Sebastopol City Council candidates weigh in on homelessness response, the budget, City Hall future in Press Democrat questionnaire – The Press Democrat

eEditionSign up for email newslettersSign up for email newsletterseEdition Trending: Candidates in the crowded field for three seats on the Sebastopol City Council sounded off on the city’s homelessness response, ways to increase revenues and plans to relocate or rebuild City Hall ahead of the Nov. 3 election.Incumbents Jill McLewis and Sandra Maurer are running for a second term and at least one new member is set to join the council, filling the seat left by departing Councilmember Stephen Zollman.The five political newcomers in the race are: Kyreen Jorgensen, Erin Mitchell, James Woodruff, Brandie Solovay and Ian Hoff.The election comes as Sebastopol leaders continue working to climb out of a long-term deficit and eye ways to grow revenue streams and invest in deferred maintenance needs. The next council also will weigh how to drive investment downtown while protecting existing businesses and have a hand in addressing housing and affordability needs.Ballots went out earlier this month to roughly 5,730 registered voters in the city and the first set of in-person vote centers opened last weekend with more set to open Oct. 31.With Election Day nearing, The Press Democrat prepared a list of questions to pose to candidates running for municipal office. Full responses are below but may have been edited for grammar, spelling, length and, if necessary, to remove any offensive language and hate speech.Jorgensen did not respond to the questionnaire by deadline.MORE: Meet the seven candidates vying for three seats on Sebastopol City CouncilIan HoffKyreen JorgensenSandra MaurerJill McLewisErin MitchellBrandie SolovayJames WoodruffHoff: As an engineer and former volunteer firefighter with the city of Sebastopol, addressing complex challenges, helping people in need, and being a good listener are some of my strongest characteristics, and traits that help shape a good leader. I want to take on the tough issues and help fix complicated problems, but it all starts with listening and learning — knowing I’m not a subject matter expert on every issue, and I can’t be a good representative if I don’t listen to the questions, concerns, and needs facing Sebastopol residents. As I meet with community leaders and everyday residents on the campaign trail, listening continues to be a priority.My wife and I have lived in Sebastopol for nearly a decade, and we love the spirit and culture of Sebastopol. I own a business here, was a volunteer firefighter for many years, and want to see our city thrive. My wife is an Analy High School science teacher — and we’re both invested in our community’s future. We want to see our youth get good-paying jobs and have an opportunity to afford to live in Sebastopol when they’re adults; see improved city infrastructure; and address our city’s budget challenges.Maurer: I have four years experience on the Sebastopol City Council. I was elected in 2022.I have been involved in Sebastopol politics since 2007. I helped create environmental policies, updates to the general plan’s community health and wellness goals, and worked to obtain the lower kelvin streetlights in Sebastopol. I worked at the California Public Utilitise Commission and helped win the right for all California investor-owned utility customers to opt out of smart meters.That advocacy taught me essential skills that have been valuable on City Council — researching complex issues, listening to different perspectives, and advocating for residents and the environment.A few of my accomplishments include preserving public comments at the beginning of meetings; city sponsorships of events; re-establishing annual goal setting; adding a land acknowledgment; helping restore the Labyrinth of Life teen memorial; obtaining a rent stabilization ordinance for Fircrest Mobile Home Park; and I added the 12-year sunset clause to Measure U.McLewis: I’m the current mayor of the city of Sebastopol.Mitchell: I care about the community and environment. I have a lot of professional and life experience that allows me to relate to a wide variety of people. I want to be able to listen, serve and represent the people of our special town. I was born in Sebastopol and know the town very well.Solovay: For 15 years, I’ve solved problems for people when the system was failing them. As a legal director and a supervising attorney, I lead legal teams that secure the benefits that keep people housed and accommodated. I’ve managed law firm operations and supervised attorneys, so I know how to run budgets, meet deadlines, and hold a team accountable for results. I’ve also built coalitions from the ground up and successfully worked in coalition to improve California Crisis Care Guidelines. I listen, I do my homework, and I get things done. Sebastopol deserves that on our council.Woodruff: My north star is a set of values centered on social and economic justice combined with environmental sanity and peaceful activism. We are Peacetown after all. I value being a good listener. I am inclined to respect the community’s desires and concerns as highly important points worthy of serious consideration. I am willing to show leadership and be out front on an issue while being careful to bring people with me. I recognize that if I were to work at cross purposes with the people I serve then it would cease to be service. When the community is split, I am willing to make tough decisions after much deliberation, and in those cases I will clearly explain why I think the path I’ve chosen is the best course.I am a big believer in lifelong learning. The Santa Rosa Junior College is an excellent resource that I have made use of for continuing education. I have gone back to school and gotten certified in both wastewater treatment and drinking water distribution. This should come in handy when dealing with our city’s water infrastructure needs.Hoff: