Corte Madera voters will choose three members of the Town Council on Nov. 3 from a field that includes two incumbents and three newcomers with backgrounds ranging from architecture and environmental engineering to education, government finance and community organizing.
Councilmembers Eli Beckman and Pat Ravasio are seeking reelection. Mayor Rosa Thomas, whose term also expires this year, is not running.
The three newcomers are Ava Fruin, a Larkspur-Corte Madera School District trustee; David Bell, a retired environmental engineer; and Deborah Gallegos, deputy controller for the California State Controller.
In addition to issues of housing and transparency, the town is facing increased flooding, with several neighborhoods built on subsiding land, which happened during king tides in January and June.
Eli Beckman
Beckman, 33, is an architect. He has served on the council for more than eight years, including two terms as mayor. He points to the town’s financial recovery, infrastructure work, and adoption of a long-term plan addressing flooding and wildfire as accomplishments during his tenure.
Beckman says his experience will be important as the town confronts climate-related threats and the need for additional flood protection. His endorsements include state Sen. Mike McGuire, D-San Rafael, and Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, as well as the Marin County Board of Supervisors, the Sierra Club, Marin YIMBY and the Marin County Democratic Party.
Pat Ravasio
Fellow incumbent Ravasio, 69, has a background in community organizing and a record of involvement in local projects. Key projects she cites in her first term include a free community swim program, new restrooms in the Corte Madera Town Park recreation space, a planned U.S. Highway 101 pedestrian overcrossing at Tamalpais Drive, and the Corte Madera Intergenerational Center. She identifies flood protection in low-lying areas as one of the town’s urgent next steps.
David Bell
With 10 years on the Corte Madera Flood Control Board, Bell said he brings lessons learned from the January 2026 flooding. Bell, 64, is a retired civil and environmental engineer who has never run for office, but he said he will prioritize flood control and safe infrastructure.
An 18-year Corte Madera resident, Bell holds a doctorate degree from UCLA in mechanical engineering, with a special focus on stakeholder involvement in the risk management of environmental restoration programs. He said there is a need for improved coordination between jurisdictions on permitting, funding, staffing and implementation of short- and long-term flood protection.
Ava Fruin
Fruin, 39, brings local elected experience from the school district. She has served as a school board trustee and has more than 15 years of professional experience leading teams and working in education, technology and nonprofit organizations. She highlights strategic planning, budget oversight and community collaboration, and says her school board experience has shown her how infrastructure, transportation, housing, parks and public services intersect.
She is endorsed by all of the members of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, as well as the Marin County Democratic Party, the state Assemblymember Connolly, and Corte Madera councilmembers Beckman, Thomas and Fred Casissa.
Deborah Gallegos
Gallegos, 58, has a background that is primarily in financial management and public sector oversight. She has worked in financial services for 30 years and serves as deputy controller for the California State Controller. She also serves as a trustee on the boards of the two major national pension funds.
She says that experience would allow her to evaluate town spending and serve as a fiscal steward. Gallegos said residents want to engage with the town leadership in a more straightforward way. She points to a perceived lack of transparency as being one of the biggest challenges she will address.
The candidates bring distinct types of experience to the race. Beckman and Ravasio have governing experience, Fruin has experience in nonprofits and on a local school board, Bell has specialized experience in environmental engineering and flood management, and Gallegos has a career focused on public finance and fiduciary oversight.
There will be a council candidate forum on Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers at 300 Tamalpais Drive.
