Sausalito City Manager, Former SF Port Director, Arrested During ‘Mental Health Crisis’

Elaine Forbes, the Sausalito city manager and former director of the Port of San Francisco, arrested on suspicion of burglary over the weekend, is experiencing a “mental health crisis,” her family said.

Forbes, 53, who took over the city’s top administrative position just three weeks ago, had already been on a leave of absence since Thursday. As of Monday morning, she remained in custody in Marin County Jail on a $50,000 bail.

“As the facts become clearer and Elaine obtains legal and healthcare counsel in the coming hours and days, we hope people will respond with compassion, patience and respect for her and her family during an extraordinarily difficult time,” Sam Singer, a spokesperson for the Forbes family, said on Sunday.

Forbes was arrested early Saturday morning at the Sausalito Yacht Harbor, where Marin County Sheriff’s deputies found her inside a yacht that did not belong to her. 

Deputies reported to the harbor after receiving a noise complaint around 6:06 a.m. There, they located Forbes, who had apparently broken into the boat and “discarded or consumed” alcohol, according to sheriff’s office spokesperson Lt. Domenick Yazzolino. He said that she had manipulated the controls “as if she was attempting to steal the vessel.”

At the time, Forbes told officials that she was having a “bad morning” and told them to get off of her boat, Yazzolino confirmed.

“This is a difficult development for our City staff and our community,” the city said in a statement on Sunday, declining to comment on specifics of the incident or investigation.

Sausalito’s city council had previously met in closed session on Thursday to discuss Forbes and approved a leave of absence.

In the meantime, Assistant City Manager Brandon Phipps has taken over as acting city manager. 

“The work of the City of Sausalito continues without interruption,” the city said. 

Forbes led the Port of San Francisco as executive director for nine years before stepping down in 2025. There, she spearheaded the effort to help the city prepare for the impacts of climate change on the waterfront. When she announced plans to depart from the role in 2025, she told the port commission: “I’m tired, I want a job with fewer than 280 employees, I don’t want to run a port city anymore, but I sure did these last nine years,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Sausalito’s city manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of city departments and staff, and implementing and enforcing city policies and laws.

The city council plans to discuss next steps on Tuesday.