The city’s fiscal challenges and structural budget crisis is the Number One issue facing the city today. The city adopted a budget with a nearly $1 million shortfall this year; that deficit is projected to grow to more than a million dollars, each and every year, over the next decade.This is despite the passage of a half-cent sales tax by voters in 2024; streets and sidewalks continuing to fall in disrepair; aging water and sewer infrastructure; and other challenges such as the need to remove mold and reopen our public library. Without more resources, the city won’t be able to address all of this — and it’s time to refocus on how we provide essential services.I’m a Sebastopol business owner committed to finding ways to expand our tax base, shore up the budget, and start investing in the many needs facing our city today. The status quo isn’t working, and we need to do more to provide basic city services. We can accomplish this while still supporting the “go local” ethos of Sebastopol, keep climate change and environmental sustainability at the forefront; and address an issue facing too many people — affordability and the high cost of living.Maurer: I have enjoyed being on the City Council and believe it is a good way to serve my community. I care about the future of Sebastopol and want to protect its small town character, community vitality, and the environment.McLewis: I’d like to continue the work I’ve been dedicated to for the last four years.Fiscal stability. Sebastopol can’t deliver the services residents expect if its finances are shaky and its infrastructure is crumbling. I made my support for Measure U contingent on the council committing 40% of that revenue to public safety and infrastructure, and that commitment is now paying for road repairs.I championed bringing in outside experts to guide our fire merger with Gold Ridge, and that consolidation has served the community well this past year.I opposed the current water rate structure when it was first proposed.If re-elected, I’ll keep applying the same common-sense test to every budget decision — take care of residents and core services first, keep infrastructure current, and support a vibrant downtown that generates the revenue we depend on.Mitchell: I would like to help keep our town unique and protect the natural resources. I would like to address water infrastructure, city assets, traffic and build a more sustainable community.Solovay: Responsible financial stewardship in a town that is built for everyone is a top priority. This includes housing that works for everyone who lives here, such as people with disabilities, people with modest incomes, and our aging neighbors. For example, Sebastopol is getting older, and new development is shifting toward multistory townhomes that many seniors and disabled residents can’t use. Accessible housing can’t be an afterthought with a few token units. I’ll push for new projects to include a real mix of accessible unit types from the start, and for protecting single-level options. When we plan for the residents who have the hardest time finding a home we don’t have to “accommodate” anyone as an afterthought because we have built a city that works for all of us from the ground up.Woodruff: My primary driving issue is protecting my neighbors from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ,and Flock cameras/mass surveillance. There are many other issues that I feel strongly about such as rebuilding our aging infrastructure and increasing the supply of affordable housing, but keeping my neighbors safe from being kidnapped or murdered by the fascist thugs acting as federal agents is number one among them. I am grateful that Sebastopol already has policies in place that prevent sharing information directly with ICE. To this end, I will be looking at increasing the training our city staff get when it comes to confronting ICE. I will tighten up the rules to prevent our local police from sharing video with the local sheriff. There is more that we can do, however, including reducing our city’s collaboration with external law enforcement who do not share our values and against our policies share information with ICE.Hoff: Being honest and transparent is critical — things are falling by the wayside, and the current council adopted a short-lived policy to limit free speech by mandating the mayor be the only city representative elected by the people to have the liberty to speak to the media. That is not a good look for our city, and it’s not how I will approach the job of serving on the City Council.I’m actively meeting with community leaders and Sebastopol residents to introduce myself and ask what questions or concerns they have about our community’s future. I encourage, and welcome, residents to contact me with their questions or concerns — and I’ll keep an open door for residents who want to meet with me, ask questions, and share concerns.When it comes to the city’s finances, the outlook isn’t good. I’m committed to addressing this, but know it won’t be easy, and won’t promise an overnight fix. What I will do is be open and honest about ways toimprove our outlook and create a brighter future.Maurer: Sebastopol prioritizes transparency. I agendized an item to video tape the budget committee meetings, which was approved by the council. I also supported maintaining a council meeting Zoom option so residents can participate and more easily stay engaged with the council.McLewis: I have pushed to stop funding unnecessary spending, strengthen transparency and financial processes, and demand greater accountability from city staff.I have championed time tracking so employee costs can be accurately allocated to the appropriate funds. Recently, I brought forward an agenda item addressing approximately $350,000 in cost allocation for legal services that was charged to the water and wastewater enterprise funds, advocating that those allocations be reimbursed.I also serve as vice chair of the Cal Cities Governance, Transparency