SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The first newsletter of the year is always something of a bittersweet journey. It is a reflection of all the work we’ve done, the events we’ve attended and the milestones we’ve passed, but it’s also the anxious anticipation of all that still lies before us. This year, the gravity of this new beginning is even more pronounced as it is the final year of my first term.

Coming into this position, I thought I had a pretty good handle on the work ahead and the rigors of the job. Little did I know. Certainly, serving four terms on the Elk Grove City Council helped prime me to the workings of local government, but the scope, breadth and scale of the issues as a County Supervisor are a much more pernicious beast. It is hard work, but it is good work, and it is meaningful work. I remain grateful and humbled to be given this momentous responsibility. I commit to leaning in even harder as I finish out this first term.

We hope you enjoy this reflective edition of the newsletter as much as we enjoyed compiling it. Day to day, it is easy to be caught up in the moment and lose sight of how many people we interact with and the relationships we strengthen through diligence and care. Truly, the communities I get to represent and all of the new friends I have made fuel me and inspire me.

Major Street Repair and Road Upgrades

Road maintenance remains one of my top priorities, as safe and reliable transportation infrastructure is essential to daily life across District 5’s diverse urban and rural communities. In 2025, several important projects were completed across the district, including multiple pavement rehabilitations, streetlight upgrades and the major repair of the Clay Station Road Bridge in Herald. 

Roads receiving a full pavement rehabilitation this past year included segments of Grant Line Road, River Road, Bradshaw Road, Isleton Road, Sargent Avenue and Twin Cities Road. While funding constraints remain a challenge, I will continue advocating for targeted investments to address long-standing maintenance needs and ensure our most critical roadway repairs are prioritized. 

We’re also making significant progress on the long-awaited Waterman Road connection, with staff advancing feasibility studies and CEQA clearances toward a potential construction start in 2027.  

Construction is also underway on the South Watt Avenue Improvement Project, one of the largest projects SacDOT has ever undertaken, expanding this major corridor with additional lanes, Class IV bike lanes and separated sidewalks, with an anticipated completion date in the spring of 2027. 

Fight Against Delta Conveyance Project

We continue to fight the fight against the proposed Delta tunnel project and welcomed the recent ruling by the Third District Court of Appeal, which upheld the lower court’s ruling reaffirming that the State of California lacks the authority to issue bonds to finance this conveyance project without direct and explicit legislative approval.   

All that means is that the court agreed with what I, Delta communities, stakeholders and other local agencies have been saying; the State exceeded its authority and cannot pursue a project of this financial magnitude (price tag of $20+ billion) and with such far-reaching and lasting impacts without following proper and clear channels of legislative scrutiny and public accountability. While this ruling does not end the project, it does raise serious questions about its viability and the State’s continued pursuit of the tunnel.  

I want to reinforce again my basic tenants about this most precious resource, Delta water: I will continue to advocate for strengthening our levees, reinforcing and repairing existing infrastructure and working to educate users on the importance of self-reliance on local water supplies across the state. I will keep searching for ways to collaborate with all parties to find effective and lasting solutions to meet California’s insatiable demand for water without causing permanent damage to our local flyways, farms, fisheries and fun-seekers. 

 

Pictured is Sac Metro Fire Battalion Chief Scott Perryman who leads the Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) Pilot Program showing Supervisor Pat Hume one of the medical kits used out in the field. Photo courtesy of Office of County Supervisor Pat Hume

Improvements in Emergency Care

Ambulance Patient Offload Time (APOT), which refer to the length of time it takes for ambulance crews and EMS workers to transition patients to the care of hospital staff, continued to be a priority in 2025. I am very proud of the work we have done since I took office in 2023, reducing Sacramento County’s Ambulance Patient Offload Time from 73 minutes to just under 30 minutes. We have gone from being among the worst in the state to now being able to boast about some of the most improved patient transfer times and having our system used as a statewide and national model.  

All this took a lot of collaboration and a strong partnership between local fire agencies, EMS providers, hospitals, health plans, the Sacrament County Emergency Medical Services Agency, labor groups and local leaders. This truly is a shining example of what government is capable of when working cohesively, as it was intended, for the community it serves. 

Another important healthcare related issue I worked on and funded in 2025 and that builds on this intertwining of our healthcare systems is the Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) Pilot Program. This impactful, innovative program dispatches high level care providers into the field where they can triage and treat on scene, saving patients the need of a costly and time-consuming hospital visit and freeing up EMS workers and hospital staff for more emergent patients thereby reducing wait-times in emergency rooms across the county. I was pleased to direct funding to the launch of this valuable program in both the Sac Metro Fire District and Cosumnes Fire District in 2024 and 2025 as they move towards new partnerships with local hospitals in 2026. These programs serve as a reminder of how truly interconnected we are and how working together can impact and protect us all.   

Collaboratively Tackling Homelessness

Homelessness continues to be one of the most complex, challenging and pressing matters plaguing local governments which is why Sacramento County, along with partners and stakeholders, have begun conversations to restructure how we move forward in a collaborative and substantive way to address this ongoing crisis. 

