Election 2026: The Richardson Bay Sanitary District board candidates at a glance
Mark Fitzgerald, incumbent
Age: 39.
Years as resident: 4; grew up in Tiburon.
Occupation: Tiburon Fire Protection District captain.
Education: Fire academy at Butte College; fire-science courses at Santa Rosa Junior College and the College of Marin.
Civic background: Member of the Richardson Bay Sanitary District board since August 2022.
Key issues: Employee continuity, fiscal responsibility, district transparency.
Quote: “I’m proud to be part of that and take the pride and the responsibility of the well-being of the district as kind of a personal affliction. If things go bad there, then I would be part of that. If things go great there, then I was part of that. And the goal is to make everything go well and be good and run smoothly.”
Peter McIntosh, incumbent
Age: 65.
Years as resident: 15.
Occupation: Co-founder of EnviroSmarts, which makes environmental sensors, including water-leak detectors.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in advertising and communications from Southern Methodist University.
Civic background: Member of the Richardson Bay Sanitary District board since 2021; board president.
Key issues: Continuing good district governance; serving as district liaison to the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin; bay water quality.
Quote: “Back to the question of what drives me: I just love being a volunteer and helping out. … I’ve done a great job, I think, and I want to continue doing a great job.”
John Turnacliff, challenger
Age: 70.
Years as resident: 25.
Occupation: Equipment-finance manager; owner of Golden Gate Equipment Finance.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California.
Civic background: Chair of the Marin County Republican Central Committee.
Key issues: Improving district operations based on employee feedback; financial stewardship, including limiting rate increases.
Quote: “I’m kind of watching the hen house, the sewer system and what people are doing there for the people that don’t ever want to hear about it or think about it.”
Patrick Walravens, incumbent
Age: 60.
Years as resident: 26.
Occupation: Managing director and senior equity research analyst at Citizens Capital Markets & Advisory, a Citizens Financial Group subsidiary; began his career as an attorney.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University; MBA and law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Civic background: Member of the Richardson Bay Sanitary District board since 2020.
Key issues: Environmentally responsible sewer collection; financial stewardship of maintenance and operations, including capital-improvement projects.
Quote: “We’re lucky to have an amazing staff in the district, and it’s our job to provide them with the oversight and the support they need from the board in order so they can keep doing a great job for our community.”