Newsletter  -  November 2024

As the 2024 election season comes to an end many of us certainly have opinions about the events of the past year.  One issue that has become evident is the need for voters to have more information about local government. 

A question may be asked.  Why do so many American adults know so little about their local government?  There are a number of possible answers.

They were never taught.  They have forgotten.  The people in power prefer it that way and do all they can to keep the voter uninformed.  After all, who wants an intelligent, informed electorate that could conceivably wreck the plans of people in control?

Because of this lack of knowledge, the newsletter this month will be dedicated to informing the reader of basic facts about local government.  If you already know all the information, that is great.

California:

There are 58 counties in California.  All except San Francisco County divide their county into 5 supervisorial districts.  The supervisors are elected by the voters in that supervisorial district.  San Francisco City and County divides the city into 11 districts and has 11 supervisors on their board. 

Sonoma County has 5 Supervisors. 

• District 1 – Eastern section of the county - Susan Gorin is the current supervisor.  Her term ends on December 31st.  Rebeca Hermosillo won the election last March and will be the Supervisor on January 1, 2025. 
• District 2 – This district covers Petaluma and the adjacent area.  The current supervisor is David Rabbit. 
• District 3 – This district covers Rohnert Park and a section of Santa Rosa south.  The current supervisor is Chris Coursey.
• District 4 – This district covers a northern section of Santa Rosa, Windsor, Healdsburg and Cloverdale.  The current supervisor is James Gore. 
• District 5 – The district covers western Santa Rosa and the western part of the county.  The current supervisor is Linda Hopkins.

There are 9 cities in Sonoma County.  Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Windsor, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Rohnert Park, Petaluma, Cotati and Sebastopol.  All of the cities have councils whose members are elected by the citizens of the city.  Some of the cities are divided into districts who then elect members for the city council. 

There are boards and commissions in the county that determine many of the rules and regulations that govern specific areas.  The most prominent are school boards, fire districts and water districts.  Almost all of these board members are elected. 

One of the best ways to get started in politics is to be elected to a fire district, water district or school board.  Of course, winning an election on these boards means that a person has been attending those meetings months before an election.  It helps to know the issues.

Fire Districts in Sonoma County:

Sonoma County Fire District                              Cloverdale Fire Protection District

Bodega Bay Fire Protection District                   Gold Ridge Fire Protection District

Healdsburg Fire Department                               Kenwood Fire Protection District

Monte Rio Fire Protection District

Water Districts in Sonoma County:

Santa Rosa Water                                                 Sonoma Mountain County Water District

Sweetwater Springs Water District                     Valley of the Moon Water District

Willowside Mutual Water District                       Forestville Water District

Penngrove/Kenwood Water District                    California American Water Company

Belmont Terrace Natural Water Company

There are over 40 school districts in Sonoma County.  Some people want many of the districts to be consolidated into Santa Rosa City Schools.  This would mean less local control.  Many parents are against this consolidation.  This is a major reason that attendance at school board meetings is critical.

The cities in the county all have different committees comprised of people who are appointed to assist in the management of the city.  These are volunteer positions which citizens can apply for. Many of these committees have difficulty getting members.  It is up to the city to select these citizens. 

Note:  A great deal of the information about the county is on our Republican web site. www.sonomacountygop.org.

A great deal of comments have been made about Republican voter registration in Sonoma County and how it is so far below the Democrat registration.  It will be interesting to get the final numbers of the 2024 election and see if more Republicans were registered and if they voted.

Changing the way Sonoma County votes requires that more Republicans are involved in government at all levels.  This takes time, effort and education.  We must build a farm team that understands how county government works at all levels and is prepared to start running for office early enough to make a difference.  This 2024 national election shows what can be accomplished when Republicans work hard and smart.