Mayor Kevin Johnson announced Wednesday at the Capitol Heights Academy that he is running for re-election. “I am thrilled to announce – after much deliberation, prayer, conversation and discussion with many of you out there today – I have decided to run for another term (as) the mayor of Sacramento,” Johnson said before a crowd of more than 200 supporters. Johnson said he plans to approach his campaign for re-election by working harder and longer than anyone else to earn votes. He emphasized community involvement as the most important means for his success in the election. Johnson will be holding listening sessions throughout the city, and town hall meetings will be held in October, Nov

Sacramento County elected officials approved a budget Thursday that could result in more than 200 employee layoffs, according to county budget officer Tom Burkart. These layoffs for the 2011/2012 fiscal year are in addition to the 1,299 layoffs the county has made since the 2008/2009 fiscal year, said county spokeswoman Chris Andis. She added that 1,299 people were actually laid off as opposed to job positions being cut. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors balanced its budget for the 2011/2012 fiscal year on Thursday afternoon, closing out a $90 million shortfall. The county has a general fund of $1.9 billion and a total budget of roughly $3.5 billion. The approved budget is a f

A day before National Basketball Association representatives arrive in Sacramento, regional leaders gathered in the state capital Wednesday to show their support for what has until now been the city's effort to keep the Kings and build a new arena. Kings fans and business leaders have launched a campaign called "Here We Purple" in anticipation of the NBA's arrival. The movement grew on Facebook and Twitter, where organizers are encouraging everyone in the city to paint the town purple and wear purple clothes Thursday and/or Friday. Elected officials from as far away as Loomis, Yuba City and Yolo County joined Mayor Kevin Johnson for an hour-long meeting and press conference he held to dr

The City of Sacramento along with the Greater Sacramento Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce and Stockton Boulevard Partnership hosted a business walk Thursday. The walk focused on businesses located in the “Little Saigon” area of South Stockton, which runs from Florin Road to Fruitridge Road. The city’s Economic Development Business Visit Program serves to check on the needs of businesses and to connect them with the proper resources so they can flourish. Terrence Johnson, the executive director of the Stockton Boulevard Partnership said the focus is to address the issues affecting businesses. The Little Saigon district is home to many small businesses, particularly Southeast Asia

At least 725 county employees will be laid off as a result of the county budget approved by the Board of Supervisors Thursday in a 3-2 vote.  The board has now balanced its the county's budget, which had a $181 million gap. The total budget for the 2010/2011 fiscal year is $3.5 billion. Of that amount, $1.9 billion makes up the county’s general fund. Supervisors held lengthy meetings on the budget over the course of four days this week. Supervisors Roberta MacGlashan and Roger Dickinson voted against the budget’s general fund allocations, offering different reasons for why they disagreed with the budget. Supervisors Don Nottoli, Susan Peters and Jimmie Yee voted in support of passing th

Expressing outrage during Monday's county budget hearings, Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness told the Board of Supervisors he did not believe public safety is its top priority. “We're dealing with this challenge that we cannot take ... (and) the public can’t take it,” McGinness said. Board members plan to wrap up work this week on a budget with a $181 million deficit. County administrators say they have found ways to restore $59 million to the budget, but that would still leave a $122 million gap. McGinness told the board that county officials are asking him to cut $37.6 million. To make those cuts, he said he would need to lay off as many as 255 deputies, including all the deput

In a statement Tuesday on his blog, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson made his endorsements for candidates competing in the June 8 primary election.  A KCRA reporter asked Johnson at a Monday press conference if Johnson would endorse candidates who oppose a “strong mayor” form of government. Johnson is leading an effort to bring more authority to the mayor’s office. In response to the reporter’s question, Johnson said: “I think that’s not really the issue before people. I don’t think that people have had to make a decision on that. So, there’s not a litmus, in general, for that right now.” Johnson said the candidates he is supporting are not content with the status quo. He explained that h

A Sunday night panel with four former Sacramento mayors took a lighthearted tone at the Time Tested Books/Midtown Monthly Living Library series. Topics included Burnett Miller's alleged pornographic doodlings during council meetings ("You claimed they were pornographic," he said to Anne Rudin who kept several of them); Heather Fargo's love of animals; the expectation that Rudin look like Gloria Steinem ("aviator glasses, long hair and militant," she said); and Phil Isenberg's ability to politely interrupt people ("he knew how gently to cut everybody else off, so nobody hated him," said Miller). Nearly 100 people, most appearing to be over 40, showed up at Time Tested Books to listen to th

On April 12, 2010, at 2:40 p.m., Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputies responded to Double Homicide at Howe Avenue and Bluebird Lane. The deputies found 27yr-old Stefon Mayers Jr, lying next to the car’s driver’s-side door. Mayers suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was able to step out of the car but collapsed next to the car. Deputies also located 18yr-old Jazzmye Sharnae Bruner sitting in the front passenger seat of the car, dead at the scene, with a single gunshot wound. Will County Supervisor Sue Peters address the violence or the families suffering as a result of the violence in her district? With the exception of Cortez Quinn, chief of staff for Supervisor Dickinson, who has cont

A popular furry beast made a rare appearance Tuesday morning at City Hall. Slamson, the mascot for the Sacramento Kings, joined with local officials to promote Tyreke Evans as the choice for NBA Rookie of the Year. Mayor Kevin Johnson, Assemblyman Roger Niello and County Supervisor Jimmie Yee all turned out for the press conference to cheer for Evans. “Rally for RekeROY Night” will take place March 10 during the game between the Kings and the Toronto Raptors at Arco Arena.

Emergency call response times will suffer as a result of the nearly $1 million in budget cuts facing the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, according to the Sacramento County Deputy Sheriff’s Association. When the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved the county's budget on Friday, it resolved a shortfall of $76 million. The county made major budget cuts to its programs and departments — including the Sheriff’s Department — and has laid off more than 700 employees since July.  The Sheriff’s Department will not face layoffs. However, the cuts will result in more vacancies for deputy positions at the department, said Kevin Mickelson, president of the Sacramento County Deputy