Hello, 350 Sacramento!
There have been recent efforts on behalf of 350 Sacramento to advocate for the climate to be a budget priority in the Sacramento city budget. Our advocacy is far from over, and we need as many voices as possible to pressure the city council into taking concrete action to include climate action as a budget priority and hire more climate staff.
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, The City Manager and Public Works Director gave a presentation on funding climate projects that did not cover the priorities climate activists have been advocating for and were instead a distraction from what we really need for the community. The climate presentation didn’t mention inadequate staffing but instead focused on the tradeoffs the city would have to make if they choose to completely fund the local matches for some major bikeways and bus lanes. The framing of the presentation – that we need to pick and choose between climate and other community projects that are funded by Public Works – was deceptive and utilized some interesting accounting strategies to make it look like the city is spending huge funds on climate already. No other budgets or potential funding mechanisms were mentioned, leaving the public to believe that there is no possibility of expanding funding for climate. The statements about defunding other climate and community projects were nothing more than scare tactics to confuse the council and keep us from advocating for a comprehensive budget that makes climate a priority.
We need your help to tell the city that climate should be a priority in the budget. Due to inadequate staffing, the Climate Action Plan is over a year and a half late and there won’t be enough capacity to implement the plan once it’s finalized. The Mayor and Jeff Harris supported funding more staff at the May 10 city council meeting, but no other council members spoke up. Where is the support from the rest of the council?
Tell your councilmember:
- The city needs to fund city staff positions that specifically support the acceleration of climate action.
- Climate action creates co-benefits for economic development, youth, and public health.
- Accelerate projects already funded by the public works budget, and look to other mechanisms or budgets for funding more climate action.
Join Our Tweetstorm On Tuesday, May 17:
Tweet and tag your councilmember to ask them why they aren’t making climate a priority. If you have extra space, tag other councilmembers – @EricZGuerra, @@Mai_Sacramento, @CMKValenzuela, @AngeliqueAshby, @RickJenningsD7, @JaySchenirer, @CMSeanLoloee
Tweets you can use:
- @TheCityofSac has a big role to play in improving local air quality by funding efforts to promote walking, biking, & transit. Why won’t they support funding more staff to work on climate projects this year? https://tinyurl.com/479vaudk
- Smog and air quality are about to get worse in Sacramento – exacerbated by fires and driving. Wouldn’t it be nice if @TheCityofSac took these public health matters seriously and made climate action a priority in their budget? https://tinyurl.com/479vaudk
- Sacramento’s Climate Action Plan is 18 months late and only @Mayor_Steinberg and @Jeff4sac support hiring more staff to work on climate action projects. Why won’t you support this @(yourcouncilmember)? @TheCityofSac
- “There’s hope in California’s action” in improving air quality, but in @TheCityofSac,, only @Mayor_Steinberg and @Jeff4sac support hiring more staff to work on climate action. What gives @(yourcouncilmember)? https://tinyurl.com/479vaudk
Comment At The May 17 Council Meeting (5pm)
Comment at the Tuesday, May 17 city council meeting. Tell the council to make climate a budget priority and fund more staff to work on the CAP and other climate projects.
- Make a 2-min public comment at the meeting. Check out our tips on making an effective public comment.
- Leave a comment in the portal – Click “oppose” on the budget item (agenda and comment portal will go live on May 13)
- Leave a voicemail at your city councilmember’s office (see phone numbers below).
Don’t be afraid to make your voice heard. Your community and planet depend on it!
Council member contact information:
Katie Valenzuela – KValenzuela@cityofsacramento.org, (916) 808-7004
Jay Schenirer – jschenirer@cityofsacramento.org, (916) 808-7005
Sean Loloee – Sloloee@cityofsacramento.org, (916) 808-7002
Jeff Harris – jsharris@cityofsacramento.org, (916) 808-7003
Mai Vang – mai@maivang.org, (916) 808-7008
Rick Jennings II- rjennings@cityofsacramento.org, (916) 808-7007
Angelique Ashby – aashby@cityofsacramento.org, (916) 808-7001
Eric Guerra – eguerra@cityofsacramento.org, (916) 808-7006
Mayor, Darrell Steinberg – DSteinberg@cityofsacramento.org, Phone: (916) 808-5300
Always CC: Publiccomment@cityofsacramento.org
