Sac State survey offers dim outlook for mayor

Vickie Johnson

Only 28 percent of Sacramento city residents would vote to re-elect Heather Fargo as mayor.

Sacramento County’s feelings toward the mayor were recently published by Sacramento State professor Amy Liu, who conducted the survey for her research and methods class.

About 40 students were sent out to the Sacramento County for three weeks to interview people about the mayor and how they feel she is doing her job.

Approximately 12,000 people interviewed for the survey and 400 alone came from Sacramento.

This is the seventh year Liu did the survey. Liu said the survey offers an opportunity to get her students involved and participating in research methods and see how to organize those thoughts.

“This research benefits the community. We are giving them a chance to hear the voices around them,” Liu said.

When residents were asked which issues they considered as most important in the deciding factor for choosing a candidate, there was no specific issue that came forth.

However, 12 percent agreed that the economy was important, while others thought that budget and taxes were also critical factors.

Junior journalism major Whitney Khale agreed that the budget was something that needed to be looked at by the mayor.

“With all the prices going up around Sacramento, especially gas prices, the most important thing Fargo should be looking at is the budget. The budget affects everybody’s life,” Khale said.

Everybody needs to buy gas – there is no going around it, Khale said.

Some students, such as junior kinesiology major Megan Bonifice, seemed to see the position of mayor and the mayoral race as insignificant with the presidential election coming up.

“I think that a person who is going to represent me to the world is more important than a person who is going to represent me locally,” Bonifice said.

Vanessa Johnson can be reached at [email protected].