Annc: The 2024 Sacramento Mayoral Candidates Forum is brought to you by the Sacramento Bee and PBS KVIE featuring candidates Flojaune Cofer, Steve Hansen, Kevin McCarty, and Dr. Richard Pan from the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation studio at KVIE And now our hosts and moderators, Marcos Breton and Scott Syphax Scott: Welcome to today's Sacramento Mayoral Candidates Forum.

I'm Scott Syphax, the host of Studio Sacramento on PBS KVIE I am joined by my co-moderator, Marcos Breton, California opinion editor and longtime columnist for The Sacramento Bee.

Also joining us, a studio audience who have been asked to refrain from applause during the forum.

Today, we have the privilege of hearing from four candidates seeking to be the next mayor of Sacramento.

Flojaune Cofer, Steve Hansen, Kevin McCarty, and Dr. Richard Pan.

Thank you all for joining us.

We begin the forum with a 30 seconds of opening remarks from each candidate.

Then questions from the moderators and follow up exchanges.

Questions were not shared with the candidates in advance.

Some questions will be for all the candidates, while others will be for specific candidates.

Responses may receive a follow up from the moderators, and we may be asking for reactions from the other candidates as well.

The candidates are asked to be brief to ensure that the viewers hear from all the participants.

Today's forum will conclude with brief closing statements from each of the candidates.

Let's begin with opening remarks.

First candidate Cofer.

Cofer: Hello, my name is Dr. Flo Cofer and I'm running for mayor of Sacramento because like many of you, I have watched the challenges in our beloved city increase over time and have rolled up my sleeves on so many occasions to participate in our active Transportation Commission and the Mayor's Climate Commission, and also to chair the Measure U.

Community Advisory Committee for four terms.

And what I've learned is that so many of our challenges have answers.

And that's why I, as a public health professional, want to lead our city into understanding that if we continue to do what we've always done, we'll get what we've always got.

And so I'd love to be able to earn your vote for mayor on March 5th.

Scott: Now, candidate McCarty.

McCarty: You know, I love Sacramento, my hometown, our city.

I'm running for Sacramento to move our community forward to solve problems big and small.

That's always what I've been about.

I've been a city commissioner.

I've been a city council member.

I've been a state lawmaker.

It's always about delivering proven practical solutions to our issues.

I look forward to delivering these issues, these items for our community to help us move forward and respectfully ask for your vote.

Thank you.

Candidate Hansen.

Hansen: Hi.

I'm Steve Hansen.

I'm a dad of two young boys, a small business owner and a former city council member.

The city we love has become unrecognizable.

And if this is our city and our future, which I believe it is, I want you to join me in helping to put it back on track by voting for me and helping us rebuild our city that we love.

So join me at SteveforSacramento.com Scott: And candidate Pan.

Pan: Thank you.

I'm Dr. Richard Pan, and I'm thrilled to be running for mayor of Sacramento.

As a physician and public health expert, I devoted my life and career to working with communities and my patients to keep them safe and healthy.

And I first ran for office because I saw the need for a kind of leadership that wasn't driven by politics or political agendas, but by solving problems, leadership that's going to create policy that would lead to real world results that -- instead of kicking the can down the road, you know, we need leadership here in the city that's going to dug- dig into tough questions, dig into those details and come up with real world solutions that we implement.

So I'm proud to be here in the city of Sacramento to run for mayor, and I request your vote.

Thank you.

Cofer: Thank you candidate Pan.

And now we're going to move into a question for all candidates, starting with candidate Cofer on the issue of homelessness and the presence of safe grounds in Sacramento.

We're going to be asking the candidates for a response no longer than one minute.

With that, I turn it over to my colleague, Marcos Breton.

Marcos: Thank you, Scott.

Candidate Cofer.

The city does not presently have a map instructing the homeless where they can live.

Would you support such a map that includes safe places in every council district?

And where specifically would you support a new safe ground for the homeless within the council district where you live?

Cofer: I think this question is the essential one, because for so long our city has operated under the failed policy of sweeping people block to block and not telling them where they're allowed to be.

And human beings take up space and have natural needs that they need to relieve multiple times a day that are not optional.

And so we absolutely have to be able to tell people where they can go.

And so I do support the creation of a map.

And we have seen the success of safe ground like camp resolution, where there's not trash and needles, but actually people have a place to use the bathroom and wash their clothes and be able to charge their cell phones and be human.

And in my district, which is District six, I would love to see that happen right on Stockton Boulevard.

We have vacant parcels that are causing blight, and it would be amazing to be able to turn them into something that is not only serving our community, but also has key features like art and music and a community that we can all connect to.

Marcos: Thank you.

Candidate Hansen The same questions to you.

Would you like to repeat repeat it, or are you good?

Hansen: Im okay.

As a kid I experienced homelessness.

My mom and I moved around a lot after my parents divorce.

We even lived in a domestic violence shelter for a little while.

And so this issue is very important to me.

When I ran for City Council in 2012, the city didn't have one staffer that dealt with homelessness.

And I helped create with my colleagues the Common Sense program.

But I built more shelter and more affordable housing in my district than any other council member.

The hard truth is that safe ground might not be the answer.

We need to make sure that in our partnership with the county, and I do believe the county has paved the way with their safe state sites, things like the pallet shelters I bought in 2020 that were just delivered last week at Roseville Road in District two.

Those are a better model because we need dignified housing, and a tent is not a home.

Marcos: Assemblyman McCarty, the question is yours.

McCarty: Yes.

You know, this is our collective issue.

It's the issue why I'm running for mayor.

And I love my job as our assembly member from Sacramento, but I love Sacramento more.

That's why I'm going home to city hall to solve these problems.

You know, my kids last year are walking home from middle school, they couldn't get all the way home, when they went under the freeway They had to walk in the street to go around encampments.

We can't have urban camping in our city.

But conversely, we need to tell people where they can go.

I think it's been a failure that we haven't opened enough emergency triage facilities now.

Too often we look for the perfect solution as opposed to the good solution.

You know, over and over, I've helped deliver money to local governments and seen us not deliver on our promises.

Case in point, two years ago, I got a $25 million earmark in in the budget for the county to get people off the parkway.

