City of Sausalito

What City of Sausalito does

The City of Sausalito is a municipal government incorporated in 1893 under the general laws of the State of California, operating under a council-manager form of government with five elected councilmembers serving overlapping four-year terms. The city provides a comprehensive suite of municipal services to approximately 7,000 residents, businesses, and visitors within its Sausalito city limits in Marin County. Service lines include public safety (a municipal Police Department and shared Southern Marin Fire services), public works (streets, sewers, storm drainage), community development (planning, permitting via the eTrakit system, building inspection), library services, parks and recreation programs (including bocce, pickleball, and special events), and parking management. Administrative operations are headquartered at 420 Litho Street and supported by departments including the City Manager, City Clerk, Finance, Human Resources, and Information Technology.

The city operates conventional civic technology infrastructure: a website CMS at sausalito.gov, Zoom-based public meetings with live webcasting, the eTrakit online permitting portal, a financial transparency tool, and the Fix-It mobile application for citizen service requests with photo and video submission capabilities. Revenue is generated through a taxation and fee-based model with four primary streams: property and sales taxes (primary); permits and licenses (building, planning, business, alarm, tree, encroachment); parking fees (lots, citations, commuter and residential permits); and recreation fees (programs, facility rentals, special events, classes). The city maintains nine standing boards and commissions staffed by citizen volunteers and conducts council meetings on the first and third Tuesdays with public participation and live streaming.

The city is currently navigating significant operational and fiscal challenges, including a $1.3 million budget deficit projected for fiscal year 2026-2027 and $1.37 million in prior unauthorized expenditures identified by an auditor. The governance structure has been disrupted by the July 2026 arrest of newly appointed City Manager Elaine Forbes on suspicion of felony burglary, with Assistant City Manager Brandon Phipps serving as Acting City Manager. The city is also required to update zoning to accommodate 724 new housing units by January 30, 2026 under California's State Housing Element Law, and is participating in regional initiatives including the BayWAVE sea-level rise adaptation effort and the Downtown Sausalito Property Business Improvement District (DSPBID) formed in July 2024.

Name

City of Sausalito

Legal name

City of Sausalito

Website

https://sausalito.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The City of Sausalito is a municipal government incorporated in 1893 that delivers public safety, public works, planning, library, and recreation services to approximately 7,000 residents and visitors within Sausalito, California, funded primarily through property and sales taxes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Administration / Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (9211), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public safety administration
• Community development permitting
• Parks and recreation programs
• Public works infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Sausalito

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Property and Sales Taxes: Primary municipal revenue sources including property taxes and sales taxes collected from residents and businesses operating within city limits
2. Permits and Licenses: Revenue from building permits, planning permits, business licenses, alarm permits, tree permits, and various encroachment permits for construction and development activities
3. Parking Fees: Revenue from public parking lots, parking citations, commuter parking permits, and residential area parking permits
4. Recreation Fees: Revenue from parks and recreation programs, facility rentals, special event permits, recreation classes, bocce leagues, pickleball, and children's programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The City of Sausalito is a municipal government that provides public administration and essential municipal services to residents, businesses, and visitors within the City of Sausalito, California. Core offerings include public safety (police and fire services through Southern Marin Fire), public works and infrastructure maintenance (streets, sewer, storm drainage), community development (planning, zoning, building, and permitting), library services, parks and recreation programs and facilities, parking management, and general administrative services. Operations are funded through taxation, permits, licenses, and fees.

