Francisco Martinez
What I cover
Francisco covers Tiburon: the Town Council and town government, development and housing, and the people and events of the town.
Background
Francisco joined The Ark in July 2023. He graduated from the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. There, he was a reporter, news anchor and radio DJ for student-run Mustang Media Group, which includes Mustang News and KCPR-FM. Francisco also worked for KCBX-FM in San Luis Obispo, where he reported "Beyond the Furrows," an award-winning 12-part series about farmworkers in Santa Barbara County. Francisco lives in Point Richmond. A former record store employee, he spends his free time listening to music old and new and playing with his four cats. Francisco remains an eternally suffering Tottenham Hotspur fan.
Our standards
Ark journalists avoid conflicts of interest, refuse gifts, favors, free travel and special treatment, and correct information throughout the life of a story. Read The Ark’s ethics policy and corrections policy.
Latest from Francisco
Tiburon, Belvedere brace for El Niño, king tides
Tiburon and Belvedere are filling sandbag stations and readying a shared emergency center for a strong to very strong El Niño, and officials urge residents to prepare.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ and TYLER CALLISTER ·
Nine-townhome plan for Point Tiburon clears key hurdle after three rejections
Tiburon deemed Black Oak Ventures’ fourth application for nine townhomes on the Point Tiburon Plaza parking lot complete Oct. 22; the town must decide by Nov. 23.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Late filings show who’s paying for Tiburon council, fire, school races
Alice Fredericks raised the most from donors among Tiburon Town Council candidates in the last pre-election reports, while Kathleen Defever outspent the field with a loan.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ and KEVIN HESSEL ·‘We shouldn’t be here’: Family, friends mourn Strawberry’s Ann Mannix and daughter Katie at San Francisco funeral
Family, friends and police packed St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco Oct. 23 for the funeral of Strawberry residents Ann Mannix and her daughter, Katie Mannix.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
A&C Ventures revives downtown Tiburon housing plan with 127 units
A&C Ventures has revived its plan to build housing on three Tiburon Boulevard properties, now proposing 127 rental units with 20 reserved for lower-income tenants.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Tiburon faces Oct. 24 deadline on latest Point Tiburon housing plan
Tiburon has until Oct. 24 to decide whether Black Oak Ventures’ fourth application for nine townhomes on the Point Tiburon Plaza parking lot is complete.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Reed Union student test scores remain steady for English, math
Reed Union School District students held steady on the 2025-2026 state tests, with 80.7% meeting English standards and 78.8% in math, well above Marin and the state.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·Tiburon OKs boutique fitness studio for long-vacant storefront next to CVS
Tiburon’s Planning Commission approved Pelican Pro Fitness, a boutique studio, for the long-vacant storefront next to CVS at 1599 Tiburon Blvd.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
A Strawberry resident looks to empower people in using AI
Strawberry resident Juan Jurado, an AI entrepreneur and Stanford graduate, says the technology should empower people and keep humans in control.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Tiburon Town Council candidates differ on parks funding, term limits, Flock, AI
Tiburon Town Council candidates split on private park money, term limits and AI in follow-up interviews, but all five were open to a hearing on Flock cameras.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Belvedere resident sues Tiburon, police officers over alleged wrongful arrest, privacy violations
A Belvedere resident is suing Tiburon and three police officers, alleging an arrest without probable cause on an October 2025 domestic-violence call.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·Tiburon faces $1.6 million annual gap in road maintenance funding
Tiburon has about five years of dedicated pavement money left before it would need roughly $1.6 million a year from its general fund to keep up road work.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Tiburon Town Council hopefuls talk traffic, finances, housing at Ark forum
Tiburon Town Council candidates mostly agreed at a Sept. 29 forum that residents should help oversee town finances but split on Flock cameras, housing sites and park funding.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Reed school district inclusion efforts filmed for documentary series
A crew for Andy Garcia’s public-television docuseries filmed Reed Union School District classrooms Sept. 24 for a segment on including students with disabilities.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Belvedere-Tiburon Library board says more time is needed for facilities plan
The Belvedere-Tiburon Library Agency board heard its first long-term facilities plan Sept. 21 but held off adopting it over concerns it mixed maintenance with new projects.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·Watch the 2026 Tiburon Town Council candidates forum
Watch all five candidates for three Tiburon Town Council seats at The Ark's Sept. 29 forum, moderated by the League of Women Voters of Marin.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·Reed schools’ Measure O seeks $115 million bond for campus repairs
Voters will decide Nov. 3 on Measure O, a $115 million bond to repair and upgrade the Reed Union School District’s three schools.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Tiburon resident, educator helps bring Native American culture to community
Tiburon’s Eddie Madril, an assistant professor at San Francisco State and founder of Sewam American Indian Dance, is co-organizing the town’s Native American celebration Oct. 11.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Tiburon’s Cinelounge to host Bruce Dern for inaugural fundraising gala
Academy Award-nominated actor Bruce Dern will be the guest of honor Nov. 5 at the first fundraising gala for a new nonprofit supporting Tiburon movie theater Cinelounge.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Two of five Tiburon Town Council candidates report donors; measures P, CC near $1.2 million
Faris Jafar and Chuck Hornbrook are the only two of Tiburon’s five Town Council candidates to report donations in campaign-finance disclosures due Sept. 24.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
