It has been my honor to serve the residents of San Rafael as your Mayor since December 2020 and it was because of your votes that I am also the first woman Mayor since San Rafael was incorporated in 1874. The first years of my terms were focused on navigating the post-covid years and the impact on our city. I am proud to share that now in 2024, the City has a strong financial position with a balanced budget of approximately $211 million. Over the past two years, I’ve set the foundational strategy across the four key priority areas (homelessness/housing, economic growth, climate change, social justice) and I respectfully ask for your vote so I can implement the programs poised to move the needle within each priority area.
I know that San Rafael is strong because of you, our residents. I need and welcome your involvement to make decisions that reflect our community values and you need someone who is committed to engaging with our residents and local businesses, hearing their concerns and partnering in the solutions. My actions during my time as Mayor demonstrate that I am that person. I am honored that my community stands strongly behind my skills and values as evidenced by my Endorsement list. Please read more below about some issues facing San Rafael and what I am doing to address them.
ECONOMIC GROWTH
When I was elected in 2020, this policy area focused on Recovery but now, in 2024, we are focused on Growth. To be successful, we need to have a defined vision and strong business partners. Under my direction, the City has the first-ever approved Economic Strategic Plan and implementation is underway. San Rafael is the geographic center of Marin County and perfectly positioned to draw in businesses and customers from all over the County and beyond. It is critical that we think strategically and creatively to attract new businesses and retain the businesses already here. I have strong support from local business owners as they know I will listen to their feedback and continue to evolve city processes to best support their success. In addition to the first ever Economic Strategic Plan, I have also initiated “Mayor Kate Walkabouts” where I literally walk all of our economic centers in East San Rafael, downtown, Montecito and Terra Linda and connect with business owners. I will continue to show up for our local businesses as I have since you first elected me as your Mayor.
HOMELESSNESS / HOUSING
I have the courage and vision to seek and implement compassionate approaches that will be effective to resolve encampments. Encampments are the physical and local manifestation of a state-wide homelessness issue. California has approximately 30% of the nation’s unhoused population and nearly every city similar in population to San Rafael struggles with this issue. Here in San Rafael, we continue to seek a wide variety of tools to get folks into housing and utilization of those tools has begun even though the ongoing legal lawsuits have prevented the City from utilizing all the options available.
Looking ahead, I will seek specific programs and initiatives that focus on both Order and Compassion. In order to clarify for our residents exactly what is being done and will be done in the future to address homelessness, I will create a resident community group to provide input for the city’s first ever Homeless Strategies Action Plan which will provide an effective strategy that sees results and uses our taxpayer dollars wisely. In terms of Order, programs that increase removal of debris adjacent to encampments, prevention of campsites constructed from permanent materials and increased utilization of diversion or community court programs as there must be consequences if folks don’t follow city ordinances. In terms of Compassion, the County of Marin is the primary agency tasked with providing support services and pathways to housing for the homeless and I will seek having the City enter into agreements about roles and responsibilities so we can have the results we all want.
In addition, I have been a proponent of a ‘tiny home’ village that will provide another type of interim shelter to the local safety net. As there aren’t available sites in City limits, it is critical that we work with the County to find an appropriate location. The City will continue to help fund case managers who actively help people take the next step towards housing. And as the cost of these programs cannot solely be only on San Rafael, I’ll continue to build on our previous successes of bringing over $7million in state funds here to our city to support these initiatives.
The City doesn’t build housing, developers do so San Rafael’s local housing plans recognize that our city has few undeveloped sites and the majority of projects will be infill. California has mandated that every city have an approved Housing Element and San Rafael’s must accommodate over 3k new units over the next 8 years. I support all types of housing – from affordable to market rate – and will continue to engage the community for input when proposed projects are brought to the City.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
San Rafael is a wonderfully diverse city and it will be strongest when everybody is thriving. I am one of only seven Mayors in the United States to be selected for and graduate from the prestigious 2024 Mayor Institute of City Design’s Mayoral Fellowship. Through the Mayoral Fellowship, I gained additional tools and insight to promote equity in local land-use decisions and community engagement.
Honest dialogue about the racial inequities that exist are difficult and challenging conversations to have which is why we need to act together in partnership. We need to be intentional in our actions and make sure that those who have been most impacted are part of the conversation. .
CLIMATE CHANGE
As our climate conditions change, everyone is being impacted from the threat of sea level rise, extreme heat or increased risk of fire and smoke. These events serve as an opportunity to expand the conversation to a broader group of people and get their support for climate-related policies. San Rafael cannot solve these issues alone and I am on the Countywide BayWAVE Committee as well as the Bay Area-wide BCDC Elected Task Force.
When I was elected your Mayor in 2020, one of the first initiatives I undertook was having Climate Change be one of the City’s four priority policy areas. Now that it is a priority area, internally the City is integrating climate impacts into city projects. And externally, it enables San Rafael to continue to be a leader in this arena. When voters passed Measure C in 2020, it provided the critical funding to address wildfire prevention and San Rafael residents are doing an amazing job of removing vegetation in their neighborhoods. In addition, San Rafael is focusing on sea level rise and working with residents, stakeholders and community organizations in the Canal neighborhood to identify and ultimately implement adaptation and mitigation measures.
NEIGHBORHOODS
Our neighborhoods are the foundation of our community and it is critical to keep residents engaged, informed, healthy and prepared for disasters. My role as an elected official is to listen to our community, hear the needs and take action in partnership with you.
One of my first initiatives upon joining the City Council in 2013 was co-creating with our community the Resident Engagement and Transparency plan which the City has since implemented. And in the 11 years since then, I have continued to connect with and listen to our residents. During the pandemic and working with neighborhood leaders, we created the Neighbor-to-Neighbor toolkit which I personally handed off to over 75% of San Rafael’s neighborhood associations via Zoom. I’m proud that our residents were there for each other during that difficult time.
As your Mayor, I speak at your Association meetings and ask for your ideas and inputs for projects in your neighborhood. Together we will continue to build a strong, prosperous and resilient city!
OUR AGING POPULATION
San Rafael is a World Health Organization “Age Friendly City” and when I was a Councilmember, I initiated bringing the program into our City. Now, as your Mayor, I am committed to implementing those local initiatives that benefit not only our senior residents but residents of all ages. The Age-Friendly City designation is enabling the city to be strategic and make progress in addressing the needs of our aging community. It is imperative that we receive the input and insight from residents in our aging population. I recognize, of course, that what is good planning for 80-year old’s is also good for 8-year old’s!