Board of Directors


First District Supervisor/Director
Susan Gorin - email

Second District Supervisor/Director
David Rabbitt - email

Third District Supervisor/Director
Chris Coursey - email

Fourth District Supervisor/Director
James Gore - email

Fifth District Supervisor/Director
Lynda Hopkins - email

View a map of the districts represented by each Board Member

Learn more about the Board of Supervisors/Sonoma Water Board of Directors


Contact Sonoma Water Directors: 

  • Phone: (707) 565-2241
  • Fax: (707) 565-3778


Board Meetings:

The Board normally holds its regular meetings on Tuesdays, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Board Agendas: 
View upcoming Agenda items

Meeting Location:
Board of Supervisors Chambers
575 Administration Drive, Room 102A
Santa Rosa, California

View directions to Board of Supervisors Chambers in Google Maps

Public Participation:
Any member of the audience may address the Board on a matter on the agenda, within time limits at the discretion of the Chair or the Board. Copies of the agenda are available at the Office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors (Room 100A), and also at Public Libraries, Chambers of Commerce, and City Halls throughout the County.

Public Transit:

Public Transit Access to the County Administration Center is available through

For further information on how to get there by bus, please call the transit at (707) 576-RIDE or 1-800-345-RIDE.


About the Sonoma Water Board of Directors

Sonoma Water was created in 1949 by a special act of the California Legislature.  Sonoma Water is a separate legal entity and has specific purposes and powers, which are set out in Section 3 of the act.  Sonoma Water also has taxation powers and sources of revenue that are separate from the County’s.  Section 4 of the act empowers the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to act as the Board of Directors of Sonoma Water, and Section 6 of the act provides that officers of the County of Sonoma are, unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, ex officio officers of Sonoma Water.

Because of the common governing board and the fact that some County officers also act as Sonoma Water officers, there is often confusion about the relationship between the County and Sonoma Water.  As noted above, Sonoma Water is a separate legal entity created by State law, having specific limited purposes and powers, and separate sources of funding.  Sonoma Water is thus different from County departments, which are created by the Board of Supervisors for administrative convenience, but are not separate legal entities.

Sonoma Water’s status as a separate legal entity with specific powers affects the types of activities in which Sonoma Water may engage.  Unlike Sonoma County, which generally may spend general fund revenues for anything the Board of Supervisors determines benefits the public good, Sonoma Water may only expend funds to further the purposes and powers specified in Sonoma Water’s enabling act.  Unlike the County, Sonoma Water has no general land use authority, and cannot exercise general regulatory “police powers.”

Sonoma Water’s enabling act provides Sonoma Water with the power to levy property taxes separately from the County, and Sonoma Water receives a portion of Proposition 13 1% base property tax revenues separately from the County.  Sonoma Water also collects benefit assessments for flood control purposes in some flood control zones, charges for sanitation services in certain sanitation zones, and charges for water delivered from Sonoma Water’s transmission system.  Although Sonoma Water’s general property tax revenues can be spent for any Sonoma Water purpose, funds collected for specific Sonoma Water purposes, such as water rates, flood control assessments, and sanitation charges, must be accounted for separately, and may only be spent for the purposes for which they are collected.

Because of the separate powers and revenue sources of Sonoma Water, its revenues, expenses, and assets are held and accounted for entirely separately from Sonoma County’s.  When County officials perform services for Sonoma Water, they separately are paid for those services by Sonoma Water pursuant to agreements between Sonoma Water and the County.  Sonoma Water holds separate title to all real property and assets it acquires.  The County may not use Sonoma Water property or funds for County purposes.  Sonoma Water is also subject to different laws from the County regarding acquisition and disposition of property, and with respect to bidding out public works (although both Sonoma Water and the County have adopted regulations making each subject to some uniform bidding processes).

Sonoma Water’s management and employees are also treated differently from County employees.  Unlike County employees, Sonoma Water employees are not covered by the County’s civil service system.  Sonoma Water negotiates separate bargaining agreements with employees’ unions.

To conclude, the differences between the County and the Sonoma Water include:

  • Sonoma Water is a separate legal entity from the County.
  • Sonoma Water was formed under a separate, special state law.
  • Sonoma Water only has limited, specified powers.
  • Sonoma Water has no land use or regulatory authority.
  • Sonoma Water has separate sources of revenues. Sonoma Water’s assets and liabilities are accounted for separately.
  • Sonoma Water’s employees do not have civil service protection.
  • The County charges Sonoma Water for services performed.

The Sonoma County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Act, Stats. 1949, c. 994., West’s Ann. Cal. Water code App. §§ 53-1 et seq.

See Government Code § 26227.

See Agency act, section 9, West’s Ann. Cal. Water code App. §§ 53-9.

See Public Contracts Code §§ 21130 et seq,.