We can't have camping on the parkway.

We're going on two years.

We haven't spent a penny of that money.

We need to bring more urgency to the city council today and walk around and tell people yes where they can go with the map throughout the city council districts.

And I have several of my city council district that I think would be warranted, some on city land and some on land that we could lease out to.

Scott: Let's take city land off the table.

Where specifically in your district would you place an additional safe ground?

McCarty: Well, I realize with this money problem is that government isn't always good at delivering.

So I think what we ought to do is go to the nonprofits, churches, the private sector, and put out an RFP.

Hey, community, here's some resources.

What land could- would you put on the table?

I have a woman in my assembly district, Robin Moore, Safe Harbor Housing, who built five tiny homes in her backyard with no government money.

And she said, if you put out a grant, I could go lease the money and build ten more.

So I think what we need to do is look for other entities to help us deliver because the current solution is not always working.

Marcos: Dr. Pan Pan: It is important that we have places for people to go.

Uh, t's not the entire solution because eventually we do need people need to have permanent housing, but we also cannot allow people to stay on the streets where they're suffering.

And so it is important that the city act with alacrity and identifying places where people can go safe ground sites.

The fact is the city council has not been able to do that.

They've now designate it to the city manager because they were not able for years.

So I guess we're waiting for the city manager.

He's announced one site, but I think it's important that we move quickly on identifying sites, developing that map and then working.

And because of that, then able to move people off the streets into... into a place where they can be taken care of.

Marcos: So I want to make sure I understand.

So we instruct our viewers in terms of the differences between the candidates.

So am I correct in assuming that candidate Cofer is in favor of safe ground sites?

Cofer: Yes.

Marcos: Uh, candidate Hansen is not and... and sees another way.

Candidate McCarty also would not necessarily uh... support safe ground sites, but partnerships with nonprofits and candidate Pan.

I want to be sure what the the the reason we're asking this question is this is where it always breaks down.

It's it's there's never there's never a viable solution.

So I guess I'm -- were -- what w trying to figure out is what exactly what each of you do if you were elected mayor.

Pan: Well, we... we do need safeguard sites not the... the -- we can't stop there.

Right?

But we do need them.

I actually agree with Senator McCarty that we should be looking at both.

So we should be looking at different options.

Right?

We should we should be moving with alacrity at identifying these sites.

I think the frustration that people feel is, is that we keep talking about it, but nothing seems to happen.

And people are still left on the streets and people are dying on the streets.

So we need to identify sites quickly.

The city council's now given it to the city manager, right.

Instead of because they haven't been able to come to agreement between themselves.

But as mayor, I'm going to make sure that we make that a priority and that we indentify places.

We work with people, including not for profit and others, but also the city itself.

We need to identify places where people can go.

But again, we can't just stop there.

But safe ground sites.

Scott: Senator Pan, I want to come back to Marcoss earlier question.

Pan: Sure.

Forgive me if I missed it, but I didn't hear from you exactly where in the council district that you currently reside.

Where would you put a safe ground site today?

Well, I think that is something that uh, well work with the community, but certainly is important.

I know that my predecessor, Angelique Ashby, had indentified some potential locations for... for that.

And I think those are certainly Scott: We're looking for... we're looking for all of you candidates.

And don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the rest of you.

We want you to identify a place where you're willing to put a marker in the ground today and say this is viable.

Where would that be in your district?

Pan: Well, I would say is that certainly it needs to be a place where, of course, we have to have the infrastructure to have it.

And it's going to need to be a place where actually people we can provide support and services to people.

I think in terms of the council district where I live in, which is in North Natomas, there are several potential sites.

I said my predecessor, Angelique Ashby, and when she had identified some potential locations.

Uh... Scott: Can you give us one?

Well, I think -- not off the top of my head, but I think that certainly I will be sure that we identify one in... in that disctrict.

Scott: Thats fine.

Assemblyman McCarty, where specifically in your district would you say is an opportunity site or a safe ground?

McCarty: First, I support safe grounds.

We need to have them throughout the city of Sacramento.

We have 5000 people who are homeless.

We're not going to build enough housing today in a partnership.

We need emergency housing today, whether it's for tiny homes, people to park, sprung shelters or tents.

You know, I like the camp resolution model.

We need to have these all across city.

There are a couple sites in District six, my former council district, a few abandoned city facilities.

We used to have a transfer station off the Power Inn road area which aren't being used.

Scott: All I need is one.

McCarty: The former Power Inn transfer station.

Scott: Mr. Hansen.

I don't believe you answered that question either.

Hansen: Well I was trying to stay within the time limit, Scott.

Scott: Well, that's okay.

So where?

Hansen: So the issue is -- and -- I don't know if my mic is on.

Marcos: Its on.

Hansen: Okay.

The issue is that visited safe ground sites in Seattle ten years ago, looking at this model.

When we met people, there was no throughput in those sites.

We've explored safe ground as a tent type site, and the issue is that the city has broken trust with many of the communities that we have done facilities in, by not ensuring these good neighbor policies that we've agreed to are actually maintained and enforced.

So in my district, I did a warming center at the old parking garage uh, city hall parking garage on I Street.

We did cooling centers, including at Southside Park.

Scott: I just need one -- Hansen: I have a safe ground, Scott, behind the daycare that my kid goes to.

That's safe ground.

And many of these other encampments that aren't well maintained, even though they're called safe grounds, they produce crime, negative impacts on the neighborhoods.

We need get people housing in a region of 2 million Scott: Were gonna - Hansen: - people in a region... of 2 million people.

There is enough housing that if we triage.

Scott: Mr. Hansen we've got to move - Hansen: - we can do it.

Scott: We have to move on.

Thank you, candidates.

We are now going to move on to questions [clears throat] that are directed to one candidate.

And Mr. Hansen, you happened to come up first.

Hansen: Great.

Scott: In 2016, Joseph Mann was shot to death in North Sacramento by city police.

You were on the council at the time and the city took months to... to release the dashcam video related to the incident.

The Sacramento Bee even had to sue to get those tapes.

City policy has changed and now such videos are made public.

In your current race, you've received support from the public safety unions.

