Who Will Lead Sonoma Next? Council Weighs Interim Path Forward

SONOMA VALLEY, CA — In a town of fewer than 11,000 people, leadership transitions can ripple far beyond the plaza. This one will.

The Sonoma City Council will open Tuesday's meeting with a 5:30 p.m. special closed session. The purpose is to begin recruiting a permanent city manager and to weigh options for appointing an acting or interim replacement.

This move follows City Manager David Guhin’s announcement that he is leaving. He is set to become county executive for Sonoma County.

Guhin’s departure marks a dramatic shift in scale. The City of Sonoma spans just 2.2 square miles and counts slightly more than 11,000 residents (as opposed to the Census figure). By contrast, Sonoma County has nearly half a million residents. It encompasses nine incorporated cities: Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Cloverdale, Sebastopol, and Cotati. The county also includes more than 30 unincorporated communities such as Geyserville, Bodega Bay, and Guerneville.

Guhin will begin his new role on April 20 with an annual base salary of $377,226. As county executive, he will serve as chief administrative officer, responsible for implementing board policy, overseeing departments and operations, managing the budget, and advancing strategic priorities.

The position follows a CEO model, in which the Board of Supervisors sets direction, and the executive manages day-to-day operations — acting, as Guhin described it, as “a point person to help make sure everyone is working in the same direction” and has the resources to get the job done.

The county role also involves broader health and human services responsibilities than those typically handled at the city level. But Guhin spent more than 18 years with the City of Santa Rosa, serving as director of Santa Rosa Water, director of planning and economic development, and assistant city manager, before coming to Sonoma. Altogether, he has worked in the county for 22 years.

In Sonoma, he guided the city through the adoption of a half-cent sales tax measure that helped stabilize the budget, launched the city’s first Parks and Recreation Department, shepherded the development of 18 affordable housing units (a deal that nearly fell through), and oversaw improvements as symbolic as replacing the wooden benches in the historic plaza.

The next full-time manager will inherit an ambitious agenda, shaped during a recent council goals workshop and reflected in the city’s budget. Key priorities include housing, parks, arts, economic development, financial stability, long-term cemetery sustainability, and completion of a comprehensive general plan for 2026 to 2045.

Underlying much of that work is Sonoma’s economic foundation, which remains closely tied to the wine industry — an industry that can be volatile even in the best of times.

For Guhin, the transition is both professional and personal.He spent 22 years working in this county. Now he'll be working for the county. So it’s really exciting to step into this role," he said shortly after he announced his departure. “I’m honored that the board selected me."

The meeting also includes a presentation from Sonoma Water on its proposed FY 2026–27 budget and water transmission rates and consider a cooperative funding agreement for Go Sonoma Measure M bicycle and pedestrian improvements. This includes an extension of the 1% Transient Occupancy Tax for affordable housing. The council will also discuss the General Plan Update process and future land use map, and appoint a commissioner to the Sonoma Valley Community Advisory Commission.