After quitting regional homelessness committee, Elk Grove Mayor Singh-Allen skips most recent regional board meetings
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2024/06/after-quitting-regional-homelessness.html
All five members of the city council, including the mayor, are expected to serve on various regional commissions as part of their duties as elected officials representing the people of Elk Grove. Typically, these meetings are held during business hours, unlike city council meetings, which are conducted during evening hours.
Some committees are somewhat obscure, such as the Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission, which Councilmember Kevin Spease serves on; others are large and play a crucial role in Elk Grove and throughout the region. These committees include the Sacramento Area Council of Government (SACOG), Sacramento Regional Transit, and the Sacramento Area Sewer District.
The mayor and city council members currently serve on two to four regional government boards. This does not include their alternative positions on other boards, the city's two city council member committees, or the more informal two-by-two committees with other government entities like the Elk Grove Unified School District or Cosumnes Community Services District.
At the recent Elk Grove City Council meeting, Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen made a surprising announcement - she had quit the Sacramento Homeless Policy Council. This decision is particularly noteworthy as it comes at a time when Elk Grove is grappling with an increase in its unsheltered population, according to the recent point-in-time count data.
The mayor's resignation from a group dedicated to resolving this pressing issue raises questions about her commitment to local issues.
Singh-Allen reasoned that she was too busy. So, as a basis of comparison, a review was conducted of Ms. Singh-Allen's attendance at her two other regional meetings for their last three sessions.
Since April, there have been three meetings of the Sacramento Regional Transit on April 8, May 13, and June 10. Singh-Allen attended only one of the meetings on May 13.
The Sacramento Transportation Authority held two meetings on March 14 and May 9, with the April meeting canceled. The mayor missed both meetings.
Singh-Allen missed four of the five possible meetings. Given that the STA has a meeting on June 13, perhaps the mayor can improve her attendance.
Curiously, a review of the mayor's various social media accounts shows she rarely misses an opportunity to gladhand and post pictures of herself. Perhaps the mayor is right - she's too busy to represent the interests of Elk Grove residents, but when it comes to her parochial interests, she's never too busy.
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It seems the mayor's interest in enhancing our area, making our area a better place to work and live may be wearing thin. She's too busy? Missing all these meetings and the duty to represent Elk Grove's interests is what she wanted, what she campaigned for, why she spent so much money and effort to get elected. Perhaps the duties aren't as attractive from the thrown as they are from afar? Perhaps there are issues at home, an illness in the family, a dire situation of a dear friend that explains the missing of her required duties.
Either way, if the mayor cannot appear and advocate for our city and region, she needs to step away from her duties altogether, for the best interests of every citizen she was elected to represent. To do anything else would be a breach of her oath.
Another thought also crossed my mind. Perhaps this is a ploy for her to self-advocate for the mayor's position to become a full-time paid position, allowing her to step away from her current full-time job and allow her the time to actually make these committee meetings. Keep in mind, the city council meets one night every two weeks, and these committees, perhaps even less frequently. Food for thought.
Interesting...
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