What promise are you willing to make today that you will value disclosure on public safety violence issues to the citizens who elected you over the unions who are helping to finance your campaign?

Hansen: Well, the premise of the question, Scott, is that we can't work together, not only with our law enforcement, but with our communities to ensure accountability.

While I was on the council, not only Joseph Mann, but Dazion Flenaugh and obviously Stephon Clark happened We moved very quickly to reform our policies, not only working with Chief Hahn at the time, but his successors to make sure that we did release video quickly.

Then we changed our use of force policy.

We changed our foot patrol policy.

We did implicit bias training.

We did de-escalation training.

We've done a lot of things to try to be ahead of the curve.

We implemented some of the res-- the national policies around reducing the conflict between communities.

We even created the Department of Community Response, the Office of Public Safety Accountability.

We redid the Police Oversight Commission.

The work is not done, but we have not got a fully staffed department and we're burning people out.

We have to fully staff our police department to keep community safe, and then we have to hold them to the high standards that we all expect of anybody in law enforcement.

Scott: That sounds like a very impressive list of milestones that you just shared with us.

Candidate Cofer, When you hear those milestones.

How do you rate the adequacy of the work that was done that Mr. Hansen has described?

Cofer: I think it's inadequate.

We have an Office of Public Safety Accountability, which is led by Dr. LeTesha Watson, who is not only a former police chief, she's also a black woman and she's also a national expert in policing.

And what she has stated repeatedly is that our department has cultural issues that have to be addressed.

Furthermore, in June, she put out a report, along with our inspector general, detailing the Fourth Amendment violations, violations of the Constitution that our department has consistently engaged in.

And our department, instead of saying, yes, we understand these have been reviewed and these happened.

Instead decided to engage in denial.

And it was incredibly embarrassing because I've watched these across the country and I've never seen a department behave that way.

And lastly, black men make up 5% of the population in Sacramento.

40% of the stops and 82% of those stops result in no citation.

So when I hear things like our police department is understaffed, what I think is are police departments not using their time efficiently?

And that's a waste of public resources.

And I'd like to see that change because that will build trust.

Those 82% are people who live in our community whose trust has been broken because they have been harassed and we somehow find a way to be able to pull over more accurate Scott: 5 seconds Cofer: who are not... who are not black.

Scott: Senator Pan, it looks like you're itching to get into this.

What's your reaction to what you've heard?

Pan: You know, it's important for law enforcement to build trust with the community.

Otherwise, its uh, frankly, they're much less effective.

And, you know, some of the things that I've worked on, for example, the Mack Road Partnership, where we basically brought together people and also engaged law enforcement, but also very much more so engage the community and really promote community engagement, a place for youth to go where we can build relationships.

You know, we need to have more community policing and we need to have an opportunity for law enforcement and community to to learn about each other, and particularly for our law enforcement officers to understand what's going on in the community and to know people in the community so that they're just not looking at a community as a place where there's a bunch of people, there's a handful of people that they have to go and arrest right?

So building stronger communities and safer communities means building greater trust between law enforcement and... and the community itself.

And so that that that means being sure that the community is engaged.

Marcos: Senator McCarty, uh... You've worked with law enforcement and presently you're the you're the chair of the Public Safety - uh - Committee for the Assembly.

Um, when you consider um, the role of Sacramento police currently, are you concerned at all that there are many, many communities within our city that do not trust the police?

And if you're the mayor, what would you do about that?

McCarty: Yeah, it's a fair question and it's an issue that I've worked on for years.

Before it was popular.

You know, I introduced bills on accountability and transparency.

It wasn't till the death of Stephon Clark and really the murder of George Floyd on TV that we had an awakening to bring about these policies.

So, look, I support law enforcement.

I don't want to defund the police.

But I believe we didn't have accountability as well when officers do cross a line, because too often when community members see an incident with their own two eyes or now over and over on video, you can't run away from the truth.

And too often we had you know, these were swept under the rug.

Police records were hidden.

We had massive payouts.

The city of Sacramento paid $25 million in payouts a couple of years ago.

That's half of our city deficit this year.

Granted, one time for its ongoing, so.

Transparency and accountability are key to making sure you have a well-run police department.

And look, most police officers don't cross the line.

And those bad apples make it bad for everybody else.

So it makes our community safer when you have more accountability and transparency.

I've authored a number of laws at the state level.

Former Councilmember- Scott: 5 seconds.

Mr. McCarty McCarty: Councilmember Hansen alluded to the city stepped up.

I'll make sure those laws are implemented as mayor of Sacramento, including public records being readily available.

Scott: And Mr. Hansen, since we started with you, I want to give you the last word.

You've heard the reaction of your fellow candidates in terms of this issue.

What is it that's going to make you the candidate who's best positioned among the four of you to successfully deal with these issues?

Hansen: Well, let's be... let's be clear, Scott.

Our city is not as safe as it used to be.

There are people in the audience who've lost loved ones to murder.

Just yester -- two days ago by the Capitol, someone was stabbed at 8 a.m. in the morning.

And we continue to have these incidents.

We need a strong and vibrant public safety approach that includes our officers and our civilians.

But we also need to ensure accountability.

Having been a kid who was beat up by his mom's boyfriends, when those flashing lights came, they were there to save us.

And so we have to bring people together, passionate reason to have to sit at the same table.

And we have to make progress because our community, especially disadvantaged communities, deserve to be safe, too.

Scott: All right.

We're going to move on.

And our next question is for candidate Cofer.

Marcos.

Marcos: Thank you.

In June of 2020, in an interview with Capital Public Radio Canidate Cofer for you said the following “I'm really sad that on this very broadcasting station, Mayor Steinberg said he has no intention of dismantling the police.

I honestly think that this is going to be Steinberg's segregation now, segregation forever moment in several decades.

It won't age well, and I think he is standing in the way of reform.

He's the mayor.

He should have visionary leadership.

” So the question would be, do you still stand by remarks equating Mayor Steinberg performance and actions regarding public safety with one of the most infamous racist politicians of the 20th century, Alabama Governor George Wallace?

And as a follow up, how would you... how would the Sacramento police confront the act of seeing a violent crime in progress differently than today if Mayor Cofer was able to influence the department?

