Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson's most recent push for a "strong mayor" form of government has lost by a 57-43 margin.
"This is a discussion that needed to happen in our community for quite some time. And I'm proud of the campaign that we ran,” said the Mayor to supporters at Pizza Rock in downtown Sacramento. “We did it above ground. We took the high road. And we did it the Sacramento way."
Councilman Steve Hansen led the "Vote L No" effort from his house. He says he would like to see some of the reforms in the measure brought before city council for a vote.
"A professionally run government is more efficient and it's more fair,” said Hansen. “Our mayor has been very successful. I've supported him on many things and many of the people who didn't think Measure L was a good idea still respect him as a great leader and we want him to continue to do great things."
If it had passed, Measure L would have given the mayor executive authority over department heads and the city manager and the power to veto council decisions.
Campaign volunteers were on the phones yesterday until the last possible minute trying to get out the vote.
After the polls closed, both sides of Sacramento's Measure L question headed to Sacramento watering holes to await the results and talk about the campaign.
Wendy Hoyt was at the "Vote L No" party at New Helvetia. She says the time she spent campaigning against the measure was worth it.
"I think it's important that a grassroots campaign -a grassroots candidate for city council or a grassroots campaign like No On L can still be successful. I don't want us to be so large that you have to raise a million dollars to win an initiative or a quarter million dollars to be a city council member."
Stephen Turner volunteered for the Yes On L campaign.
"The natural progression of life is change. In order for things to change, you have to get people to act on that. And, without acting there's gonna be no change."
The mayor's campaign raised a million dollars more than the opposition.
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