Meet Eli Hill, Candidate For San Rafael City Council

What is your educational background?

I earned a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. My education emphasized systems thinking, quantitative analysis, risk assessment, and evidence based decision making.

What is your professional background?

For more than 20 years, I have helped public agencies and technology organizations address complex challenges involving strategy, data, artificial intelligence, technology modernization, financial oversight, and organizational change. I currently serve as a Senior Director at a management consulting firm.

Have you ever held public office, whether appointive or elective?

Yes. I joined the San Rafael City Council in 2021 and was elected to a full term representing District 2 in 2022. I served as Vice Mayor in 2024. Previously, I served on the San Rafael Planning Commission and Fire Commission. I have also served as Vice President and President of the Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers.

What are the top three issues facing your district/constituents right now?

1. Housing affordability and homelessness. San Rafael needs more affordable, workforce, and middle income housing, paired with effective prevention, shelter, behavioral health services, supportive housing, and responsible management of public spaces.
2. Safe, connected, and vibrant neighborhoods. This includes reliable police, fire, and emergency services; safer streets for people walking, biking, taking transit, and driving; well maintained infrastructure; strong parks and libraries; and a thriving Downtown.
3. Effective and financially sustainable City government. Residents deserve responsible budgeting, transparent reporting, measurable results, and clear implementation of adopted priorities. We must protect essential services while addressing long term infrastructure, pension, climate, and fiscal risks.

What is one specific policy you would implement in your first 100 days?

I will work with Council colleagues, County partners, and service providers to effect the transition plan for the 350 Merrydale interim shelter. The City's homelessness approach should connect outreach and managed interim shelter with housing based case management, supportive services, and a path to permanent housing. As Merrydale becomes operational, the transition should prioritize people at the Mahon Creek Path sanctioned camping area and along Andersen Drive, with clear communication and continuity of services. I would ask for regular reporting on placements, service connections, and progress toward stable housing. This is a practical next step in implementing our homelessness work, not a claim that an interim shelter alone solves homelessness.

What is your plan to reduce homelessness, and how would you measure success after one year?

San Rafael cannot solve homelessness alone. Marin County leads the health and human service system, while the City has important responsibilities involving housing, land use, outreach partnerships, public safety, and management of public spaces. I would strengthen a coordinated model connecting prevention, outreach, shelter, behavioral health and substance use treatment, interim housing, and permanent supportive housing. The City should continue supporting effective programs such as the SAFE Team, while ensuring that police officers are focused on serious threats and crime rather than serving as the default response to behavioral health and homelessness. We should also work with the County and service providers to reduce delays between outreach, assessment, shelter, and housing placement. After one year, I would measure the number of people who entered shelter or housing, housing retention, returns to homelessness, time from initial engagement to placement, exits from shelter to permanent housing, repeat emergency contacts, and changes in chronic unsheltered homelessness. Results should be reported publicly, together with program spending and capacity constraints. Success is not simply moving people from one location to another. It means fewer people living outside, more people remaining safely housed, and healthier and safer public spaces.

What is one specific change you would make to improve public safety?

I would advance deeper operational integration between San Rafael Fire and Marinwood Fire through a clear, accountable service model centered on Marinwood Station 58. The City and Marinwood Community Services District have a long standing shared services partnership. In June 2026, the City Council approved an amended agreement, effective July 1, to strengthen fire protection, emergency medical services, and personnel sharing. The next step should establish how shared staffing, San Rafael paramedic support, training, and operational oversight will work across the two communities, with clear measures for coverage and response. This builds on an existing partnership. It does not assume that a full department merger has already occurred.

How would you improve transparency or accountability in local government?

San Rafael already has a public Performance Metrics Dashboard tied to the City Council's strategic priorities. I would focus on continually improving which metrics we track and making fuller use of the data already collected. Measures should show not only what the City did, but whether services and programs are improving outcomes. For example, homelessness measures can include people receiving case management, transitions to transitional or permanent housing, interim shelter capacity, and clients served at the sanctioned camping area. We should review trends, targets, and the context behind the numbers, then use what we learn to inform the annual work plan, budget choices, and adjustments when an approach is not working as intended.

Why are you a better choice than your opponents?

I do not have an opponent in the District 2 election, so a direct comparison would be inaccurate. I nevertheless believe every candidate owes voters a clear case for their support. I offer an established record of service, detailed knowledge of City operations, and a willingness to engage difficult issues directly. During my Council service, I have focused on housing, homelessness, public safety, transportation, fiscal stewardship, Downtown vitality, infrastructure, equity, and climate resilience. Before joining the Council, I served on both the Planning Commission and Fire Commission. My professional experience helps me examine budgets, technology, data, organizational performance, and long term risk. I also bring the perspective of a District 2 resident, transit rider, pedestrian, parent, and active participant in neighborhood and regional discussions. I seek another term to turn adopted plans into measurable results, communicate candidly about tradeoffs, and remain accessible to residents whether we agree or disagree.

What changes, if any, would you support regarding the role of federal immigration enforcement agencies, including ICE, and how they interact with state and/or local governments?

Federal agencies are responsible for enforcing federal immigration law. Local government should remain focused on public safety, emergency response, and services for everyone in the community. I do not support using local personnel or resources for general civil immigration enforcement. Doing so can discourage residents from reporting crimes, serving as witnesses, seeking medical help, or cooperating with local authorities. That makes the entire community less safe. Local agencies should comply with applicable state and federal law and respond to valid judicial process. Any cooperation should have clear legal authority, appropriate oversight, and safeguards for constitutional rights, due process, and sensitive personal information. Immigration status should not prevent someone from reporting a crime, receiving emergency assistance, or accessing services for which they are eligible. Local law enforcement should enforce criminal laws consistently and address serious threats regardless of a person's immigration status. Its role should not be to conduct broad civil immigration enforcement on behalf of the federal government.

What role do you believe government should play in regulating or supporting the development and use of artificial intelligence?

Government should support useful innovation while establishing clear protections when artificial intelligence affects people's rights, safety, privacy, employment, benefits, or access to public services. Public agencies can use AI to improve translation, accessibility, customer service, data analysis, and administrative efficiency. However, consequential decisions should remain subject to meaningful human review. Agencies should disclose significant uses of AI, protect confidential data, evaluate cybersecurity and bias risks, test systems before deployment, monitor performance, and provide a way for people to question or appeal decisions. Vendors should be required to explain how public data will be used, retained, and protected. Contracts should preserve audit rights and prevent government information from being repurposed without authorization. AI should not be the sole basis for decisions involving policing, employment, housing, benefits, or other high impact matters. Government should also support digital literacy and workforce training. The goal should be practical innovation with public accountability, not adoption simply because a technology is new.