Cofer: I really appreciate this question, because one of the things that we definitely understand is that public safety is important in our community.

And so I do think that being unwilling to approach our police department and our public safety approach with a different lens is a mistake.

I do, because if we approach it with a different lens, we get different results.

Just last March, the Los Angeles Police Union, the largest union in the state, volunteered that there are 28 call types that a uniformed officer does not need to respond to.

When I became the chair of the Measure U Community Advisory Committee, the money that was coming into the city, an additional $70 million was promised to inclusive economic development, arts and affordable housing and homelessness.

And those dollars instead went to the police department.

So when we start talking about where we spend our dollars, we're talking about going back to 2018, a year when, by the way, we had no youth homicides for two years from 2017 to 2020.

And every decline that we've had in violent crime recently has been associated with our nonprofit partners to the tune of several million dollars who have gotten us two years with no youth homicides or most recently, a 40% reduction in violent crime to the tune of $3.2 million.

So when I think about public safety, I'm the fund public safety candidate, and I am not beholden to one approach because I'm funded by a union.

I'm beholden to outcomes because I'm the only woman up here.

I experienced safety very differently.

And I want to make sure our communities are actually safe, not perform safety.

Marcos: And the part about the comments he made about Mayor Steinberg was that -- how... how... how well do you think that comment has aged over this?

Cofer: I think at any point, if you were unwilling to go back and revisit, you know, a decision that like, you know -- or a department that you've created and say we're not going to change anything about it, I think that's incredibly challenging and I think that's wrongheaded.

We should always I mean, I work in public health.

We are always constantly saying, how can we do things better?

How can we change this?

Should we be doing this anymore?

Is somebody else better suited for it?

And I think our public safety department should be no different.

So I do think that it is wrongheaded to say, no, we won't do anything because there's political pressure to do so.

Change is necessary.

It's a constant for human beings and we should embrace it.

Scott: Candidate McCarty When you hear candidate Cofer's words, especially tying current Mayor Steinberg to what most people would say is the infamous George Wallace.

Do you think that that's a fair charge?

McCarty: Look, I'm not going to go back to 2020 June.

That was a tough summer.

That was a couple of weeks after the nation saw George Floyd murdered.

I think people said some stuff they probably regret.

Maybe Dr. Cofer does, maybe she doesn't.

All I know is that it's not either or.

You need to work with law enforcement to come up with these solutions.

Look, law enforcement, police unions have opposed me in every election Ive ever been in.

0 for 6.

And hopefully this will be 0 for 7.

But I work with them on my bills to bring about police independent investigations.

After officer involved shootings At end of the day, law enforcement came around.

Right now, I'm working with law enforcement on reforming retail crime and Prop 47 as chair of the Public Safety Committee.

So you can have your positions.

But at the end of the day making policy to work with others.

But I will not abandon my values and principles.

And I still think we need more accountability and public trust, transparency.

That's why I authored the laws to make sure we have, you know, sheriff oversight.

When our past sheriff locked the door for independent uh, Rick Braziel to go in there, investigate unlawful and use of force incident.

So I'll bring that same approach as mayor of Sacramento.

Marcos: Canidate Hansen, did I hear correctly you would like to add 100 or 200 new police officers?

Hansen: Right now, our city police department's staffed less than was during the Great Recession.

There's mandatory overtime.

People are getting burned out and they're leaving our department theyre retiring early because the work conditions are actually very difficult.

And we need to make sure that we have enough officers to do traffic enforcement, community oriented policing where people build relationships in the neighborhood.

And just on this question.

Ive know Darrell, for 20 years we don't agree on everything.

The man has a heart of gold.

And while I may disagree with him on his approaches, he does not have a racist bone in his body.

And I just believe that we have to move beyond these opportunities to criticize and yell at each other and find ways to work together.

Marcos: Do all of you agree that 100 or 200 officers need to be added to the department?

Lets start with... with Canidate Cofer Cofer: No, I actually think that we can streamline the work that's done with the existing budget and have them actually focus on the things that they need to like responses to violent crime and allow others to do some of the work that they're doing on a regular basis.

Marcos: Dr. Pan?

Pan: You know, we have one of the lowest ratios of police officers, the population of any city or major city in... in California.

So I think we actually do have a -- and we have a lot of vacancies in the police department.

So I do think we need more officers.

We need to be able to spend more time out in the community building those be relationships, do community policing.

Uh, so -- and... and frankly, also improve our responsiveness by our police department.

Marcos: And Senator McCarty?

McCarty: You know, it's not a budget issue, it's a people issue.

We can't hire people just like we're having a tough time hiring firefighters and teachers and preschool workers, child care providers.

It's an issue, hiring people.

So we have this money in the budget.

That's the issue.

It's already there.

The problem is, is we're using it for overtime and we're burning out officers.

And eventually that will reach a boiling point.

People will pop and move on.

Scott: But Assemblymember McCarty, it almost sounds like you're talking past the essential point that, uh, candidate Cofer has raised, which is and if I'm paraphrasing, you're looking for a reframing of how those dollars are allocated that are not just for people who carry guns.

Right?

Cofer: Right.

I want a public safety department, which includes police but is not only police.

Scott: Got it.

Candidate McCarty, what I hear you saying is, look, we need to hire those folks.

But what I'm not hearing is anything from you about a new vision for how it is that public safety is defined in how those dollars are allocated.

Are you just for purely putting, you know, cop-- uh, people in uniforms and putting them out on the street?

Or do you have a vision broader than that?

McCarty: Look, we need them both.

The bottom line is every day we have to fill shifts at police substations, whether they're current officers or people on overtime.

We need to fill them.

But I concur that there are some responses, especially, um, you know, mental health type crisis.

And you can have alternative responders out there.

I actually wrote the law for the city of Sacramento allowing have trained personnel to respond to these 5150 calls.

And so I think we need to do both.

But the bottom line, you have to have a well staffed police department to respond to the current calls, violent calls.

Scott: We're going to need to move on.

The next question actually is for you, Candidate McCarty.

Notwithstanding the pandemic's impact on the shortfall of parking revenue, as well as the impact of the state's remote working policies on... on budget and how money has come in.

