SebastopolNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Sebastopol City Council Election 2026

3 of 5 council seats are on the ballot, with 7 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

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Vote centers open in Voter's Choice Act counties (Oct 24): the election office's notice

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The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

All Sebastopol voters choose up to three of the seven candidates; the three seats are elected citywide, not by district.

Vote centers open in Voter's Choice Act counties · Oct 24

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

What the next council decides

01Budget deficit and water and sewer funds4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council adopted a fiscal year 2026-27 budget with an $850,583 deficit on a 3-2 vote, and a Civil Grand Jury report says too much money was moved from the water and sewer funds into the General Fund.

What's on the tableHow the next council closes the General Fund gap and whether it repays more money to the water and sewer funds.

02Downtown two-way streets2 sourced facts

Where it standsIn May 2026 the council adopted the Reimagining the Core plan, which proposes converting Main Street and Petaluma Avenue to two-way traffic with pedestrian safety improvements.

What's on the tableWhether and how to carry out the two-way conversion and other downtown traffic changes.

03Sebastopol Commons and the library2 sourced facts

Where it standsA city committee recommended due diligence on buying the O'Reilly complex at the north end of town for a civic hub; the council instead asked for a new ad hoc committee in December that also considers downtown space.

What's on the tableWhere to expand the library, City Hall and senior center, and how to pay for it.

04Grocery Outlet and chain stores3 sourced facts

Where it standsGrocery Outlet has applied to open a store in the vacant former Rite Aid and Safeway building at 218 North Main Street, which needs a conditional use permit as a formula business.

What's on the tableWhether to approve the Grocery Outlet permit if it is appealed to the council, and how to regulate chain stores.

05License plate reader cameras2 sourced facts

Where it standsFlock cameras cannot be installed on city property in Sebastopol, and the police chief must report any temporary emergency use of license plate readers to the council.

What's on the tableWhether to allow license plate reader cameras and what limits to set on their data.

2 notes on these statements

All seven candidates took part in the League of Women Voters' online Sebastopol City Council candidate forum. Sebastopol Times · Oct 5, 2026

Incumbents Jill McLewis and Sandra Maurer are not allowed to state positions on items that will come before the council, as reported by the Sebastopol Times. Sebastopol Times · Oct 5, 2026

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should the council adopt a city budget that still shows a deficit while it works on longer-term fixes?

  2. 2. Should the city repay the water and sewer funds for past overcharges the Grand Jury reported?

  3. 3. Should Main Street and Petaluma Avenue be converted to two-way traffic?

  4. 4. Where should Sebastopol plan an expanded library, City Hall and senior center?

  5. 5. Should Grocery Outlet be allowed to open in the former Rite Aid building on North Main Street?

  6. 6. Should Sebastopol use Flock or other automated license plate reader cameras?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted9 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

2 stay (not up this year): Phill Carter, Neysa Hinton3 on this ballot

5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

  • Sebastopol is governed under the council-manager system, and its City Council has five members, each elected to a four-year term with staggered terms. City of Sebastopol
  • Voters may choose no more than three candidates for Sebastopol City Council on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Sonoma County Registrar of Voters
  • Sebastopol's general municipal election is held in November of each even-numbered year and is consolidated with the statewide general election. City of Sebastopol

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