and Labor Relations Committee, where we evaluate state legislation addressing government transparency and accountability. I bring that same focus on transparency and accountability to my work on the council.I voted against the water rates and tier structure adopted in 2024 after raising concerns about their impact on ratepayers, particularly families, and I have continued to oppose that structure. I also voted against the City’s proposed budget when I could not support adopting a budget with a significant deficit.These are not simply positions I am taking during an election. They reflect how I have governed the last four years.Mitchell: Being honest and transparent as a leader is priority. To be in a position of integrity and service is what it is about. Leaders have to have a level of humility and compassion or politics can become centered on ego and greed which takes away from the purpose of leadership. Looking out for the community is the point of a public office.Solovay: Transparency means residents can actually find and reasonably easily understand what their city is doing. I’ll push for a plain-language budget summary alongside the full budget, regular public reporting on major spending, and clear explanations of why decisions were made, not just what was decided. Access matters too — meetings of interest to the public should offer, or continue to offer, remote participation and captioning so everyone can take part, including residents with disabilities and working parents. As an attorney, I’ve spent my career explaining complex rules in plain terms and answering to the people I serve. I’ll bring that same accountability to all my work on the council.Woodruff: When it comes to spending and governance, I will be supportive of measures to make the process and methodologies more accessible to the public. While Sebastopol’s budget numbers are public, the rules and assumptions being made to craft the document and project forward into the future could be made more clear. I would support changes to this effect.In Sebastopol we have recently had some budget issues come up because of errors in the accounting methodologies. It had been going on for several years before coming to light and, as I understand it, if it had been easier for the public to see that the city had not been using a system of time tracking and was relying on a formula based on old staff time percentages, the errors caused by using an outdated formula could have been identified earlier. Personally, I often wear a vest with issue-related messages for everyone to see. I’m transparent about my beliefs and positions, and I believe that transparency is fundamental to good governance. It leads to accountability.Hoff: The construction and future operation of the two new hotels already approved by the city of Sebastopol would make a huge difference in shoring up city finances, between transient occupancy taxes, or TOT, paid solely by hotel visitors, and increased property tax revenues. I believe the delays on these example projects are due more to macroeconomic issues outside the city’s control, including tariffs on lumber and steel, high interest rates, and the high cost of construction loans. More broadly, we need to welcome businesses that are in good taste and can complement Sebastopol’s culture. This doesn’t mean we’ll let anyone and everyone set-up shop here — but if they have a strong proposal, will enhance the vibrancy of Sebastopol, and will still protect our small-town character, I think we should make clear we’re willing to work with them to help them set-up shop and succeed.I am a Sebastopol business owner myself and would bring a sensible approach to help improve our local economy as a City Council member. There are ways we can accomplish this with the same commitment to protect our land, natural environment, climate, and local business focus. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.Maurer: Council recently approved a 50% tourism tax sharing agreement with the Barlow Hotel developer as an incentive to build. If the Piazza Group (which is planning a hotel on Depot Street) wants the same deal I think the city could also provide it.There is a Dollar Tree going into the old CVS building. They are planning to divide the building and move into half of it. Filling empty stores will be helpful. Promoting our amazing and wonderful restaurants. Having more events, that feature food, art and music.McLewis: Hotels matter to our revenue base, and I’ve pressed staff on what the city can do to make Sebastopol more attractive to financial investors when projects stall. (Because my business is across the street, I recuse myself on the Barlow Hotel.)The city can help most by being a predictable, responsive partner — timely permitting, clear expectations, and regular progress reports. But we can’t bet our budget on projects outside our control.I’d focus on a thriving downtown that drives sales tax, on protecting property tax on privately owned buildings, and on pressing the county to fund its share of the regional services Sebastopol provides to 50,000 west county residents.Mitchell: For true sustainability there has to be three elements — environment, community and economics. Sebastopol can balance these. If the city were to generate more taxes from projects, the development has to also be good for the people and the natural resources. I am in support of the city acquiring assets and building as long as there is freedom from corporate interest corruption and protection from tech control and waste.Solovay: Hotel revenue can strengthen our finances, and the city should do its part — clear permitting timelines, direct communication with developers, and quick resolution of issues within the city’s control. But Sebastopol can’t balance its budget on projects at risk of slipping. We should aggressively pursue state and federal grants, especially for infrastructure, accessibility, and senior services, where substantial funding exists. I