Most observers see the Golden1 center as a civic success that's enhanced Sacramento.

You were an ardent opponent of the public subsidy to building Golden1 Center and were one of two council members who opposed it.

But you were the only one that was a key witness for the lawyer suing the city.

The suit was ultimately dismissed, but the delays caused by the suits cost the city millions.

Do you regret your actions and statements at that time now seeing the results and its impact on the city?

McCarty: Well, two things can be true.

You can love the arena and love the kings and love concerts.

I go half a dozen times a year.

I was there to the playoff games last year against the Warriors and you can say it for the taxpayers.

I've always stood up for our community for good fiscal decisions.

And that point, I thought it was too rich of a subsidy and unfortunately my fears have come true.

You go back and look at my statement the night I voted no.

I said, What if the revenues don't pencil out?

Shouldn't the Kings be the backstop?

Not the city of Sacramento.

And the proponent said, Don't worry, it'll never happen.

Well, ten years later, we're now dipping into the general fund, taking money away from police, fire, parks, swimming pools, and paying those Golden1 bonds.

So unfortunately, I was right.

And I will always stand up for the taxpayers.

I wanted the issue to go before the voters.

I want it to be a better deal for the taxpayers.

But you know what?

It's there now.

We need to support it.

I support it multiple times a year.

But the lingering impact on our on our city budget remains.

Scott: I appreciate the fact that you you are forthright on saying that you enjoy going to the Golden1 center a couple of times a year yourself.

How do you respond to the observers who viewed your past opposition more as political theater than political courage?

McCarty: Well, if you look around California and across the nation, public subsidies for ballparks and teams, it never pencils out.

And it's very, very, very wildly unpopular.

McCarty: I stood with the people of Sacramento who wanted a public vote on it.

I stood against what I thought was too rich of a city subsidy.

And as I said, unfortunately, my fears have come true.

Now we have to live with them.

Yeah, it did come to fruition.

It's helped save a dying mall downtown.

We have a lot of problems down there.

I want to focus on bringing back housing downtown.

One of my solutions right now is turning old State office buildings post pandemic into housing.

My law is now producing 500 housing units of the EDD building, so we need to focus more on... m than just the arena.

But retail, downtown, commerce, restaurants, housing to bring back vibrancy to the core of Sacramento.

Marcos: Let's give Dr. Pan a chance.

Pan: Well, I uh...

I unfortunately disagree with my good friend Kevin McCarty about opposing the uh... the arena actually at the time.

Uh, I think it's important part of the economic development of our city and also actually pride in our city as well.

And I think any of us who celebrated the Kings getting into playoffs last year and hoping again this year know how important it was to both keep the Kings here in Sacramento and to have that the Golden1 arena, which of course is not just the arena itself, but the impact.

It's had for all the businesses and new construction around... around the arena as well.

It certainly -- So I think it's important that as a leader of the city, that we continue to take steps that continue to allow our city to grow and to be economically successful, as well as attract people and businesses to come to the city of Sacramento.

And certainly the presence of the kings and the Golden1 is something that brings arts, culture, music and sports to Sacramento.

Marcos: Canidate Hansen, you were on the council with Assemblyman McCarty at the time.

Could you respond to his comments?

Hansen: I very strong feelings about this because I can't imagine a city without the beam.

I can't imagine going to concerts somewhere else.

What would have happened without the billions, billions of dollars of reinvestment into our city?

During the Great Recession, State government furloughed employees gave them pay cuts and downtown was dying.

The ability to put the arena downtown, see the Kimpton built, see all the new investments, the Frederick and all the other new buildings the Hyatt centric, has created.

The only glimmer of hope we have in downtown right now.

I just yesterday went to chicory coffee across from the capital.

It's closing today because there's not enough foot traffic.

The gentleman to my left, we're our state at a time when the state was having $100 billion surpluses and did very little to bring workers back to support them, who had pay cuts during the Great Re -- during the pandemic.

And so it's very difficult to hear.

Well, we commissioned a study I did while I was on the council.

It was in my district, an economic study that validated this model is safe for the general fund.

It didn't anticipate the pandemic.

But what happened during the pandemic, after I left the council, we got $100 million or more in stimulus, and the council chose to spend that on pet projects rather than fund the debt.

That was not happening because the parking garages weren't being used.

Now, because we are not effectively pivoting our city's economy into the future, turning office buildings into housing in the way that we need to and with all due respect, 500 subsidized units of affordable housing on Capital Mall, we could have 1200 units without subsidy.

That subsidy is going to have to be half a billion dollars to make those buildings work.

We need a city that's vibrant, Scott: 5 seconds.

Hansen: urban, and modern.

Scott: All right.

Hansen: And in this, this arena is the heartbeat of our city right now.

I hope everyone come see Janet Jackson with me on January -- July -- June 11th.

Scott: I'll be there.

Canidate Cofer, You spend a lot of time talking about budgets and how the budget decisions we make represent value systems.

Give us your view on the efficacy of making the decision to move forward and put Golden1 Center in place and what it's meant to the city, balanced against the issues that you're so strongly known for advocating for?

Well, on this issue, I have the privilege of being the the Tuesday morning quarterback because we always forget about the Monday night game.

And so I get to think about what happened and also what should have happened.

And so what we know is that this was obviously important to our downtown corridor and it allowed businesses to thrive.

We had construction jobs during the construction of the arena, and that's all really helpful.

What I also think is that we got a bad deal.

And so that deal included us being on the hook to the tune of $20 million.

Scott: So you agree with with Assemblymember McCarty?

Cofer: I agree that it was a bad deal.

And here's what I would do differently as your next mayor.

Number one, I'm never going to put in money for a public project and not retain something to make sure that everybody who pays taxes in this city is able to enjoy it.

The city has no option to be able to do a free event a few times a year so that people everybody here who pays in their tax revenue can go to Golden1.

People are struggling.

There are people sleeping on our streets and people worried that they can't afford their house.

They don't get to go to Golden1.

They're not season ticket holders and they're not going to see Janet Jackson and, you know, June or July.

So that's... that's who I want to make sure it gets to benefit.

