VIG 11/03/26-Candidate Statements-City of Larkspur

After 27 years building and leading technology teams, including a decade at Salesforce and, most recently, as an executive at Vertafore, I retired to give my full attention to this community. I co-founded Rock Marin to support music education in Marin County and I bring that same hands-on, get-it-done approach to city government.

As a father raising my three kids here, I’ve cherished the incredible people of this town and its rich history and character. Larkspur needs council members who listen first and turn plans into action.

My priorities: Conservation and Climate Resiliency. Supporting local and small businesses. Strengthening our incredible schools. Revitalizing dormant commercial space and holding corporate landlords accountable. Housing solutions that fit Larkspur’s character while addressing shortages and affordability. A city hall that communicates openly with every resident.

I’ve spent my career solving hard problems and delivering results under pressure. I’m not a career politician; I’m your neighbor, with the time and experience to get things done. Larkspur raised my family.

I’d be honored to earn your vote.

Gareth

www.electgareth.com

Después de 27 años construyendo y liderando equipos de tecnología, incluyendo una década en Salesforce y, más recientemente, como ejecutivo en Vertafore, me retiré para dedicar toda mi atención a esta comunidad. Co-fundé Rock Marin para apoyar la educación musical en el condado de Marin y aporto ese mismo enfoque práctico y resolutivo al gobierno municipal.

Como padre que cría a sus tres hijos aquí, valoro profundamente a las personas increíbles de este pueblo y su rica historia y carácter. Larkspur necesita miembros del Concejo que escuchen primero y conviertan los planes en acción.

Mis prioridades: Conservación y resiliencia climática. Apoyo a los negocios locales y pequeños. Fortalecer nuestras increíbles escuelas. Revitalizar los espacios comerciales en desuso y exigir responsabilidad a los propietarios corporativos. Soluciones de vivienda que se ajusten al carácter de Larkspur, abordando al mismo tiempo la escasez y la asequibilidad. Un Ayuntamiento que se comunique abiertamente con cada residente.

He dedicado mi carrera a resolver problemas complejos y a obtener resultados bajo presión. No soy un político de carrera; soy su vecino con el tiempo y la experiencia para lograr que las cosas se hagan. Larkspur crió a mi familia.

Sería un honor para mí contar con su voto.

Gareth

www.electgareth.com

Larkspur residents should be at the center of every decision at City Hall. Whether you’re redoing your home, starting a business, or playing pickleball at Piper Park, seeing you thrive should be city government’s #1 priority. That’s not the case today. City Hall is obsessed with process, not results. Five boards and commissions touch housing, but rents keep going up. The Lucky supermarket is still vacant. We built a new library, but it isn’t open most of the weekend or evenings.

We need a culture change at City Hall. The era of closed doors, unreturned emails, delayed inspections, and 300-page reports that accomplish nothing must end. The era of service-first local government with you at the center must begin.

I’m a former Naval Officer and civic tech founder, and a current clean energy consultant and independent homebuilder. I work with local governments weekly and understand how they function. I’m also an outsider who sees the many ways government must improve.

My wife and I are raising three young children in Larkspur. We love this community and want it to remain an amazing town throughout our lifetimes, and theirs. Please join me in putting Larkspur residents back at the center of City Hall.

Los residentes de Larkspur deben estar en el centro de cada decisión en el Ayuntamiento. Ya sea que esté renovando su hogar, iniciando un negocio o jugando pickleball en Piper Park, verlo prosperar debe ser la prioridad número uno del gobierno de la ciudad. En la actualidad, ese no es el caso. El Ayuntamiento está obsesionado con el proceso, no con los resultados. Cinco juntas y comisiones están relacionadas con la vivienda, pero los alquileres siguen aumentando. El supermercado Lucky aún está vacío. Construimos una nueva biblioteca, pero no está abierta la mayor parte del fin de semana ni por las noches.

Necesitamos un cambio cultural en el Ayuntamiento. La era de puertas cerradas, correos electrónicos sin respuesta, inspecciones retrasadas e informes de 300 páginas que no logran nada debe terminar. Debe comenzar la era del gobierno local orientado al servicio, con usted en el centro.

Soy un exoficial naval y fundador de tecnología cívica, y actualmente consultor en energía limpia y constructor independiente de viviendas. Trabajo con gobiernos locales semanalmente y comprendo cómo funcionan. También soy un externo que observa las muchas formas en que el gobierno debe mejorar.

Mi esposa y yo estamos criando a tres niños pequeños en Larkspur. Amamos esta comunidad y deseamos que siga siendo una ciudad maravillosa a lo largo de nuestras vidas y de las suyas. Por favor, únase a mí para volver a poner a los residentes de Larkspur en el centro del gobierno municipal.

I ran for Larkspur City Council in 2024 as a citizen who wanted to make a positive impact in our community. For the last 3 years, I’ve worked for you: cutting red tape and waste, increasing government accountability, and prioritizing climate action. As Mayor, I helped open our new library, expanded pickleball access and brought The Farm Stand to Magnolia Avenue, reinvigorating our downtown.

I discovered that Serenity, one of Larkspur’s largest apartment properties, was failing its residents while not paying property taxes. I fought the owners and brought this major asset back into our tax base, contributing $2+ million in taxes/year.

As a board director on Marin Clean Energy, I stand up for ratepayers, denouncing weak oversight, poor financial performance and misleading climate claims. Our work has unseated the CEO and cut rates, reducing your electric bills while paving the way for more accountable leadership.

