Sacramento began a new era this week with the official start of City Manager Maraskeshia Smith.
Smith, who began working on Monday, is the first Black woman to ever hold the position. Her job is perhaps City Hall’s most influential role, overseeing nearly 6,000 city employees, managing an operating budget of $1.6 billion and working directly with the City Council.
Smith enters the position at a time when the city is dealing with an ongoing budget shortfall that could require reductions in department services or employee layoffs. Sacramento also continues to deal with a homelessness crisis…