Product overview

City of Sausalito is a municipal government that provides public services to residents rather than a commercial product company. Its offerings include civic administration, public safety (police and fire services), public works, community development (planning, permits, building inspections), library services, parks and recreation programs, parking management, and various resident services such as service requests, business licenses, and utility management. The city operates a government website at sausalito.gov that serves as a civic portal rather than a commercial software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Police Protection Services Law enforcement, patrol, parking enforcement, disaster preparedness, and community policing programs delivered by the Sausalito Police Department to residents, businesses, and visitors within city limits.
• Fire and Emergency Response Services Fire suppression, emergency medical response, and related emergency services provided through the Southern Marin Fire Department to protect life and property within the City.
• Building Permits and Inspection Services Issuance of building, planning, encroachment, tree, and alarm permits, including plan checks and building inspections, for property owners, contractors, and developers within city limits.
• Business License Services Issuance of business licenses to local businesses operating within city limits as required by Sausalito Municipal Code.
• Public Works and Infrastructure Maintenance Maintenance, repair, and improvement of city streets, sanitary sewers, storm drainage, and other public infrastructure delivered by the Public Works Department.
• Fix-It Citizen Service Request App Mobile application allowing residents to submit and track city maintenance and service requests with attached photos and video for issues like potholes, streetlight outages, and graffiti.
• Parks and Recreation Programs Parks and recreation programming including bocce leagues, pickleball, special events (Jazz and Blues by the Bay, Farmers Market, Art and Harbor Days, Fourth of July), facility rentals, recreation classes, and children's programs at Marinship Park and other city parks.
• Parking Management Services Public parking lot operations, parking citations, commuter and residential parking permits managed by the Sausalito Parking Authority serving downtown and visitor parking needs.
• Library Services Library lending, reading and streaming programs, children's and teen services, and community programs operated through the Sausalito Library.
• Planning and Zoning Services Land use planning, zoning administration, and review of current planning projects delivered by the Community Development Department's Planning Division in coordination with the Planning Commission.
• Downtown Sausalito Property Business Improvement District (DSPBID) Five-year property-owner assessment district providing demand creation, events, public space development, marketing and promotion for Downtown Sausalito, covering 68 parcels and 44 property owners.
• Public Meeting Webcasts and Video Archive Live streaming and archived video recordings of City Council and board/commission meetings accessible via the website, Comcast Channel 27, and AT&T Channel 99 to promote public transparency.
• Online Permitting Portal (eTrakit) Web-based portal for submitting and tracking permit applications, including building, planning, and encroachment permits, available 24/7 to applicants and contractors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves approximately 7,000+ residents with comprehensive municipal services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• League of California CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1893The City of Sausalito is a member of the League of California Cities, an association of California city officials who work together to enhance knowledge and skills, exchange information, and combine resources to influence policy decisions affecting cities. The city pays an annual membership fee.
• Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional planning agency representing Bay Area local governments. Sausalito participates through council liaisons serving as appointees to address regional planning and policy issues.
• Marin Clean Energy (MCE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarin Clean Energy is a community choice energy agency serving Marin County. Sausalito participates as a member community in this regional energy initiative.
• Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers (MCCMC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-wide organization of mayors and councilmembers for networking and policy coordination across Marin County municipalities.
• Marin TransitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic transit agency serving Marin County. Sausalito participates through council liaisons for transportation coordination.
• Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-wide transportation planning and funding agency. Sausalito participates through appointed liaisons addressing regional transportation issues.
• Marin Bay Waterfront Adaptation Vulnerability Evaluation (BayWAVE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional committee addressing sea level rise and waterfront adaptation. Sausalito has a designated representative participating in this climate resilience initiative.
• Marin Emergency Radio Authority (MERA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency radio communications network serving Marin County first responders. Sausalito participates as a member jurisdiction for emergency communications infrastructure.
• Marin Telecommunications AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-wide agency addressing telecommunications infrastructure and policy. Sausalito participates through appointed council liaisons.
• Sausalito Marin City School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal school district serving Sausalito and Marin City. Sausalito maintains liaison representation through the City Council.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Town of San Anselmo: Small Marin County municipality with a similar governance structure and service portfolio focused on public safety, public works, planning, and parks and recreation — directly comparable on operational scope and constraints.
• City of San Rafael: Most populous city in Marin County (~58,000 residents) operating a broader version of the same municipal services that Sausalito delivers. Provides a useful scaled-up comparable for governance, budgeting, and service expansion trajectories.
• Town of Corte Madera: Marin County municipality of comparable scale providing the same core municipal services including police, public works, planning, parks and recreation, and library operations. Comparable on revenue mix and service structure.
• Town of Tiburon: Immediately adjacent Marin County municipality sharing Sausalito's waterfront geography and affluent residential character. Operates an essentially identical slate of municipal services through the same council-manager form of government.
• City of Belvedere: Tiny Marin County municipality (population ~2,100) located directly across Corinthian Island from Sausalito. Its very small scale and waterfront geography make it a useful comparable for service-delivery economics at lower scale.
• City of Larkspur: Marin County municipality of comparable population (~13,000) that operates under a similar council-manager form of government and delivers an analogous portfolio of municipal services from police to recreation.
• City of Mill Valley: Neighboring Marin County municipality of similar size and affluence operating under an analogous council-manager structure. Delivers the same core municipal service portfolio (police, public works, planning, parks/recreation, library) and is the most directly comparable peer for Sausalito.
• City of Novato: Larger Marin County municipality (population ~53,000) with the same municipal service categories as Sausalito. Offers a useful comparison for how city government scales and how budget structures evolve as population grows.

Others

• County of Marin: The county government within which Sausalito operates, providing overlapping services (library system, public health, emergency communications) and regional governance. Functions as an enabling parent jurisdiction rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• City of Piedmont, CA: Small, affluent residential city in Alameda County (~11,000 residents) operating a near-identical small-scale municipal service model. Geographically separate, but its compact operations, full-service delivery, and budget structure closely mirror Sausalito's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cityofsausalito
• Instagraminstagram.com/city_of_sausalito
• Xx.com/cityofsausalito

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Sausalito