Sonoma is a General Law City and operates under the Council/Manager form of government. The City Council members are elected at-large. The Mayor is appointed annually by a majority vote of Council members.
The five members of the City Council are elected to overlapping four-year terms, ensuring that there are councilmembers with experience guiding the City at all times. The three Councilmembers whose offices will end in 2010 and be on the November 2nd ballot are Stephen Barbose, Ken Brown, and August Sebastiani. The remaining two Councilmembers are Joanne Sanders and Laurie Gallian.
The City Council provides policy leadership and acts as the legislative arm of City government. Councilmembers also sit as the Board of Directors of the Community Development Agency, and participate in regional activities.
The City Council normally meets at 6:00 p.m., on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Meetings are held in the Community Meeting Room at 177 First Street West, Sonoma California.