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Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty answers a question during The Sacramento Bee\u2019s Q&A event with City Manager Maraskeshia Smith, opinion editor Marcos Breton, and City Hall reporter Ishani Desai in the newsroom on Thursday.<\/p>\n
JOS\u00c9 LUIS VILLEGAS<\/p>\n
jvillegas@sacbee.com<\/p>\n
Sacramento\u2019s 57th mayor and new city manager joined The Bee\u2019s opinion editor Marcos Bret\u00f3n, and City Hall Reporter Ishani Desai for a Q&A discussion Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Marakeshia Smith, now in her fourth month as city manager, decided to work in the city of trees because of its legacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s some major projects going on, they have great leadership, why not have a great legacy and work with the Capitol?\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n
Here are four takeaways from The Bee\u2019s Q&A event below.<\/p>\n
Sacramento\u2019s top priority: Increase economic development amid budget deficit<\/p>\n
Desai noted how significant the Railyards soccer stadium\u2019s 20,000-seat expansion<\/a> will be for economic development and that it will take time. She asked how the city plans to balance the project amid a $66.2 million budget deficit.<\/p>\n The solution? Employment cuts, McCarty said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to adopt the budget with the least amount of pain, and we\u2019ve done it for two years in a row, pick the low hanging fruit, so there\u2019s not a lot of easy choices left,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n His focus is on growing the city\u2019s economy, and offering more streamlined paths to approve building permits for housing, hotels, restaurants, entertainment projects and other businesses.<\/p>\n Bret\u00f3n asked about the potential consequences of state workers unionizing to secure 100% telework in downtown, including the loss of property tax revenue and foot traffic. In response, McCarty said having people return to work downtown is a controversial, but unequivocally a positive thing for city employees.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the governor\u2019s decision, he\u2019s going to make it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He also emphasized the need to diversify downtown assets, finding ways to use those buildings, and cited his support for Sacramento State\u2019s new downtown campus<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need foot traffic to bring money to some of our storefronts,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIf (state workers) don\u2019t come back 100%, we could use some of those locations as housing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018No one-size fits all\u2019 homelessness and housing solutions<\/p>\n McCarty said the city\u2019s homeless population is down by 30% and statewide that number is around 9%.<\/p>\n \u201cHousing and homelessness are tied together, we need to hone in on that,\u201d McCarty said.<\/p>\n Both McCarty and Smith touted the number to the success of micro communities \u2014 40 tiny homes that are 120 square feet, in North Natomas and South Sacramento.<\/p>\n \u201cOur city staff looked at what we were doing … and saw which programs were the most effective for taxpayer dollars and also for people that are homeless,\u201d McCarty said. The tiny homes cost roughly the same or less as traditional shelters, reveal better outcomes and provide a sense of stability, he added.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no one-size fits all (solution) when you\u2019re talking about micro communities,\u201d Smith said. \u201cYou have to take what you\u2019ve been allocated and try to make the best decision you can.\u201d<\/p>\n The City Council has added about 500 new beds in the last 15 months and is on track to add 600 more as part of its six-point plan<\/a>. Other solutions the city will continue to work on include places suitable for safe camping, parking and converting hotels.<\/p>\n Seniors are one of the fastest-growing homeless populations in Sacramento and have been a main focus as tenants in these micro communities. When asked about how seniors are charged about 30% of their monthly income<\/a> to stay there, after a 90-day grace period, McCarty compared it to a rent charge.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are people in shelters that have income, and when we get people stabilized, we can sign them up for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and other benefits,\u201d McCarty said. \u201cWe\u2019re not forcing people to do this, if seniors want to go through other options, they can.\u201d<\/p>\n How will public safety, traffic fatalities and crime be addressed?<\/p>\n More roads, red light traffic cameras and police enforcement are a part of the city\u2019s plan to improve public safety and reduce traffic fatalities.<\/p>\n Thirty-two car crash deaths<\/a> occurred last year. Desai referred to the City Council\u2019s 2017 \u2018Vision Zero\u2019 plan<\/a> to reduce traffic fatalities to zero by 2027, and asked how the Department of Public Works plans to improve roads with a backlog of at least $5 billion<\/a> in road maintenance.<\/p>\n McCarty focused on how speeding, red light cameras and other technologies will improve traffic conditions, while also helping to balance the city\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to take the partnership of all departments to say, how are we now going to move this forward?\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n Sacramento has always been a sports town, McCarty said, referencing the Sacramento Kings.<\/p>\n Even though an official application process has not begun, McCarty expressed his excitement for Sacramento to become a formidable host city for a Major League Baseball team, and build a new MLB stadium in West Sacramento.<\/a> West Sacramento\u2019s existing ballpark district, 40 acres on the riverfront, view of Tower Bridge looking to the east and financing district makes it a feasible spot.<\/p>\n \u201cBased on their rules in their county, it\u2019s more favorable than ours, and they have a good public private partnership to make that a reality out there,\u201d McCarty said. The project would take multiple years, and bring excitement and revenue to the city.<\/p>\n This story was originally published March 27, 2026 at 9:23 AM.<\/p>\n![\"Sacramento](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/021_262603_JV_Bee_Forum.jpg\" "\\"021_262603_JV_Bee_Forum.jpg\\"")
Sacramento City Manager Maraskeshia Smith answers a question during The Sacramento Bee\u2019s Q&A event with Mayor Kevin McCarty in the newsroom on Thursday. JOS\u00c9 LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com <\/p>\n![\"Sacramento](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/270_262603_JV_Bee_Forum.jpg\" "\\"270_262603_JV_Bee_Forum.jpg\\"")
Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and City Manager Maraskeshia Smith during The Sacramento Bee\u2019s Q&A event with in the newsroom on Thursday. JOS\u00c9 LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com Sacramento A\u2019s and a potential Major League Baseball team<\/p>\n![\"Sacramento](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774633869_914_328_262603_JV_Bee_Forum.jpg\" "\\"328_262603_JV_Bee_Forum.jpg\\"")
Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty answers a question during The Sacramento Bee\u2019s Q&A event with City Manager Maraskeshia Smith, opinion editor Marcos Breton, and City Hall reporter Ishani Desai in the newsroom on Thursday. JOS\u00c9 LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com <\/p>\n
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