Sacramento City Council Meeting: SCERS Termination Ballot Measure and Special Presentations - July 21, 2026
Sacramento City Council Meeting: SCERS Termination Ballot Measure and Special Presentations - July 21, 2026
The Sacramento City Council met on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 5:50 PM (agenda time 5:00 PM) at City Hall, 915 I Street, to conduct a regular meeting. The meeting included special presentations recognizing Disability Pride Month and National Park and Recreation Month, followed by discussion and approval of a proposed ballot measure to terminate the Sacramento City Employees' Retirement System (SCERS) and redirect surplus funds to a housing revolving loan fund. The council also approved related election resolutions. The meeting adjourned at 7:08 PM.
Special Presentations / General Communications
- Disability Pride Month – Presented by Vice Mayor Talamantes and Councilmember Pluckebaum. A resolution recognizing July as Disability Pride Month was presented. Speakers included Brandy Blow (Executive Director, Resources for Independent Living) and Sherry (Executive Director, Society for the Blind), who emphasized visibility, inclusion, and the importance of involving people with disabilities in city design processes.
- National Park and Recreation Month – Presented by Councilmember Kaplan. The resolution highlighted the city's 243 parks, 4,000+ acres of green space, and the work of the Youth, Parks, and Community Enrichment Department (YPCE). Director Jackie Beecham noted the department’s 1,000 employees, 17 aquatics facilities, and 15 community centers, and the theme “The Power of” parks and recreation.
Public Comments & Testimony
- On the SCERS Termination Act ballot measure (Item 1):
- Ben Raderstorff (House Sacramento) expressed strong support, calling the housing revolving loan fund a “pipe dream” that would transform the city from a subsidy provider to an investor, citing Montgomery County, Maryland’s model.
- Dan Allison (District 4) supported the measure, noting that financing is the remaining barrier to housing after regulatory reforms.
- Karen Humphrey (SAC Act) supported the proposal but requested that funds be restricted to low- and very low-income multifamily housing and that stakeholders be included in program design.
- Chris Valencia (North State Building Industry Association) urged passage, calling the loan fund an additional tool to increase housing supply.
- Michael Turgeon (House Sacramento) applauded the creative use of public dollars and the flexibility in the ballot language.
- Connor Finney (House Sacramento) supported the measure, noting successful examples in Indianapolis and Atlanta, and shared a personal story of securing affordable housing.
- Dobb Caden (Planning and Design Commission, personal capacity) supported the measure, noting that many development projects are stalled due to lack of capital, not process.
- Julio Lamas (Sacramento Housing Alliance) supported the proposal but recommended focusing on households earning 80% AMI or below, engaging stakeholders, and using funds for pre-development costs.
- Devin LeCluz (City Management Academy graduate) supported the measure and suggested using a public bank to leverage funds further, but cautioned against directing funds to market-rate housing.
- On matters not on the agenda:
- Several speakers addressed disability rights, trail cleanliness, parking issues, and other community concerns. No speakers opposed the ballot measure.
Discussion Items
- Item 1 – Proposed Ballot Measure: Sacramento City Employees’ Retirement System (SCERS) Termination Act (Charter Amendment) – File ID 2026-01314 Matt Ruyak (Assistant City Attorney) and John Colville (City Treasurer) presented the measure. The SCERS is a closed defined-benefit system (no new members since 1977) with assets approximately 110% of liabilities. The charter currently lacks a mechanism to wind down the system or handle surplus funds. The proposed ballot measure would create such a mechanism. Councilmembers expressed strong support, noting the opportunity to create a revolving loan fund for housing. Councilmember Dickinson asked about including mixed-use development; staff confirmed that details would be fleshed out in later policy discussions. Councilmember Maple made a motion to approve the ballot language, seconded by Mayor McCarty. The motion passed 8-0 (Councilmember Guerra absent).
- Item 2 – November 3, 2026 Municipal Election: Call and Give Notice of Submittal to Voters of SCERS Termination Act – File ID 2026-01315 The City Clerk presented the resolution to call the election and give notice. Councilmember Maple moved, seconded by Councilmember Kaplan. Passed 8-0.