routinely work with grant-funded programs and know what it takes to win and manage that funding. We should also support the local businesses and events that already bring visitors downtown and keep sales tax dollars here. Our responsible business owners do a hard job and are incredibly valuable to the city — they should be treated as such and should be supported by our policies and approaches.Woodruff: I support Sebastopol’s general plan. We are looking for entrepreneurs with creativity and vision, service providers who share our small town values, and businesses that can provide a living wage and or union jobs to their employees. I would support a vacancy tax on empty storefronts to encourage property owners to be more proactive in finding tenants who fit this model, or sell to someone who is willing to. Unfortunately, of the two hotels being proposed, one has already been gifted a full half of the transit occupancy tax for ten years as an incentive to complete the project, and the other has been lagging for many years and is still a dirt field in the middle of our downtown. Both of these outcomes are unacceptable. A developer that is unable to finalize a deal without soaking the city for the tax revenue needed to support our residents should be incentivised to sell to someone who can build in a way that is consistent with our values and general plan, and that improves our collective quality of life.Hoff: I think there is merit to the city’s concerns about being realistic about how much we can do as a city to provide permanent supportive housing for formerly unhoused individuals. Through partnerships with the county, state, and nonprofits, we can consider these opportunities by working together. What I worry about is how to sustain these investments if we create more permanent supportive housing.Project Homekey and federal/state/county grants help make these projects reality, but if the city has to foot the operational costs afterward, we’re hard-pressed to meet those obligations when we can’t meet basic needs that serve every resident, such as smoother streets and improvements to water and sewer infrastructure.I support, with reservations, continuing to meet those needs, but need to know that the resources from agencies with larger budgets than Sebastopol’s can support this commitment. One looming question is the potential reauthorization of Measure O — which provides sales tax funding from the county to support homelessness and behavioral health services. If Measure O is reauthorized in the coming years, we’ll be better positioned to support these programs. If that funding lapses, along with looming federal budget cuts, we’ll face major headwinds in keeping these programs alive.Maurer: Sebastopol is providing a substantial amount of support for unhoused individuals for a town our size, including the Park Village, Elderberry Commons and soon-to-be completed Gravenstein Commons. Sebastopol has a Sonoma County homeless liaison and West County Community Services adds additional support services.Since the RV parking ordinance is being enforced there are fewer complaints. There is also a 24/7 mobile support team available at 800-746-8181.McLewis: Sebastopol should be compassionate and responsible, and both matter.Homelessness is a regional issue, and the county has the funding, staffing, and expertise to address it. Our city of 7,500 has already made significant commitments. We have Elderberry Commons and Park Village, we have partnered with St. Vincent de Paul, and we have invested in outreach.With a budget deficit, aging infrastructure, and limited staff, we can’t take on the financial risk of new housing projects that belong at the county level. The city’s role is to advocate strongly for county resources and to hold service providers operating here accountable to our community.We also have to keep public spaces safe and welcoming for residents, businesses, and visitors. That means enforcing reasonable standards for their use, responding promptly to concerns, and making sure outreach connects people with County services and a path to stability.Mitchell: I can relate to both sides. People need housing, but placing housing in the appropriate areas is tricky. Safety is priority. Residents need to feel there is not an increase of crime or drug activity, while those that need assistance should be able to receive it. I see how much the city is trying to meet the housing needs, but again the three pillars must all be at play — environmental impact, community and economic stability.Solovay: This is my daily work. As a supervising attorney, I help people secure the Social Security benefits that keep them housed. I’ve seen that stable income is one of the most effective and least expensive ways to prevent and end homelessness. The city should partner with the county and nonprofits to connect people to benefits, services, and housing, and outreach is how those connections happen. Residents and businesses also deserve safe, clean public spaces. Clear, consistently enforced rules paired with real pathways off the street work better than either approach alone. Compassion and accountability are not in conflict.Woodruff: I believe we must do the best that we can with the budget that we have to support unhoused people. Criminalization and jail is not the answer. I support better outreach and compassion like what the county’s SOUL program provides, mental and drug counseling efforts at all levels, and increasing permanent supportive housing as much as is possible with consideration for our general plan.I firmly believe most people will be willing to change if they are given a reason to hope. As those who work with the chronically unhoused will tell you success is not immediate, but there is steady improvement and many success stories. I do believe that police have a role to play where it concerns public safety. For most interactions with the unhoused there is not a public safety issue and a police response is not appropriate, and