Giovanatto honored by tax watchdogs

The entire Sonoma City Council dined on tri-tip and salmon at the Fountaingrove Inn last week, but it wasn’t just a political junket. They had traveled to Santa Rosa to attend the annual meeting of the Sonoma County Taxpayers Association, and the occasion was to honor Carol Giovanatto, the Sonoma City Manager and this year’s recipient of the Spencer Flournoy Good Government Award.

It was a tribute she described as “a pinnacle of my career” – a career in city government that includes 14 years in Sonoma, and almost 26 years before that in Cloverdale, where she still lives with family. Giovanatto’s daughter and stepson were also at the ?ceremony.

“I had not heard of the award previously, but when I got a phone call from (SCTA Executive Director) Dan Drummond saying I won it I was stunned!” said Giovanatto. “I’m rarely speechless, but this was one of those times.”

“Carol was nominated in recognition of her work shepherding the city through the transfer of police services to the Sheriff’s Office, the transfer of fire service to Valley of the Moon Fire District and in general almost 40 years of dedicated public service,” Drummond said.

Sonoma Mayor David Cook described the city as “blessed to have someone of (Giovanatto’s) caliber as city manager.”

“She deserves great recognition for what she has accomplished in her career and here in Sonoma,” said Cook, who noted that Giovanatto received two standing ovations when the award was presented, a reception that clearly moved the civic servant.

“To be in the room of the county’s business professionals, most of whom I had never met, was almost overwhelming,” said Giovanatto. “I felt very gratified afterward when so many came up to introduce themselves, shake my hand and offer their congratulations.”

Giovanatto became city manager in December of 2013, succeeding Linda Kelly. She was nominated for the award by former city council member and mayor Joanne Sanders.

“Only someone who cares about her work as much as Carol cares can work as hard as Carol works,” said City Councilmember Rachel Hundley. “I am so happy to see her get the recognition she deserves so much.”

The annual meeting of the 70-year-old organization was held on Feb. 26 at the Fountaingrove Inn, with some 75 county business leaders in attendance. Assemblymember Marc Levine delivered the keynote address on new state legislation he’s sponsoring on independent expenditure committees.

Previous recent winners of the Spencer Flournoy Good Government Award include Rohnert Park City Manager Gabe Gonzalez and Sonoma County Board of Supervisors President David Rabbitt. Spencer Flournoy was founder and president of the Sonoma County Taxpayers Association; he died in 2004.

The Sonoma County Taxpayers Association describes itself as a nonprofit and nonpartisan “public policy advocate encouraging the adoption of sound government fiscal policies while at the same time drawing attention to mismanagement and waste.”

Giovanatto described herself as pleased and gratified to receive the award. “It’s for doing what I think government should be doing, the right thing for the right reasons.”