SONOMA VALLEY, CA — The Sonoma City Council could cancel elections in Districts 3 and 5 Wednesday after only one candidate qualified for each seat, allowing the council to appoint John Gurney and Ron Wellander to four-year terms instead.
Gurney was the only person nominated for the District 3 seat, and Wellander was the only person nominated for the District 5 seat after the nomination period closed Aug. 7. Both seats carry four-year terms that begin in 2026.
California Elections Code Section 10229 allows the council to appoint a sole nominee or proceed with an election. City staff recommends appointing Gurney and Wellander and canceling the Nov. 3 elections in those two districts. The council could instead leave the uncontested races on the ballot.
Canceling the two contests would save approximately $23,000, based on a Sonoma County Registrar of Voters quote, although the precise savings would depend on the county's allocation of election expenses and the final ballot configuration.
The council also will consider increasing councilmember compensation from $300 to $950 per month. A majority of the council expressed interest in the increase July 15, and the council introduced the ordinance for its first reading Aug. 5.
The increase would raise total annual compensation for the five-member council from $18,000 to $57,000, adding $39,000 annually to the General Fund. The fiscal year 2026-27 impact would total an additional $19,500 because the increase would not take effect until Jan. 1, 2027.
The proposed $950 monthly salary is the maximum authorized under state law for general law cities with populations of 35,000 or fewer. Sonoma has paid councilmembers $300 per month since 2007.
Councilmembers also will hold a study session on a draft ordinance governing mobilehome park closures and conversions and recent legislative changes under AB 2782 and SB 610.
Among the issues before the council are whether to require a declaration under penalty of perjury when a mobilehome park owner seeks to close a park without a known development project, whether to modify rent stabilization provisions, how to define comparable parks for relocation purposes, and how the ordinance should define disasters.
Staff recommends keeping the existing rent stabilization process, maintaining an open-ended definition of comparable parks to allow more potential relocation options, and keeping the definition of disaster consistent with state law. Staff also recommends requiring the declaration under penalty of perjury when an owner requests a park closure without a known development project.
The draft ordinance also incorporates previous council direction to require Spanish translations for required notices and outreach, add "safe and sanitary" to the definition of comparable housing, and specify that state law supersedes the ordinance.
City staff is seeking council direction before preparing and introducing a final draft ordinance.
The City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, in the City Council Chambers, 177 First St. West and online.
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