social workers or community volunteers would be a more humane option. There are instances, however, when law enforcement is called for and I am glad they are available. This is a question of balance and discernment and we need to have a professionally staffed program in place to make those case by case determinations.Hoff: I conceptually support a proposal to modernize city facilities and consolidate city services into a new civic complex — but the underlying question is how will we afford to do this when we can’t even afford to pass a balanced budget or fix our streets and sidewalks?There’s no question — Sebastopol deserves clean, modern facilities to house our city’s workforce and serve our citizens … and I would love to consider this, but I can’t advocate for that if we can’t fix the infrastructure all residents and businesses depend on.I am not too familiar with what the council working group has discussed so far and, if elected, would be eager to join the conversation as a structural engineer focused on the very issues of building or improving structures.Without knowing all the details, there may be creative ways to consider this, such as the land swap Santa Rosa recently approved to trade existing city facilities and the land beneath it for a more modern future City Hall facility nearby.I am open-minded regarding this possibility, so long as the city can actually afford it without having the tradeoff of not being able to invest in other important community services and our aging infrastructure.Maurer: The Commons Committee recommended the City Council conduct due diligence toward purchasing the $18 million dollar O’Reilly buildings. The buildings are 90,000 square feet and the parking is ample. The committee held two town halls to generate support for the move. There were many in support and many opposed. Many did not want to move the library, senior center and City Hall out of the downtown core and/or opposed for financial reasons.The Committee had an older plan to build a second story onto the current library which would have cost more than the purchase of the O’Reilly buildings.I proposed an alternative. The downtown cell tower (behind City Hall) lease expires in May 2031. We could evaluate this property as a possible (Commons) library addition. The Council supported including both the O’Reilly and downtown properties as part of the scope of a new ad hoc committee to be formed in December.McLewis: Not as currently proposed. The needs are real. The library and senior center have outgrown their space, and the community center faces ongoing flood risk. I appreciate the committee’s hard work, and the O’Reilly site has real appeal. But moving forward carries significant risk for a city our size. We would take on a large building and its ongoing costs, lose property tax revenue from a privately owned site, and move core services out of our walkable downtown, which depends on the foot traffic they bring. These facilities serve all of west county, so the county and library district should be full partners in funding them. I’d support exploring cost-sharing with those partners and looking at options on city-owned downtown property so that any solution strengthens our downtown and protects the city’s finances.Mitchell: I would have to look into the costs analysis of this a little more. Having worked for the state in facilities, deferred maintenance can create a huge strain financially. What are the benefits to relocating versus improvement? We need our library back and that is a priority to me. The council’s job is to look ahead and prepare for these thing, so that public access is available for the people and funding is prioritized and balanced.Solovay: I support moving forward with a solution, because deferred maintenance and flood risk won’t fix themselves, and every year of delay makes it more expensive. Before committing to a site, not only do I want all leaders to be well informed of the pros and cons of all options, I also want residents to see a clear side-by-side comparison of the Highway 116 option and rebuilding on existing city property. This includes a full understanding of costs, flood exposure, and long-term savings. No matter which path is taken, accessibility has to be central. The library, senior center, and City Hall serve residents of every age and ability, and they must be easy to reach and use. There may be more than one right answer, and there certainly are multiple wrong ones, so we need to do our due diligence and move forward with the best possible plan.Woodruff: Considering that the library and senior center are in need of more space, and the community center floods periodically, I think we should cautiously look into the shared space being considered at the O’Reilly buildings. It shows promise to fulfill many of our city’s needs, provides space for new services such as an evacuation center with built-in generators and adequate parking space, is outside the flood plain, and has fire-resistant structures.There are community concerns about moving the library that I have heard from several residents. This is a reason to slow the process and see if more people warm to the idea before making a final decision.I am also concerned about the cost and the funding mechanisms that will be required. I believe that these could be overcome if our national economic outlook were better. Worldwide tariffs, a trade war with Canada, and a hot war in Iran does not make for a good time to rush into investments. With these externalities I think we should focus on rebuilding the infrastructure we already have, like our water infrastructure, and wait to see if the economy improves before deciding on a big move.Copyright 2026 The Press Democrat. All rights reserved. The use of any content on this website for the purpose of training artificial intelligence systems, algorithms, machine learning models, text and data mining, or similar use is strictly prohibited without explicit written consent.source