I also want to make sure that we retain the right that in an emergency, we didn't have to ask permission from the Kings to use the arena if there's a flood, if there's a fire, if there's a storm, we should be able to use buildings we pay for.

Nobody would offer no control over their own homes.

And mortgage.

Scott: 5 seconds.

So why would we do this for our public facilities?

Alright.

We're going to move on.

Hansen: Can I just... moderate?

That is incorrect.

The city owns the arena.

We have the right to use it several times a year for free.

We have a suite there that I thought we should sell and get millions back.

But we bring community groups there all the time.

And it's... it's used for public events all the time.

The city absolutely has the right to use it in emergencies.

And what you just heard is not true based on the legal agreements between the city and the Kings.

Cofer: That is absolutely untrue.

Scott: Senator Pan, it looks like you're trying to say something.

Well, put it this way, um, you know, when it comes to budgets, you know, we're facing a $50 million budget that's actually doubled, almost doubled from the previous projection.

Scott: Budget deficit.

Pan: Budget deficit?

Yes.

Unfortunate budget deficit.

Yes.

You know, when I first came into the California state legislature, we had a $28 billion deficit.

People said that California was ungovernable.

Right.

And publications across the country, even internationally, and, you know, through study, hard work and problem solving and frankly, you know didn't have to do theatrics, basically.

When I left office, we had a $30 billion - Scott: Senator, I'd ask you, what's your point?

Pan: Yeah well, the point is, is we need to, you know, the decisions on the Golden1 have already been made.

We need to work to be sure that we get ourselves into fiscal stability.

And it's -- that's the kind of work that leadership we need from our mayor.

Scott: Assemblymember McCarty, you've heard the reaction from your fellow candidates.

I'm going to give you the last word, but make it brief.

Yeah, I think it's clear this vote was 13 years ago.

I think the city did not protect our interests and we have to live with the consequences.

It's about how do we bring life back downtown?

How do you have housing downtown?

How do we protect commerce?

How do you - public safety.

That's how we go on going - That's how we address this going forward.

We can only focus on what we have in front of us today.

Scott: All right.

We're going to move on.

Our next question is for Dr. Pan.

Marcos.

Marcos: Dr. Pan.

You have been a very successful and lauded in the public health space.

In fact, if I can give myself a plug at the moment, my profile of you is on SacBee.com at the moment.

And you were called a vaccine hero by Time magazine.

And you were mentioned in the same breath as a such a noted scientist.

Dr. Jonas Salk.

So -- but being a mayor is completely different from from serving in the legislature and certainly being in the public health space.

You've never served on a city council before, and the ideas you've expressed in the mayoral campaign have sometimes lack specificity.

So I'm asking you, um, Dr.

Pen, what measurable achievements and policy priorities will be in place by the end of your first term in office by which the voters can judge your performance as mayor?

Pan: No, you know, I actually think that as a physician and public health expert, that many of our problems are rooted in public health, uh, and taking a public health approach is the way to solve those problems.

So we've talked about public safety and the need for public safety.

We've talked about the issue of homelessness and frankly, we need a problem solving approach, one that works on looking at the different opportunities to address these problems.

So let's talk about homelessness.

Right?

Actually, first of all, what we know about people who become unhoused is, is that the most likely actually the most frequent cause is because of economic stress.

R It's not actually mental health or substance use.

It's economic distress.

And in fact, actually, I'm on the board of the United Way were, thanks to CalAim which is legislation I did state legislature, we are providing both housing navigation and rental subsidies, which we can draw down money from the federal government to help people keep people housed.

Okay that -- So we want to... we want to try to -- we want to be sure we keep people housed who are at risk or have recently become homeless.

Right.

And then we of course, we talked about safe ground site but then we also need to maximize the production of housing so we have permanent housing for people.

Right?

So we have think about we have 5000 uh... people who are unhoused right now on our streets.

We'll have a new number, I'm sure, after the count that was done.

So I'm going to be sure that we work with... with focus and, uh... and with urgency on reducing the number of people who are unhoused in the city of Sacramento.

And frankly, we need to work with people in the region as well.

Scott: Senator, what we're asking for are some measurable milestones that at the end of your term that the public can assess your performance by.

Give us something to hang our hats on, Pan: Sure.

Scott: where if we come together where if we come together four years from now, under the first at the end of the first pan term that we're going to be able to say.

Got it, Got it, Got it or not?

Okay.

Well, first of all, I would say is that we need to bring fiscal stability to the city so we have a structural deficit.

So aend that structural deficit by the time I finish my first term.

All right.

Second of all, you know, we want to see a reduction in the number of people who are unhoused and in the city, So we're - Scott: 10%, 20%, 30%?

Well, you know what?

Actually, as a I'd like to work through the numbers, but I think I think we should definitely see progress.

So probably at least 20% if not actually, I hope to do Pan: much more.

Scott: OK we're on a roll.

Scott: One more.

Pan: Okay.

All right.

And then.

Right.

And then also the other thing is, is that I want to improve our our response times in our city.

So, for example, right now, if you we get 120 complaints a day on 311 relate to homelessness and it takes us 16 days.

The city has reported it takes an average of 16 days to respond to those.

I think we can do much better than that.

So we should try to aim for a responsive response time of at least under a week.

Ideally a few days.

We should not be taking two weeks or more to respond to people when they have complaints.

Scott: Thank you.

Marcos: I'd like to follow up on that with you, Dr. Pan.

You are supported by District Attorney Thien Ho.

And you support his lawsuit against the city of Sacramento.

I'm going to veer from this question slightly.

The... the lawsuit is -- makes very personal attacks against the current mayor.

It does not include the county, even though the county and the city are supposed to be in a partnership.

It acts as if the county is doing great, uh, when the city is not.

And so... so I guess I'm wondering how could you be running for mayor and yet supporting this lawsuit?

Pan: You know, when a District Attorney Thien Ho, before he filed his lawsuit, he asked for people in the city of Sacramento to basically provide him information about their personal experience, what examples of people -- of laws not being enforced in the city of Sacramento.

3000 people stepped up.

3000 people stepped up.

Marcos: We're all frustrated.

Pan: Yeah.

I know, exactly.

Marcos: Were all frustrated.

