Sacramento County swears in Supervisors Rich Desmond and Rosario Rodriguez; Phil Serna elected chair, Rodriguez vice chair

Supervisor Rich Desmond and Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez were sworn in at the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors meeting on Jan. 7, 2025, and the board elected Supervisor Phil Serna as chair and Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez as vice chair for 2025.

Desmond, sworn in for a second term, told the chamber he ran on three priorities — homelessness, roads and improving the voice of unincorporated residents — and said the board has made “tremendous progress” on shelters and coordination with the City of Sacramento. He also thanked county staff and department heads for what he described as improved development review processes and service delivery in unincorporated areas. “When it comes to homelessness, we've dramatically improved coordination with the city of Sacramento,” Desmond said during his remarks.

Rosario Rodriguez was sworn in by family members and said she is “grateful to be here today” and pledged to focus on homelessness, transportation, public safety and economic development in District 4. Both newly sworn supervisors emphasized working with county staff and colleagues.

After the ceremonial items the board moved to leadership, with Phil Serna nominating himself for chair and naming Rodriguez as vice chair. The nomination was seconded and approved unanimously.

The leadership change comes at the start of the board’s 2025 work program. Supervisors used their remarks to stress continuity on central county priorities — especially homelessness and road maintenance — and to thank outgoing leaders and staff. The meeting then recessed for a short reception and returned to regular business.

The board recorded unanimous votes on the ceremonial swearing-in and the leadership election.