The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has elected David Rabbitt to serve as the chairperson of the board.
Supervisor Lynda Hopkins was named vice chair and supervisor James Gore was named chair pro-tem.
Rabbitt represents District 2, which includes Petaluma and southern Sonoma County. He was elected to the board in 2010 and served as chair in 2013, 2014 and 2019.
“The passing of the gavel is always a good time to look back but also to look forward,” Rabbitt said, according to a statement. “The county still faces many challenges, including homelessness, climate action, wildfire resilience and budget questions. But through our collective work and our collective dedication, ever striving for that strategic goal of organizational excellence, I’m confident that we will handle whatever 2024 has in store for us.”
The board on Tuesday also reviewed its calendar of significant items for the upcoming year, which sets the agenda for major issues the board expects to address in 2024. Some of the key issues ahead this year include finalizing a tree ordinance, crafting a financial plan for a new county government center, approving a climate resilience comprehensive action plan, implementing a CARE court plan for people with mental health needs, and awarding contracts for homelessness and continuum of care programs.
The board also decided to continue its policy of allowing public comments to be made only in person or via email for the foreseeable future.