The Abridged version:
- Maraskeshia Smith will be the new Sacramento city manager, the first Black woman to hold the position.
- Smith currently serves as the Santa Rosa city manager.
- The Sacramento City Council named Smith following former City Manager Howard Chan’s departure last December.
The Sacramento City Council named Maraskeshia Smith to be their new city manager Tuesday.
Smith, who is currently the city manager for Santa Rosa, will be the first Black woman to hold the position in California’s capital city. Her tenure will begin Jan. 5, 2026, according to Mayor Kevin McCarty.
Council members approved Smith in a closed-door vote Tuesday morning and announced the decision during a press conference held immediately after.
“We are excited to move forward,” McCarty said from behind a podium.
‘A new era’ after Howard Chan
The position of city manager, which oversees about 6,000 city employees and manages a more than $1.5 billion annual budget, has been vacant since December.
Former city manager Howard Chan’s eight-year tenure came to an end then, after city council members voted to not extend his contract.
Chan came under criticism for his $400,000 base salary and additional benefits. Smith will make a similar $399,000 annual salary, according to a term sheet shared by a spokesperson for McCarty.
“It’s going to be a new era,” Councilwoman Karina Talamantes said during Smith’s introduction Tuesday, echoing her words in last year’s meeting to reject Chan’s extension.
Leyne Milstein, former assistant city manager, has served as interim city manager and will continue in the role until Smith takes over next year, McCarty said.
Maraskeshia Smith speaks Tuesday, flanked by members of the Sacramento City Council, from left, Eric Guerra, Mayor Kevin McCarty, Rick Jennings, Karina Talamantes and Caity Maple. (Martin Christian)
Experience in other cities, addressing housing crisis
Once Smith is in the role, she said she plans to schedule a series of listening sessions.
“I want to hear your priorities,” Smith said at the press conference, speaking to city residents, “your concerns and your aspirations for Sacramento.”
Before her current role in Santa Rosa, Smith served as deputy city manager in Stockton and assistant city manager in Oakland. While in Oakland, she oversaw programs related to homelessness, housing and economic development.
She said she will use that experience in Sacramento to build on steps the city council has already taken, including the development of tiny home communities.
“It’s going to take partnership, it’s going to take creativity, coordination and compassion in order for us to continue to move that needle forward,” Smith said Tuesday.
Savannah Kuchar is a reporter covering education. She came to Sacramento to be a part of the Abridged team and contribute to a crucial local news source.