Candidate for
Mayor; City of Sacramento

Rob Kerth first rolled up his sleeves in City politics as a neighborhood activist and Board member of the Woodlake Improvement Club and as a business owner and Board member of the North Sacramento Chamber of Commerce. He was disappointed and frustrated in the City's lack of response to his communities' needs, Rob ran and won the District Two Council seat in 1992 to give north area neighborhoods a voice at City Hall.

Since then, Rob has been tireless in getting the slow complicated machinery of government to work for people and gained praise for being an independent voice willing to take tough stands on issues that matter to people. Leading the dynamic turn-around of the District with the lowest median income in the City, Rob was re-elected in 1996 for his inclusive and effective style of leadership placing people over politics, and from the perspective of local residents # for real results in bringing reinvestment back to the community.

Rob has earned a reputation as a pragmatic problem solver; a nuts & bolts thinker who other Council members and the Mayor have turned to for results time and again. As the Sacramento Bee noted, "Kerth has distinguished himself at City Hall, both for his energy as a strong and effective advocate for North Sacramento and for asking the right questions about hard citywide technical issues such as budgets and infrastructure."

As the Sacramento Bee wrote in 1996, "Rob Kerth, Darryl Steinberg, Jimmy Yee and Sam Pannell...all deserve credit with (Joe) Serna for the turnaround at City Hall." That turnaround has brought Sacramento a revamped downtown and riverfront, new major hotels, more accountable schools, cleaner neighborhoods, and a lower crime rate. Rob also has focused on increasing the efficiency and responsiveness of City Government while avoiding new taxes, through use of technology and more pro-active communication with citizens and diverse communities.

As the City's only representative on the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) for the past eight years (which represents a six County regional area), Rob has an extensive understanding and experience with issues throughout the region, and the relationships to find consensus on our larger regional challenges. Rob has been a key advocate in bringing flood protection to Sacramento, as Sacramento Bee noted, "As a member of the flood control board (SAFCA), he played an important and responsible role in ... developing a regional flood control consensus."

Rob is the third generation of his family to make Sacramento his home, Rob graduated from Norte Del Rio High School in the Grant School District, and went on to earn a bachelor's and master's degree from Stanford University in Mechanical Engineering, with an emphasis in controls and systems. His 41 years of personal experience coupled with his family's long history here, give Rob a unique perspective on Sacramento, both it's past and what it's future can be.

He is the owner of his own small business, Ice Unlimited, which was responsible for bringing Sacramento the original downtown holiday ice rink. Rob is also responsible for the design of ice rinks in Sacramento's own Arco Arena and Squaw Valley U.S.A.

Rob and his wife Tracy live in the Woodlake neighborhood of North Sacramento with their 4-year-old daughter Katie, two blocks from his childhood home. "I love Sacramento, and believe it has tremendous potential to be a great City, and I look forward to working with you to turn that vision into reality" # Rob Kerth.

Public Service on Boards & Commissions (* Present or Former Board Chair): Elected to City Council, 1992; Re-elected to City Council, 1996; Sacramento Area Council of Governments (since 1993)*; SAFE Board (call box authority) (since 1993)*; Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (since 1993)*; Sacramento Transportation Authority (since 1993)*; Mayor's Alternate to Crocker Art Museum Board of Directors (since 1999); Sacramento North Area Groundwater Management Authority (since 1998 inception); Sacramento Ball Park Authority (since 1998 inception); Rob served as Vice Mayor in 1997.

City Council Ad-Hoc Policy Committees: Stadium/100 Acre N. Natomas Site Committee; Flood Control/Water Development Committee; Downtown Civic Center/Metro Place Committee; Economic Development/Waterfront Committee.