In the race to be the new director of the Marin City Community Services District, Terrie Harris Green was leading by just 32 votes in the initial results from Tuesday’s election. Green secured 154 votes while her opponent Sarah Elizabeth Canson received 120. Meanwhile, eight candidates are vying for three seats on the district board.
The results mark a new chapter for the unincorporated community’s only elected governing body, which owns and operates several public buildings, a park, recreation programs, waste collection and lighting.
The battle for representation in the tiny district has unfolded amid concerns about gentrification, displacement and preserving Marin City’s historic Black community.
“This election is a big deal,” said Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters, whose district includes Marin City. “They haven’t had this many candidates running in a very long time, so that’s a positive sign.”
At a September debate, several candidates spoke of establishing a Marin City historical museum to preserve the legacy of the Black residents who worked in the Marinship yard during World War II.
The workers and families remained in temporary military housing for a full generation after the shipyard closed. While other workers purchased homes in neighboring suburbs, Black workers were geographically contained by race-restrictive real estate covenants.
“My first thing would be for us as a board to really take a look at doing what we need to do to be more unified,” Green said on election night. “We need to get a consensus and come together on behalf of the entire Marin City community.”
Leaders in the board race were Angela Haynes with 18.5% of the vote, Beatra Hall with 16% and Kevin Douglas with 16.5%. They were closely followed by La Tanya J. Wiggins with 16%, with the remainder going to candidates Capri Price, Ebonie McKinley, Royce McLemore and Derek Morgan.
Established in 1958, the district serves Marin City, a historically Black community whose population has been affected by decades of discriminatory housing policies, rising property values and demographic change.
The election comes as the district faces significant financial and administrative challenges. A 2025 Marin County civil grand jury report cited the district for missing or late financial audits and reports. In September, the State Controller’s Office reported it had received some outstanding financial transaction reports, but others remained unfiled.
The district has state funding earmarked for building maintenance and renovations, including $3 million that was reappropriated in the 2025-26 state budget after the district had not spent the original allocation.
The new board’s priorities include hiring a general manager to oversee district properties and educational, recreational and civic programs.
