State bill could raise Elk Grove transit pay

Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen’s AB 1625 would raise what Sacramento Regional Transit District board members are paid for attending board meetings, a change that would reach Elk Grove’s two seats on the 11-member board. The bill cleared the Assembly and was read for the first time in the Senate on May 7, according to the bill text and status. Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, who chairs the SacRT board, and Councilmember Rod Brewer are Elk Grove’s current representatives on the district board. ### How much would the bill change board pay? AB 1625 would increase compensation for each noticed SacRT board meeting to $200 from $100. The bill would also reduce the number of compensated meetings to three a month from four. The practical effect is an increase in the monthly cap to $600 from $400. Elk Grove Daily News, citing the bill, reported that change would apply to board members including Singh-Allen and Brewer. (legiscan.com) ### Who exactly in Elk Grove is affected? (legiscan.com) SacRT’s board has 11 members drawn from Sacramento County jurisdictions. The Assembly Local Government Committee analysis says Elk Grove appoints two members, while Sacramento County and the city of Sacramento appoint three each, and Citrus Heights, Folsom and Rancho Cordova appoint one each. (elkgrovedailynews.com) Elk Grove’s current appointees are Singh-Allen and Brewer, according to local reporting on the bill. Singh-Allen is serving as board chair, that report said. ### Why is the Legislature being asked to change this now? Nguyen introduced AB 1625 on January 22. (alcl.assembly.ca.gov) The Assembly committee analysis says SacRT board compensation was last increased in 2006, when it rose to $100 per meeting from $50. Before that, a 1980 law raised it to $50 from $20. The committee analysis describes the measure as a change to the Sacramento Regional Transit District Act, which sets compensation in state law. (elkgrovedailynews.com) Because the amount is written into statute, SacRT’s board cannot change it on its own. ### Does this mean a large new cost for SacRT? The Assembly fiscal analysis said that if SacRT held three publicly noticed meetings a month and all 11 board members attended, the district would spend $6,600 a month, or $79,200 a year, on board compensation. (alcl.assembly.ca.gov) The same analysis added that actual costs would likely be lower because SacRT’s 2026 meeting schedule showed only one noticed board meeting per month. SacRT’s public meeting calendar currently lists one regular board meeting in each upcoming month, including June 8, July 27, Aug. 24, Sept. 28, Oct. 26, Nov. 9 and Dec. 14. ### How big is the transit agency involved here? SacRT serves Sacramento County and the cities of Sacramento, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom and Rancho Cordova. The Assembly committee analysis says the agency operates more than 82 bus routes, 43 miles of light rail, 53 light rail stations and ADA paratransit service across about 440 square miles. (billtexts.s3.amazonaws.com) (sacrt.com) SacRT also provides fixed-route, commuter, paratransit and maintenance operations for Elk Grove transit service, according to the agency’s Elk Grove service page. ### What happens next in Sacramento? As of May 7, AB 1625 was in the Senate after passing the Assembly, and the bill status said it had been sent to the Senate Rules Committee for assignment. The measure would still need Senate committee approval, passage by the full Senate and Gov. (alcl.assembly.ca.gov) Gavin Newsom’s signature to become law. SacRT’s next scheduled board meeting is June 8 at 4 p.m., according to the agency’s meeting page and events calendar. (e-tran.org) AB 1625’s next formal step is a Senate committee referral, which appears on the Legislature’s bill-tracking pages when assigned. (sacrt.com) (legiscan.com)