Decades in corporate finance and investment banking make me a highly effective consensus builder. I hold an M.B.A. from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and a B.A. cum laude from Columbia University. Having raised two sons through Larkspur’s excellent public schools, I bring financial expertise, principled leadership and dedication to serving our community. I ask for your vote to continue the progress we have made.

With deep roots in West Marin and a lifelong commitment to public service, I am proud to live in Larkspur with my wife and child, and I am running for City Council to build a safe, resilient, and inclusive future for our town.

My journey brought me home to Marin as an immigration attorney, providing free legal services to hundreds of local families. Today, as Director of Policy and Civic Engagement at Canal Alliance and through my previous board service with the Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative, I champion solutions for climate impact readiness, safer streets, economic opportunity, and affordability for all residents.

I bring hands-on policy experience, a legal background, and a dedication to community-first governance to City Hall.

My top priorities for Larkspur are: investing in proactive wildfire protection, sea-level rise mitigation, and infrastructure readiness, enhancing pedestrian and bicycle safety across our neighborhoods and school routes, balancing state housing mandates with the preservation of Larkspur’s historic character and environmental beauty, ensuring every resident’s voice is heard in local decision-making.

I’m running for Larkspur City Council because I believe our community deserves experienced, thoughtful leadership that preserves what makes Larkspur special, while planning responsibly for the future.

My priorities are practical and community-centered: ensuring the new Library at The Commons and recreation building become lasting civic resources; supporting local merchants and the vitality of downtown, while protecting Larkspur’s small-town character; addressing housing needs, infrastructure, wildfire safety and sea-level rise with responsible planning and fiscal discipline.

For nearly two decades, I have served as a Larkspur Park and Recreation Commissioner, working to strengthen the programs, parks, and public spaces that bring our community together. As a founding board member of The Commons Foundation, I helped raise over $5 million to make our new library a reality. I founded the nonprofit Larkspur Rec’ing Crew to support recreation programs and community events in Larkspur.

I’ve spent my career leading complex organizations, managing budgets, building partnerships, and solving problems. These experiences have taught me the importance of fiscal responsibility, transparency, and collaboration.

Larkspur has been my home, my community and the focus of years of hands-on service. I would be honored to earn your vote, so together we can preserve the heart of Larkspur while building a stronger future for everyone who calls it home.

Me postulo para el Concejo Municipal de Larkspur porque creo que nuestra comunidad merece un liderazgo experimentado y reflexivo que preserve lo que hace especial a Larkspur, mientras planifica de manera responsable para el futuro.

Mis prioridades son prácticas y centradas en la comunidad: asegurar que la nueva Biblioteca en The Commons y el edificio de recreación se conviertan en recursos cívicos duraderos; apoyar a los comerciantes locales y la vitalidad del centro, mientras se protege el carácter de pueblo pequeño de Larkspur; abordar las necesidades de vivienda, infraestructura, seguridad contra incendios forestales y el aumento del nivel del mar con una planificación responsable y disciplina fiscal.

Durante casi dos décadas, he servido como Comisionada de Parques y Recreación de Larkspur, trabajando para fortalecer los programas, parques y espacios públicos que unen a nuestra comunidad. Como miembro fundador de la junta directiva de The Commons Foundation, ayudé a recaudar más de 5 millones de dólares para hacer realidad nuestra nueva biblioteca. Fundé la organización sin fines de lucro Larkspur Rec’ing Crew para apoyar los programas recreativos y los eventos comunitarios en Larkspur.

He dedicado mi carrera a liderar organizaciones complejas, gestionar presupuestos, establecer alianzas y resolver problemas. Estas experiencias me han enseñado la importancia de la responsabilidad fiscal, la transparencia y la colaboración.

Larkspur ha sido mi hogar, mi comunidad y el centro de años de servicio práctico. Sería un honor para mí contar con su voto, para que juntos podamos preservar el corazón de Larkspur mientras construimos un futuro más sólido para todos los que lo llaman hogar.

As your current Council Member, I have focused on measurable progress in climate resilience, housing, and public safety.

As Council’s appointed liaison to the Climate Action Forum, I have advanced five key priorities under Larkspur Climate Action Plan, including building and vehicle electrification and expanded EV infrastructure. As representative to the Ross Valley Sanitary District, I am closely monitoring and helping advance affordable housing development at the 2000 Larkspur Landing property, while advocating for transparency and equitable rates to protect ratepayers. As Larkspur’s delegate to the Association of Bay Area Governments, I am ensuring Larkspur has a voice in shaping the 7th Regional Housing Needs Allocation Cycle (2031–2039).

If re-elected, my priorities are:

Housing: Implement transit-oriented solutions consistent with our Housing Element, prioritizing units for lower-income and senior resident.

Climate: Continue Climate Action Plan implementation with measurable emissions targets.

Transportation & Safety: Strengthen regional connectivity, traffic-safety infrastructure, and emergency response capacity.

Governance: Maintain transparent, accountable processes that give residents real input into decisions shaping Larkspur’s future.

Effective local government requires coordination across agencies, staff, and residents. I would be honored to serve Larkspur/Greenbrae for four more years and welcome the chance to work directly with you.

For endorsements and progress updates, visit sarah4larkspur.com or email sarah4larkspur@ gmail.com.

I humbly ask for your vote to continue thinking globally, while acting locally.