Pan: So so I think what you hear is that he's using the tools he has to draw attention.

You actually see a difference in the response from the city now, after he's... he's... he's basically said hes filing the lawsuit.

Uh, people are frustrated.

They're frustrated they don't see the lack of -- they see a lack of action.

What they see -- what they hear is they see a lot of people saying, we're going to do something about it.

They haven't seen things being done.

And that has to change.

And that's why I support Thien Ho's lawsuit, because the thing is, he's gotten the attention of the city council and the mayor to say, okay, we need to act with much more alacrity and focus.

Scott: 5 seconds.

Canidate Cofer, you've heard Senator Pan's response, particularly -- not only in terms of what he's listed as potential achievements for his first term in office, should he be the victor, but also his support for Tim Ho's lawsuit.

What's your reaction?

Cofer: I'm concerned because the truth is that this lawsuit is political theater and it hasn't housed anyone.

And we are at the stage of the crisis where if you're not participating in getting people housed, you are wasting public resources which could be better spent.

And so I understand frustration, but in the same way, in our frustration, we can't just lash out and kick the dog.

We can't just lash out and sue each other.

And that's what this is essentially doing.

And I think that we need to be able to have some measurable goals that we can be judged by.

So mine would be that by the end of my first term as mayor, we will not have any homeless youth in Sacramento because we have 10,000 people sleeping on our streets and 15% are young people or families with young people.

And that is a travesty for the capital of the fourth largest economy on planet Earth.

And I think we can do better.

The second is that I will make sure that we actually fund our public safety programs, especially those that got us two years with no youth homicides.

We just had a shooting at Grant yesterday and another one in Woodland.

I think we can do better by our kids than having them have to hang RIP banners on their school fences.

And then lastly, I want to create a green Jobs hub here in Sacramento, because it will allow us to feed two birds with one feeder, both making sure we have living wage jobs, As well as also addressing our climate goals.

Scott: Lets wrap it up.

All right, Senator Hansen.

[ laughs ] Senator Hansen!

I gave you a promotion!

[ all laugh ] Scott: Candidate Hansen.

Hansen: Which question Scott there's several Scott: In... in particular, one, the ambitiousness of Senator Pan's agenda in terms of what he considers to be the appropriate milestones for achievement for his administration, should he be the victor.

And then the second, we would be curious to know your position on the Thien Ho lawsuit, especially if you're stepping into the current mayor shoes.

Hansen: You know, I lived in the central city for over 20 years.

Last year, we decided to move because our neighborhood Alkali Flat had become really unsafe.

Homeless folks burned half of a historic duplex, damaged a four plex next door to it and then came back, while it was under repairs and burned down the four plex.

Our daycare surrounded by camps, needles, people jumping the fence while the kids are there and lighting the buildings adjacent on fire.

The lawsuit is a reflection of the extreme fear and stress a lot of people are feeling because the city hasn't kept them safe.

And it is a relief valve for many people.

If you read the lawsuit, it's not personal to the mayor.

The mayor is the head of the city.

So it's addressed to the mayor.

But you read these stories about people camping on lawns, breaking into people's houses, doing drugs, threatening them with guns and other things.

And you think there's two Sacramento's out there.

One where there are rules for the city and how it maintains its property and then rules for everyone else because the city is unequally enforcing.

If you have people or problems on your property, it'll fine you, but it won't help you.

And so we have to have an opportunity to come.

Scott: Stop for just one second.

Hansen: Yeah.

Scott: Say that one more time.

If you have problems on your property.

I talk to property owners every day.

They're getting fined because someone put a camp up and left a mess, and the city will give them a ticket or a fine.

If somebody breaks in and lights your building on fire like happened at 1220 H Street, right behind the firehouse.

Thankfully, there is firefighters nearby.

But it's then your fault.

The city is not taking any responsibility for the public safety situation.

Scott: So.

So you support Thien Hos lawsuit?

Hansen: Its unfortunate.

I don't know it's going to be resolved, but I think it has been helpful at reducing the tension between the citizens and the city.

Scott: And just to be fair.

Give us your top three priorities that will measure you by if you're elected mayor.

One, we need to make sure that there are no tent encampments near our schools and our parks in our neighborhoods, too.

We need to make sure that our response times are decreased and we have increased neighborhood safety.

Three I love building stuff.

We are going to build thousands of units of housing on our distressed corridors in our central city, on vacant lots, in keeping with our climate plans.

But a new I street bridge, a new bridge over the American River.

Those are things that we need to prioritize, along with the redo of places like Capital Mall.

Scott: Thank you.

Hansen: And investments in Scott: Thank you, candidate Hansen:District 2 and District 8 Scott: Canidate Hansen.

Hansen: I have a long list.

Scott: Candidate McCarty.

McCarty: Yes.

First of all, I love Dr. Pan.

He was my kid's pediatrician.

He and I did some great work in the capital expanding higher education.

I love all these candidates up here.

They're all serving our community for a good reason.

I just think I'm best equipped to step in and they want to be effective.

I've been a city housing and redevelopment commissioner.

I've been a city council member and I've been a state lawmaker always delivering for Sacramento, whether it's, you know, fixing our American River Parkway building.

Scott: Appreciate the resume, but answer the question.

You're asking me what I think about Dr. Pans -- Scott: about his objectives, and the Thien Ho lawsuit.

McCarty: Yeah, he has, I think, a vision.

I have a vision to what I want to focus on my my three top priorities - Scott: that we're going to measure you by.

McCarty: Yeah, measured by.

Well, first, on the lawsuit.

Um, I don't think we're going to solve this issue by suing each other.

We need to work together.

We're all in this together.

All the cities in the county.

I think we need to have a regional JPA like we do on so many other issues.

We have a JPA on transportation, air quality, even cable TV.

But on the issue of the day, homelessness.

I'm working on a plan right now with the city and the county to bring all governments together, because the state where I'm at right now is telling local governments, We're not going to give you any more money to solve homelessness unless you work together as a region.

So lawsuits are not going to address that issue.

That's why I don't support the... the lawsuit.

Working together is going to how its to be done.

We're all in this together.

We were local elected officials.

