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Review Candidate Platforms Ahead of the November 5 Sausalito City Council Election
We would like to extend our thanks to the business members, owners, and resident community, as well as the candidates running for Sausalito City Council, for attending the Meet the Candidates event on September 10. The event provided an opportunity for the Chamber and the audience to ask important questions.
After the event, some attendees expressed a desire for more clarity on where the candidates stand on various issues. To address this, we have reached out to all City Council candidates and invited them to submit their platforms in 250 words. This will allow our resident and business community to review their positions and make a well-informed choice in the upcoming election on November 5.
Please take a moment to review the candidate statements to help guide your decision when voting.
Sausalito Chamber of Commerce
Government Action Committee
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Melissa Blaustein*It’s been an honor serving as your City Councilmember and recent Mayor. Together, we’ve done a lot. Our accomplishments are a testament to our incredible community—and, we’re just getting started.
In these last four years together, we have: a positive City budget for the first time since the pandemic (FY23/24); filled critical staff vacancies, and now have a strong management team, our highest employee retention rate in years and three new contracts with staff; a reinvigorated downtown with a new ferry landing and a business improvement district to support it; a comprehensive energy and climate assessment; an estimated $24 million to support growing infrastructure needs (through Measure L); healthier relationships with Marin City and an extended Jazz by the Bay—supporting our community and local artists.
We are: better prepared for emergencies through intentional disaster planning; using Smart-City Technologies to move our Climate Action goals forward; leading Marin in identifying new housing opportunities, and we’ve expanded resources to better address homelessness; building a pilot program for electrified ferries in Sausalito.
We can take collective pride in what we have achieved together. I will continue to listen, collaborate, and focus on results for Sausalito.
I believe deeply that a strong, supportive environment for Sausalito’s business community is critical to our future. I will continue to work closely with the Chamber and our business community in building a vibrant and resilient Sausalito that brings folks from down the street and around the world to experience all that we have to offer.
* Incumbent
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Ian Sobieski*In the past four years we have completely rebuilt the city government, with a new City Manager, new heads of most departments, a new labor contract that has decreased the wasteful cost, and lost institutional memory, from staff turnover. We humanely dealt with a homeless camp crisis.
I helped us invest our money smarter, earning >$1M in more interest. We put budget surpluses away into a pension trust fund and have substantial cash reserves and savings for a rainy day. We've spent millions on roads and sewers and committed to $24 million more into infrastructure over the next 8 years. We approved the formation of a 'business improvement district' that will drive more tax revenue and got 47 new parking spaces in the Madden Parking Lot!
We have challenges, and can solve them. Aging infrastructure needs more than the $24m we are currently committed to investing. And while ending the most recent fiscal years with budget surpluses, we may have a deficit this upcoming year. No one is as frugal as me in spending, both tactically and strategically. But to solve our challenges, we need a multi-year plan for generating *large* sustained budget surpluses. These kinds of surpluses do not come from cutting; they come from policy decisions that promote economic growth. If we have more economic activity then, without raising tax rates, we will increase tax revenue.
I am a professional businessman with an optimistic and can-do mindset. This is how we can move Sausalito Forward Together.
* Incumbent
Statement has been revised to remove formatting by candidate.
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Jackie AmrikhasMy promise, you can count on me to always give a true picture of Sausalito’s financial health.
I seek election to the Sausalito City Council to restore trust in the city’s budget process and restore confidence in the management and funding of critical infrastructure needs.
Sausalito is my home. I have lived here for more than 20 years and have operated my accounting business here for nearly 20 years. I have the knowledge, experience and passion to make a difference and improve the city’s fiscal stewardship.
With more than 30 years as a CPA and serving clients from both industry and government I know the basis of a well-managed city is a strong financial position and a transparent budget process.
The 4 key issues are at the top of my list: We must restore trust in the city’s budgeting process and confidence in its financial stability.
We must maintain and repair Sausalito’s infrastructure to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents and businesses, and attract new businesses. Safeguarding our waterfront. Ensuring its natural beauty and economic viability while protecting sea level rise. Preserving our historical districts and Sausalito’s rich history.
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Sandra BushmakerVision for Sausalito: When I am asked the question about my vision for Sausalito, I want to be able to give an answer with razzle dazzle. I cannot. The principal function of municipal government is the health and safety of its residents, which includes our businesses. This function is boring to some people but is absolutely critical to the functioning of our town. The residents and business owners have the right to expect a city government that is reliable and one that functions well. When the City does well, the businesses and residents do well.
Sausalito faces huge infrastructure needs—streets, stairways, sewers and sidewalks. We are in a geologic hazard area and our recent mapping designates those ratings. We have the need for better fire resistance, including a defensible space around town as we are in a Wildlife Urban Interface area. Addressing these things benefits residents, their homes and our businesses in town. Being a waterfront town with most businesses along it, we must address the challenges and impacts of climate change, sea level rise coupled with our king tides on our physical structure.
Our Park and Rec department is doing a fabulous job with activities that bring many people into Sausalito. The City relies on its businesses to capitalize on the influx of these visitors. Other City departments are working beyond capacity and will need attention in our next budget cycle.
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Steven WoodsideSteven Woodside is a 4th generation Bay Area resident, with nearly five decades experience as an accomplished municipal lawyer, more than twenty years with charitable nonprofits (including Call of the Sea/ brigantine Matthew Turner), and service on the board of a successful
manufacturing business. He will bring his extensive experience to Sausalito governance.
Sausalito faces many challenges, with these three being the most complex:
Affordable Housing. How do we address the State’s demand that we build more housing and preserve the character of our neighborhoods, business and historic districts, and the waterfront? Steven will work to streamline design standards and to permit affordable (not luxury) housing.
Major Infrastructure Needs. How do we meet the need for major infrastructure improvements? It will be costly to build barriers to sea level rise, prevent landslides, underground high voltage lines, and improve our roads. Steven supports using $24 million Measure L funds for infrastructure improvements. He will pursue additional funding options such as assessment districts and State and Federal grants.
Revitalizing our local economy. How do we stimulate our local economy and increase the amount of revenues available to fund vital City services? By making it easier for small businesses to start in Sausalito, and by helping the newly established Business Improvement
District to get off to a good start (and perhaps establish similar districts in other parts of town such as Caledonia Street/New Town or the Marinship). Grow the revenue pie larger by investing in our community.
