Supervisor Rabbitt elected chair of Sonoma County Board of Supervisors; Hopkins named as vice chair

Supervisor David Rabbitt on Tuesday was elected chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in a unanimous vote of the five-member body. Supervisor Lynda Hopkins was named vice chair, and Supervisor James Gore was named chair pro-tem.

Supervisor Susan Gorin, who reminded those in attendance that she “will be retiring at the end of the year” and will not be running for re-election during 2024, made the motion to elect the officers.

Rabbitt, who represents District 2 including Petaluma and southern Sonoma County, was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2010. He served as chair in 2013, 2014 and 2019, and was vice chair in 2023 under Chair Chris Coursey.

“The passing of the gavel is always a good time to look back but also to look forward,” Rabbitt said after thanking Supervisor Coursey for his leadership as chair. “The county still faces many challenges, including homelessness, climate action, wildfire resilience and budget questions. But through our collective work and our collective dedication, ever striving for that strategic goal of organizational excellence, I’m confident that we will handle whatever 2024 has in store for us.”

“I do really appreciate the trust and faith of my colleagues in letting me do this job for the last year,” Supervisor Coursey said before passing the gavel to Chair Rabbitt. “I think we had a lot of successes this past year. We’ve gotten a lot done, and every time we get something done in local government it’s a reminder of how much more there is to do.”

After the election of officers during its meeting held at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, the Board of Supervisors reviewed its calendar of significant items for the year. The document sets the agenda for major issues that the board expects to address in 2024. Some of the key issues ahead this year include:

• Finalizing a tree ordinance
• Crafting a financial plan for a new county government center
• Approving a Climate Resilience Comprehensive Action Plan
• Implementing a CARE Court plan for people with mental health needs
• Awarding contracts for homelessness and Continuum of Care programs
• Considering implementing a Micro-Enterprise Kitchen program
• Continuing the General Plan update

The Board of Supervisors has decided that it will continue the policy of allowing public comments to be made only in person or via email for Board of Supervisors meetings for the foreseeable future. Members of the public who wish to address the Board during the meetings must attend in person in the Board Chambers at 575 Administration Drive, Room 100A in Santa Rosa. Members of the public may watch or listen to the meeting on Legistar, Zoom or phone, but will not be able to comment virtually. The public is also invited to submit comments to bos@sonoma-county.org. The Board stopped allowing virtual public comments after a series of disruptive racist and hate-filled comments at the September 12 board meeting prevented the Board from completing its business.

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Contact Information:
Matt Brown, Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 565-3040