I want to make sure as... as... as mayor next year, I want to enforce no camping.

We should at least double the amount of emergency beds we have in Sacramento.

Councilmember -- Former Councilmember Hansen was right.

When I was in the city council, we didn't have one person in the city working on homeless issues.

We didn't fund one shelter bed.

Now we fund over a thousand.

The county is the real provider of homelessness in our region.

They need to do a bunch more, which we're counting on them.

But I want to double the amount of emergency beds.

I think we need to focus on building more housing.

I want- Scott: 10 seconds.

I want to have a blue ribbon commission to lower barriers for permits to building more housing at all levels.

And lastly, my priority is focusing on our youth, more activities and reducing gun violence.

Scott: Alright.

Marcos: Thats all of them.

Alright.

We are going to move on then to a very quick question before we go to closing statements.

Sacramento is unique in that the government owns 55% of downtown and that specifically the state owns 45% of that volume.

Many of those buildings are only partially occupied.

What's the more objective, uh... most important objective for Sacramento, if you had to make one choice candidates, for using these buildings to address unmet needs, like providing more affordable housing opportunities or mandating the return of government workers to revitalize downtown Sacramento's economy?

Dr. Pan, we'll start with you.

Pan: You know, actually, we need to reuse that property.

Certainly will -- I will strongl encourage the state to have our state workers return to work.

However, I think in the long run, you know, hybrid work is here.

Uh, we also know that... that people, you know, they're also balancing their own things.

Actually, I'd like to have more of our state workers actually live in Sacramento, so we need more housing for them as well.

But ultimately, we need to pivot our downtown away from just state workers and... and look at reusing some of those properties for both housing new businesses and also to bring greater economic diversity to our downtown.

Scott: Thank you, Dr. Pan.

Candidate McCarty.

McCarty: Yeah, no -- we're -- the nature of work is changing forever, and I'm not sure we can put the genie back in the bottle.

State land is a great opportunity.

We need to repopulate our urban core with housing.

I led on this right away after the pandemic.

I said, You know what?

Let's turn these lemons into lemonade.

So we have the EDD building launching right now 500 to up to 1000, depending on if we scrape it or not.

But that's just the beginning.

There are multiple buildings downtown Scott: Unfortunately, McCarty: we need to focus on - Scott: that's going to have to b the end.

You got five seconds.

McCarty: We need to focus on using those buildings for housing.

Scott: Candidate Hansen Hansen: It's both Scott.

I've lived and worked downtown for almost my entire 22 years in Sacramento, and right now some of those buildings can be easily adapted, but a lot of them can't.

Theyre office buildings.

So we need to work to repopulate them.

The state capital has taken us for granted.

Our legislature doesn't believe that Sacramento is worthy and we get far less money than our peer cities.

They don't pay taxes here.

They don't really care about whether we succeed or fail.

And we need to hold the state government accountable for delivering for Sacramento in a way that has not happened here, too, for.

Scott: Thank you, Candidate Hansen.

Finally, Candidate Cofer.

Cofer: I don't support requiring workers to come back downtown and I do support reuse, but I don't know that housing is the only thing that we should be using it for.

I think we also can make sure businesses are seated there and as I mentioned, a green jobs hub.

It'd be great to be able to have other industries moving into the future and not looking backward, but really moving forward and revitalizing our downtown for 2025 and beyond and not for what we believe from 2019 and 2020.

Thank you.

Candidate Cofer We are going to have to move to closing statements.

Each one of you will have 20 seconds and I will be cutting you off at 20 seconds.

Candidate Pan, please offer your final thoughts.

Pan: You know, it's easy to make lots of promises, but it's harder to deliver.

And I have a record of delivering.

For example, I first came to the legislature.

The uninsured rate was actually about 17, 18% when I left it, 78% cut it by over half.

That's the kind of results people want to see here in Sacramento.

That's why I'll bring as mayor.

So I appreciate your support and vote and I will go to work for you.

Thank you.

Scott: Candidate McCarty McCarty: You know, Sacramento is a crossroads and we need a mayor that can deliver today, on the day, on the... on the job ready.

Day one.

I've served in these capacities delivering for Sacramento.

This is my hometown.

I'm not asking your vote cause I'm a lifelong Sacramentan.

It is a bonus that I know this city like the back of my hand.

But I will work with all levels of government to make we move our city forward.

Scott: Candidate Hansen.

Hansen: When I left office three years ago, I never planned to run again.

But as a dad, a small business owner, I'm distressed at the conditions in our city.

If you go to SteveforSacramento.com, you'll read our plan on homelessness on housing to help me put this city back on track.

But also you can read about the things I've done in a real world to make this city work.

We have a wonderful city and I'm going to fight for you.

So I need your vote and I need your help to make Sacramento what it can be, a great American city Scott: Candidate Cofer.

I love Sacramento, like all the people who live here, but it's facing challenges and it needs new leadership.

And we do what we always done will get what we always get.

And you have seen the best of what some of my fellow candidates have shared.

It's what we already lived through.

It's what quadrupled our homelessness numbers and hasn't addressed some of the challenges in our region.

And so, it's time for a change.

It's time for people who have not had a voice at the table to be a part of our leadership.

It's time for us to really think about innovating and moving forward.

And it's time for us to have candidates who are not beholden to the powers that be but are actually Scott: Canidate Cofer.

Cofer: Thinking about solutions.

Scott: Its time.

Cofer: So I invite you to join me at FloforMayor.Com and vote for me by March 5th.

Scott: And that concludes today's Sacramento Mayoral Candidates Forum.

We've had the opportunity to hear from four committed candidates, each with their own perspectives and plans for addressing challenges and opportunities that Sacramento faces.

We hope forums like this one are a reminder of the value of engaging in informed discussions and making informed decisions when it comes to exercising our right and our privilege to participate in the election process.

Additionally, this Monday, the Sacramento Bee will make its endorsement for mayor.

Be sure to check it out.

On behalf of Marcos Breton, the Sacramento Bee and PBS KVIE.

I'm Scott Syphax.

Thank you for joining us.

And remember to vote.

Annc: The Sacramento Mayoral Candidates Forum was brought to you by the Sacramento Bee and PBS KVIE.

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