Melanie Bagby
Candidate for Sonoma County Supervisorial District 4
Melanie Bagby was born in Petaluma and raised in the Larkfield-Wikiup area of Santa Rosa; she has lived in Cloverdale for 25 years. She spent more than two decades as an IT professional and co-owns an IT consulting firm, Sirius Mobile Solutions, with her husband. She served two terms on the Cloverdale City Council, including a term as mayor during the 2019 floods and a wildfire-related shelter-in-place order, and earlier served on Cloverdale's Planning Commission. Regionally, she has chaired the Sonoma Clean Power board and served on the Sonoma County Transportation Authority/Regional Climate Protection Authority, the Russian River Watershed Association, and ZeroWaste Sonoma, and took part in Climate Action 2020. In March 2026, the state Fair Political Practices Commission fined Bagby $9,000 after finding she voted, while serving on the Cloverdale City Council and the Sonoma Clean Power board, on contracts benefiting clients of her IT firm, in violation of state conflict-of-interest law (Government Code Sections 1090 and 87100).
Positions in brief
Bagby's platform centers on expanding affordable housing and updating zoning to allow duplexes and triplexes, securing long-term water supplies through regional storage and aquifer recharge, and building out clean energy, transit, and wildfire resilience across the district. She also emphasizes protecting farmland, civilian oversight of the Sheriff's Office, and limiting county cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
On housing, Bagby wants to streamline approval of affordable housing, update zoning to permit 'middle' housing types like duplexes and triplexes, support ADUs and lot-splitting, concentrate new development near transit, and keep the former Sonoma Developmental Center in public ownership. On water, she prioritizes long-term regional solutions through the Eel-Russian River system, new water storage and aquifer recharge, greywater reuse, and better system management, while supporting geothermal development at the Geysers. On climate and energy, she backs Sonoma Clean Power's geothermal projects, cutting vehicle miles traveled through transit investment, fire-safe communities and resilience hubs, and regenerative agriculture for carbon capture; she also wants forest management to reduce wildfire risk and agricultural land kept in production. On transportation, she supports finishing SMART rail service to Cloverdale and the Russian River Trail, better 'last-mile' options like bike lanes and bus frequency, and a possible Phase 2 east-west light rail connecting Sonoma Valley, the lower Russian River, and Sebastopol. On public safety, she commits to civilian oversight of the Sheriff's Office, limiting county cooperation with ICE detainer requests to cases with a judicial order, and community-based policing. On agriculture, she wants to protect farmland from sprawl, support regenerative farming and local food systems, and help agricultural communities -- including the wine industry -- adapt to industry decline. On social services, she supports implementing the county's Master Plan for Aging and expanding childcare assistance for working families. On government operations, she wants to modernize county systems, build in-house expertise rather than relying on contractors, and increase public participation and transparency in processes like the General Plan update. She has also said she supports expanded access to reproductive health care and gender-affirming care, though the Board of Supervisors does not set law in these areas.
On the issues
- Housing & Homelessness
Supports streamlining approval for affordable housing, updating zoning to allow duplexes and triplexes ('middle housing'), promoting ADUs and lot-splitting, concentrating development near transit, and keeping the former Sonoma Developmental Center in public ownership.
Source → - Water & Natural Resources
Prioritizes long-term regional water solutions through the Eel-Russian River system, new water storage and aquifer recharge projects, greywater reuse, and improved water-system management; supports geothermal energy development at the Geysers.
Source → - Environment, Energy & Climate
Backs Sonoma Clean Power's geothermal development, reducing vehicle miles traveled through transit investment, building fire-safe communities and resilience hubs, promoting regenerative agriculture for carbon capture, and forest management to reduce wildfire risk.
Source → - Infrastructure & Transportation
Supports completing SMART rail service to Cloverdale and the Russian River Trail, improving 'last-mile' options like bike lanes, sidewalks, and bus frequency, and a possible Phase 2 east-west light rail linking Sonoma Valley, the lower Russian River, and Sebastopol.
Source → - Public Safety & Policing
Commits to civilian oversight of the Sheriff's Office, limiting county cooperation with ICE detainer requests to cases with a judicial order, and promoting community-based policing.
Source → - Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Wants to protect farmland from sprawl, support regenerative farming and local food systems, and help agricultural communities -- particularly the wine sector -- adapt to industry decline.
Source → - Family & Social Services
Supports implementing the county's Master Plan for Aging and expanding childcare assistance programs for working families.
Source → - Immigration & Border
Wants to protect immigrant communities' access to county services and limit county cooperation with ICE absent a judicial order.
Source → - Government, Elections & Democracy
Wants to modernize county systems, build in-house county expertise instead of relying on outside contractors, and increase public participation and transparency in processes such as the General Plan update.
Source → - Reproductive & Social Issues
Supports expanding access to reproductive health care and gender-affirming care.
Source →
Profiles are compiled from the candidate’s own statements and public records. We never tell you how to vote.