Earlier this year, a summit was convened, bringing together stakeholders from throughout the county with representatives from the cities of Sacramento, Folsom, Galt, Elk Grove, Citrus Heights and Rancho Cordova to begin discussions around a more effective governance structure to approach the issues surrounding homelessness using a more collaborative approach.   

Each jurisdiction within the county will now consider a recommendation for more direct involvement by elected officials, thereby consolidating homeless efforts into one governing board with greater fiscal accountability. This would allow local governments to position ourselves to more fully assess what outcomes we’re realizing for our significant public investments. My hope is that these conversations will continue and people will come together to join us in this mission to enact real change in the fight against homelessness in our county. I know I am committed to working hand in glove with my colleagues from throughout the region to assure that this conversation continues, and that it is productive. 

Expanding Affordable Pet Care Services

Over the past two years, I’ve focused on taking practical steps to address pet overpopulation and relieve pressure on our local shelters. With Bradshaw Animal Shelter frequently operating at or near capacity, expanding access to spay and neuter services has been a priority. Spaying and neutering remain one of the most effective ways to reduce shelter intake and improve long-term animal welfare. Sacramento County, like many communities nationwide, is facing growing challenges related to pet overpopulation, driven in part by a shortage of veterinarians and limited access to affordable spay and neuter services.  

To help address this need, I helped fund two MASH clinics in 2024, one directly serving county residents and one in partnership with the City of Elk Grove, which helped to expand access to veterinarian services for hundreds of animals. Building on that success, I helped fund two additional MASH clinics this past year, partnering with the cities of Rancho Cordova and Elk Grove, to further expand access for the residents in both the northern and southern unincorporated parts of District 5 to critical veterinary care such as spay and neuter services, vaccinations, microchipping and wellness exams for pets and community animals. I have also committed funding to the Community Spay Neuter Clinic to help increase their capacity for offering these essential services. 

New Ordinance to Update Rooster Regulations

Agriculture and animal welfare are deeply important to me, and with that comes a responsibility to treat animals with care and respect. Unfortunately, Sacramento County continues to face issues with illegal cockfighting rings, which are not only cruel to animals but are often associated with other serious crimes, including drug activity and human trafficking. I have been working to combat these illegal operations while also protecting the rights of responsible poultry owners, including hobby farmers and educational programs that follow safe and humane practices. 

We saw these concerns heightened last year by bird flu, which devastated poultry populations both nationwide and locally, including the loss of more than 263,000 commercial birds in Sacramento County in 2024 alone. Unsanitary conditions, which often go hand-in-hand with the cockfighting rings, can attract pests and accelerate the spread of disease, posing risks to agriculture, public health and nearby residents. The proposed ordinance update is set to limit the number of roosters allowed on a property, with the intent to clearly distinguish legitimate farming activities from those exploiting farm protections for illicit purposes, while still preserving the county’s right-to-farm traditions.  

I fully respect those who raise roosters (and hens) responsibly, whether as a business, a hobby or for cultural significance, and this ordinance update seeks to protect animal welfare and support responsible agriculture, while still combating the specific raising of roosters for the purpose of cockfighting and allowing our neighbors on smaller, more residential type lots to enjoy peace and safety in their own homes.

Harvest Water Project Final Stretch
Progress continues to be made on SacSewer’s Harvest Water project and I’m happy to report that all 41.3 miles of recycled water pipeline have been installed! Once complete in 2027, the project will supply up to 50,000 acre-feet; approximately 16 billion gallons of drought-resistant, recycled water annually, providing a reliable water source for agricultural use and delivering long-term benefits to southern Sacramento County. 

Work to complete roadway restoration activities (with the help of $5.5 million from Sacramento County’s Department of Transportation for road reconstruction in the unincorporated south county area) is largely complete, reopening impacted streets to public use.

Final paving of the few remaining areas of Twin Cities Road, Bruceville Road and Lambert Road is planned for early 2026, and final resurfacing and striping of Franklin Boulevard and Willard Parkway within the City of Elk Grove will also be completed in early 2026, as soon as weather conditions allow. Construction of the Harvest Water Pump Station is expected to be complete in early 2027, followed by testing and commissioning of the full system later that year. 

Environmental impacts of the project continue to be monitored as the project nears completion and include planning efforts such as the installation of groundwater monitoring wells to track Harvest Water’s benefit to groundwater levels and pilot projects focused on protecting the sandhill crane and vernal pool habitats while supporting sustainable land management practices. 

Harvest Water represents a long-term investment in water reliability, groundwater sustainability, and environmental stewardship for our region, and we will continue to actively seek additional funding from state and federal agencies in support of this impactful project. 

Sacramento County Supervisor Pat Hume represents District 5, which includes Elk Grove, Galt, Isleton, Rancho Cordova and southern rural communities in the county and Delta region. Hume currently serves as vice chair of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.