Sonoma City Council: Hundley, Harvey and Agrimonti at the finish line

Incumbents retain two of three city council seats; Harvey tops field of challengers.|

Tuesday’s election brought an array of changes to Sonoma that, among other things, will likely bring the city more revenue and possibly galvanize a City Council that has been criticized for inaction.

A new City Councilmember, Logan Harvey, and an increase in a hotel tax levied on tourists could add up to some big changes. Other local campaigns and measures, including new board members for the healthcare and water districts, were decided Nov. 6 as well.

Incumbent Councilmember Rachel Hundley ran as a slate with Harvey, and Hundley included affordable housing in her platform. Hundley captured 23 percent of the vote and Harvey came in second with 16 percent. Right behind Harvey was current Mayor Madolyn Agrimonti with 15 percent of the vote, with all eight precincts reporting.

“We will absolutely get an affordable housing fund together in the first year I’m in office. I think that’s going to happen,” Harvey predicted in an interview the day after the election. He noted that Sitting Councilmember Amy Harrington endorsed all three of the eventual winners – suggesting that Harrington, currently vice-mayor, would be open to the duo’s ideas.

Key to Harvey’s prediction: the slam-dunk passage of Measure S, which increases a tax paid by hotel guests in Sonoma from 10 percent to 12 percent. Measure S only needed a majority to pass and the “yes” votes comprised 79 percent of the vote count, with all precincts reporting.

Bumping up the Transient Occupancy Tax to 12 percent – the same base tax amount charged at hotels in jurisdictions including unincorporated areas of Sonoma County and Napa County, and many tourism draws such as Healdsburg, Calistoga, Napa and St. Helena – is predicted to raise about $750,000 annually.

Councilmembers will also have discretion to raise the transient occupancy tax an additional 1 percent, which would raise approximately $375,000 more annually, city staffers have said.

Before the election, Harvey said, “having money from the TOT that is specifically scheduled for affordable housing will allow us to explore solutions.” Harvey made the remark at a City Council meeting this year.

The tax code does not require any specific use of the tax funds. These funds are discretionary in that the council can direct them to be used for any legitimate city expense.

The newly elected Harvey and the re-elected Hundley and Agrimonti will take office in December.

“I’m excited about the prospect of serving Sonoma for another four years,” Hundley said on election night as she gathered with supporters at the Town Square bar in downtown Sonoma. She added, “I am proud of the good work of Logan Harvey, who grew up in Sonoma and will be a great addition to the council.”

That same night, Agrimonti said, in a phone interview, “I’m very happy. There are things I want to continue to do. One is to get a free shuttle started and get this wine-tasting room issue done. I want to congratulate my colleagues Rachel Hundley and Logan Harvey. I was proud to be in a campaign with everyone who ran. Everyone really had Sonoma in their hearts.”

Runner-up Jack Ding, who got 14 percent of the vote, didn’t make it onto the council, but was hopeful about his future political prospects.

“I’ll run again in two years,” Ding told the Index-Tribune on election night. “I still expect the magic to happen. Most immigrants don’t do this in the first generation,” Ding said, referring to his status as a first-generation immigrant.

“This is my dream. I got a chance to participate,” Ding said.

Candidate Chris Petlock got 13 percent of the vote, while candidate James Cribb garnered 12 percent, and candidate Jack Wagner got 7 percent.

The City Council race was by no means the only issue on Sonoma’s ballot. Also in the election, Michael Mainardi, a retired physician, won 48 percent of the vote among a field of three candidates vying for two seats on the Sonoma Valley Healthcare District board, with all precincts reporting.

Incumbent and current board chair Joshua Rymer captured the second-highest number of votes with 34 percent of the vote. First-time challenger Douglas Ghiselin got 18 percent of the vote.

In the El Verano area seat on the Sonoma Valley Unified School District board of trustees, Cathy Coleman earned 66 percent of the vote to Omar Paz Jr.’s 34 percent.

The other contested education-focused race in the Sonoma Valley this election was for the Valley seat on the Santa Rosa Junior College Board of Trustees, in which incumbent Jeff Kunde earned 67 percent of the vote to challenger – and current Sonoma Valley School Board member – John Kelly’s 33 percent.

In the Valley of the Moon Water District Board race, two seats were open. Challenger Steve Rogers won 27 percent of the vote, while incumbent Jon Foreman had 26 percent. Mark Heneveld garnered 25 percent of the vote, while Dale Ingraham had 21 percent of the vote.

Valley voters were faced with a trio of fire department parcel taxes, each needing two-thirds approval to pass, with revenues going to fund local fire departments.

Measure X in the Schell-Vista Fire District passed with 73 percent of the vote, and Measure T in the Glen Ellen Fire District passed with 74 percent of the vote.

Measure Y in the Valley of the Moon Fire District garnered 65 percent of the vote, shy of the needed two-thirds approval, with all precincts reporting.

Email Janis at janis.mara@sonomanews.com.

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