A sorry farewell

It’s time to bid a farewell to exiting Sacramento City Manager Ray Kerridge. We admire the man; he’s kept things running fairly smoothly at City Hall since he was hired in 2004. Kerridge’s vision of a 24-hour city, one with a mix of new and old in its architectural makeup, led to a burst of infill development that’s both sustainable and livable. It’s made the city a better place to live, work and play.

During his tenure, Kerridge gained a reputation for working closely—some argued too closely—with local developers to streamline their projects, often cutting through red tape to get things done. Did his “customer service” attitude towards developers somehow help birth the recent “Permit-gate” scandal (see Editorial)? Maybe, partially.

Kerridge’s was the voice of reason and balance at City Hall—and we’re not alone in being deeply concerned at the prospect of him not being there, especially as our fractured and divided council attempts to fill his position. That division is no doubt one of the core reasons for his departure. And for that we are truly sorry.