Sausalito city manager found on boat was already – Latest News
Marin County Sheriff’s deputies arrested newly sworn-in Sausalito City Manager Elaine Forbes simply days in the past on suspicion of felony housebreaking on the Sausalito Yacht Harbor. Cops responded to a noise criticism and allegedly found Forbes aboard a 75-foot yacht she didn’t own.
Forbes allegedly had boarded the yacht with out permission, and sounded its horn loudly for an prolonged period beginning round 5:30 a.m.
That woke up the neighbors — and woke up the city, which instantly realized it had a main personnel drawback.
The oddest half of the story is that Elaine Forbes is no shlub. She’s constructed a revered profession spanning nonprofits and high-level public administration.
Marin County Sheriff’s deputies arrested newly sworn-in Sausalito City Manager Elaine Forbes simply days in the past Port of San Francisco
A local of San Francisco, with a grasp’s degree in city planning, she progressed by way of roles at organizations just like the Urban Strategies Council, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Budget Analyst’s Office, the Planning Department, and the San Francisco Airport earlier than becoming a member of the Port of San Francisco in 2010, rising to the place of govt director in 2016.
At the SF Port, she oversaw roughly 270 workers and miles of city waterfront, advancing main initiatives on sea-level rise resilience and post-pandemic restoration.
Colleagues praised her imaginative and prescient — till the plot twist arrived.
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Last September, Forbes introduced that she was stepping down from the SF Port, citing the demanding nature of main a complicated public enterprise. Fair enough.
Fast-forward to May 2026. The city of Sausalito chosen her as its subsequent city manager, a $275,000 annual position, to start out July 1.
Running Sausalito can’t be straightforward, however it’s a little more laid back. Forbes should have appeared like a good match to everybody, together with herself.
Fast-forward to May 2026. The city of Sausalito chosen her as its subsequent city manager, a $275,000 annual position, to start out July 1. Facebook/Elaine Forbes
But on Saturday, July 18 — not even three weeks later — yacht captain Bill Aubrey found Forbes inside a boat’s wheelhouse after she had locked herself in.
And of course, as we now know, it was not her yacht.
He described her demeanor as “normal, friendly,” and never matted; she “wasn’t staggering,” although the beforehand full bottles of Grey Goose vodka and tequila have been now empty.
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The sheriff’s deputies, who had been trying to find Forbes for 4 days following a missing-persons report, famous that she had initially claimed the vessel was hers, and stated she was having “a bad morning.” There was no obvious injury or theft.
Just days earlier than her arrest, following a closed-session City Council assembly, Sausalito positioned her on administrative go away by way of Sept. 8 and appointed an performing manager.
Why? We don’t know, and the city has stored its causes underneath wraps, citing privateness pursuits.
But the timing — mere days earlier than the yacht incident — raises questions on whether or not there had already been issues with Forbes’ efficiency or conduct during her short tenure.
Just days earlier than her arrest, following a closed-session City Council assembly, Sausalito positioned her on administrative go away by way of Sept. 8 and appointed an performing manager. sausalito.gov
Notably, Forbes’ long-term relationship with Angela Calvillo, clerk of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, ended in October 2024. Personal turmoil can result in skilled stress.
In a assertion after Forbes’ arrest, a spokesperson for the household stated, “Elaine is experiencing a mental health crisis. “We ask that no one rush to judgment based on limited information.”
Mental health challenges deserve compassion and mustn’t robotically disqualify people from service, significantly when supported by applicable remedy.
At the identical time, when an official in a place of public trust faces prison allegations tied to erratic conduct, we now have to ask whether or not she was trustworthy during the hiring course of.
We additionally should ask whether or not the elected leaders who employed Forbes did a thorough job of vetting her.
Forbes’ scenario is probably not distinctive. San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Jackie Fielder solely simply returned to work after taking time off for mental health causes.
These are delicate conditions. Even public officers are entitled to some personal privateness, however their wants should be balanced in opposition to residents’ curiosity in succesful management.
Richie Greenberg is a political commentator based mostly in San Francisco.
