that. Thank you for that. I uh Vice Chair Velasquez, thank you very much. Please write if you're able for the opening acknowledgement in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands. To the original people of this land, the Nissan, I'm sorry, Nissan, Nissanon. I had it earlier, I promise. Nissan on uh people, the Southern May do Valley and Plains, Miwok, Patwin, Winton, Peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the Native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous people's history, contributions, and lives. Thank you. And now we'll uh say the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. Indivisible with liberty and justice role. Thank you, both Mr. Bredbird and Vice Chair Velasquez. Now we will proceed with the meeting in the form of the consent calendar. Do any commissioners have any questions on the three items on the consent calendar? Minutes, log, follow-up log. And if not, if any commissioner would like to make a motion to adopt, uh that would be great. I move we adopt the consent calendar. Do we have a second? Second. Second by vice motion by Commissioner Kelly, second by Vice Chair Velasquez. All in favor, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Any nays? Any abstentions? Uh the motion passes.
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