Terry Sanders
Candidate for City Council Member, Santa Rosa, District 4 · Planning Commissioner/Businessperson
Terry Sanders is a San Francisco Bay Area native who moved to Santa Rosa in 2006. He spent 23 years as a firefighter, EMT, and paramedic before retiring, and previously owned a small business. His Fountaingrove home was destroyed in the 2017 Tubbs Fire; he relocated within District 4 rather than rebuild and provided community updates at the fire command center during the crisis. He is a second-term Santa Rosa Planning Commissioner and has served as chair of the Luther Burbank Rose Parade, board president of the California Theater, vice chair of the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Community Board, and a board member of the Santa Rosa Fire Foundation and Wednesday Night Market.
Positions in brief
Sanders's ten stated priorities lead with housing affordability, homelessness, and fire prevention and preparedness, drawing on his firefighting background and experience surviving the 2017 Tubbs Fire.
On his campaign website, Sanders lists housing affordability as his top priority, supporting first-time homebuyer programs, rental assistance, and prioritizing housing in already-zoned downtown areas. His second priority is homelessness, where he asks "at what point do we enforce the laws already on the books to their fullest extent?" His third priority is fire prevention and preparedness, drawing on his 23-year firefighting background and experience as a 2017 Tubbs Fire survivor. He also prioritizes climate action through city fleet electrification and solar incentives; opposes what he calls unsuitable large-scale development on the former Sutter Hospital Chanate Road campus; emphasizes crime and public safety as the "only first responder" candidate in the race; wants increased investment in streets and sidewalks, many of which are rated "at-risk," "poor," or "failed"; supports downtown revitalization through improved parking policy; wants to address structural budget deficits by prioritizing planning and building staffing; and supports investment in youth programs, parks, and recreation. He also supports enforcing the city's existing 198-unit cap on short-term rentals through technology-based compliance rather than an outright ban.
On the issues
- Housing & Homelessness
Supports first-time homebuyer programs, rental assistance, and prioritizing housing development in already-zoned downtown areas.
Source → - Housing & Homelessness
Supports balancing compassionate response with enforcement of existing laws around homelessness.
“At what point do we enforce the laws already on the books to their fullest extent?”
Source → - Public Safety & Policing
Prioritizes wildfire prevention and disaster preparedness, drawing on his firefighting career.
Source → - Environment, Energy & Climate
Supports electrifying city vehicle fleets, expanding solar incentives, and reducing transportation emissions.
Source → - Housing & Homelessness
Opposes large-scale development on the former Sutter Hospital Chanate Road campus that he says exceeds local infrastructure capacity.
Source → - Public Safety & Policing
Emphasizes his first-responder background as central to his approach to crime and safety.
Source → - Infrastructure & Transportation
Supports increased investment to repair streets and sidewalks, many of which are rated poor or failing.
Source → - Economy & Jobs
Supports improving downtown parking policy and supporting business owners through better communication.
Source → - Taxes & Cost of Living
Supports prioritizing planning and building staffing while cutting wasteful spending and reevaluating homelessness spending.
Source → - Housing & Homelessness
Supports enforcing the city's existing 198-unit cap on short-term rentals through technology-based compliance rather than an outright ban.
Source →
Profiles are compiled from the candidate’s own statements and public records. We never tell you how to vote.