- Item 3 – November 3, 2026 Municipal Election: Call for Impartial Analysis and Selection of Argument Authors – File ID 2026-01316 The City Clerk explained the process for preparing an impartial analysis and authoring ballot arguments. Councilmember Maple moved to authorize Mayor McCarty, Mayor Pro Tem Guerra (absent but named), and herself to develop ballot statement language with stakeholders. Seconded by Vice Mayor Talamantes. Passed 8-0.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution No. 2026-0214 adopted – Approving charter amendment ballot language for the SCERS Termination Act, placing it on the November 3, 2026 general municipal election ballot.
- Resolution No. 2026-0215 adopted – Calling and giving notice of the election submittal to voters.
- Resolution No. 2026-0216 adopted – Directing preparation of an impartial analysis for the ballot measure.
- Resolution No. 2026-0217 adopted – Authorizing Councilmembers McCarty, Maple, and Guerra (as designated) to author ballot arguments in favor of the measure, with stakeholder input.
- All votes were 8-0 (Councilmember Eric Guerra absent).
- The council received AB 1234 reports from Councilmembers Kaplan, Maple, Vang, and Jennings, and Councilmember McCarty requested staff to open a gate in River Park for improved trail access.
Meeting Transcript
Convene for the 5 p.m. council meeting at 5 50. Good evening. This meeting is being streamed live on YouTube in both English and Spanish with captions. The captions are AI generated and could contain errors. Councilmember Kaplan. Member Dickinson. Vice Mayor Telemontis. Member Plucky Bomb here. Member Maple. Member Jennings. Jennings? Jennings, yes. Member Bain. Yes. And Mayor McCarty, we have a quorum. Okay. Yes. Councilmember Pluckybaugh. Please leave us in the pledge and land acknowledgement. Please rise if you're able. To the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu Valley and Plains, Miwok, Patwin Wintu 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, contribution, and lives. Salute. I put the five of the United States of America. One nation, under God, indivisible liberties and justice. Tonight we have two special presentations, with the first being presented by Vice Mayor Talamantes and Councilmember Plucky Baum for Disability Pride Month. Thank you. I'm honored to present this resolution recognizing July as Disability Pride Month with Councilmember Plucky Baum. With over seven million residents with disabilities, this resolution extends the recognition of the Americans with Disabilities Act, empowering every individual in the city of Sacramento to participate in education, health care, equitable housing, and overall civil life. This is an opportunity to not only celebrate but continue the work the city of Sacramento has done to break the barriers in our residents' daily lives and remind them that the work is still progressing. Today we celebrate the invaluable contributions of people with disabilities, and we recommend recommit ourselves to creating a Sacramento where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. I know I've had the pleasure of working with Best Buddies, Pride Industries, and other organizations who support empowerment and employment of people with disabilities. Thank you to all the commissioners on all their work that they have done to advance the parking at the Golden One Center so that we make sure that we have good drop-offs, and for all the work that they've done to bring us this far. So if we uh if I could pass it on to my colleague, Councilmember Plucky Bomb, and then we'll have um our guests come up to the podium. Thank you, Councilmember or Vice Mayor. I want to recognize um Brandy and Sherry in the audience. We'll call you up in just a second. Um but first I want to um read just a couple of the sections of this resolution. Uh you know, disability pride month is uh a significant um recognition of a landmark civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and guarantees equal opportunity and employment, education, transportation, public accommodations, government services, telecommunications. It's it's more than just you know ADA accessibility. This is about dignity and respect and equity and justice. This is this is the stuff that America was made to make possible. This is these are the the kinds of opportunities that I think we really need to celebrate. And while there is more work to do, and no doubt there are many injustices and inequities that we still need to address. The you know the overall arc here is good. We are moving in the right direction, and the city of Sacramento is committed to making sure that there are greater opportunities and justice and equity in all of these spaces for people of all abilities. So I'm super honored to um be a part of this uh recognition of uh the um disability pride month. All right, and if we can have uh Brandy from Executive Director from California Foundation for Independent Living Centers, and Sherry, executive director of Society for the Blind come up okay good afternoon, and thank you, Mayor and Council members for recognizing Disability Pride Month. My name is Brandy Blow and I'm the executive director of resources for independent loving, or RAL.
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