Eye on Sacramento (EOS) advocates for transparency in local government in an effort to improve the quality of local government, local economic opportunity, and overall quality of life in Sacramento. Eye on Sacramento acts as a watchdog group and seeks to advance policy solutions that promote the general interest of all Sacramento residents. ¹

It is unclear whether Eye on Sacramento is still active, since as of July 2023 its website had not been active since early 2022. ² Eye on Sacramento is a former associate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. ³

Activities

Eye on Sacramento’s Watchdog Unit monitors and examines the actions of local government, including policy development. Volunteers with EOS’s Watchdog Unit attend and testify at government and committee meetings, review meeting agendas and reports, and meet with elected officials and their staff regarding policy matters. Volunteers are also responsible for conducting inquiries and requesting and reviewing government documents and public records in matters of public concern or interest. These findings are then shared with community members through EOS’s website, newspaper articles, email alerts, and social media. ⁴

Eye on Sacramento’s Policy Incubator conducts municipal policy research and development focused on Sacramento local government. Once EOS’s board of directors approves a proposed policy initiative, the Policy Incubator recruits professors, policy experts, and students from local universities and institutions to assist in conducting research. The Policy Incubator develops policy with the assistance of policy specialists, government officials, and academics. The Policy Incubator also uses survey research, interviews, and other methods to understand the viewpoints of the residents of Sacramento. Recent initiatives include policies regarding Sacramento’s general fund budget, city utilities, employee pensions, redevelopment, and redistricting. ⁵

Eye on Sacramento’s community outreach program aims to give voice to the concerns of Sacramento residents. EOS seeks to represent those residents who feel disempowered and disaffected from local government by providing EOS representatives in multiple parts of the city to act as liaisons between different neighborhood and community groups and leaders to build relationships. EOS representatives are also tasked with reporting the efforts of the Watchdog Unit and Policy Incubator to community organizations. Eye on Sacramento further aims to foster neighborhood communications by encouraging resident participation in blogs and coordinating area forums for residents to meet with representatives to discuss areas of community concern like parks, crime, and schools. ⁶

Financials

According to the IRS Exempt Organization Search database, Eye on Sacramento has not filed a tax return since 2019. For tax years 2014 through 2019, Eye on Sacramento filed a 990-N e-Postcard claiming revenue of less than $50,000 each year. ⁷

Board of Directors

Craig Powell is the president and CEO of Eye on Sacramento. ⁸

Diane Schachterle is vice president of the American Civil Rights Institute. ⁹

Erik Smitt is the vice president for policy at Eye on Sacramento. ¹⁰

Other members of the board include Carl Burton, Sarah Foster, Lisa Garcia, Karen Klinger, and Lisa McGovern. ¹

1. “About Us.” Eye on Sacramento. Archived from the original January 17, 2022. Accessed June 21, 2023. http://web.archive.org/web/20220117005211/http://eyeonsacramento.com/about/.
2. “Home.” Eye on Sacramento. Archived from the original March 11, 2022. Accessed June 26, 2023.   http://web.archive.org/web/20220311155533/https://eyeonsacramento.com/.
3.  “Directory: California.” State Policy Network. Archived from the original March 14, 2017. Accessed June 21, 2023. http://web.archive.org/web/20170314011444/https://spn.org/directory/.
4. “Watchdog Unit.” Archived from the original March 11, 2022. Accessed June 26, 2023. http://web.archive.org/web/20220124141108/https://eyeonsacramento.com/watchdog/.
5. “Policy Incubator.” Archived from the original March 11, 2022. Accessed June 26, 2023. http://web.archive.org/web/20220124140656/https://eyeonsacramento.com/policy/.
6. “Community Unit.” Archived from the original March 11, 2022. Accessed June 26, 2023. http://web.archive.org/web/20220124134040/https://eyeonsacramento.com/community/.
7. “Eye on Sacramento.” Internal Revenue Service. Accessed June 21, 2023. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/.
8. “Craig Powell.” LinkedIn. Accessed June 21, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-powell-4bb55517/.
9. “Diane Schachterle.” LinkedIn. Accessed June 21, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-schachterle-87280612/.
10. “Erik J. Smitt.” LinkedIn. Accessed June 21, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikjsmitt/.