The former city manager of affluent Sausalito has stepped down less than two months after she was arrested in connection with an unusual incident involving boats at the San Francisco Bay city’s marina.
Elaine Forbes, 53, who previously led the Marin County waterfront community, is still receiving treatment and is showing signs of improvement, family spokesperson Sam Singer told The California Post on Wednesday.
“Resigning was important so she could focus on her mental wellbeing,” Singer said.
Her resignation marks a sudden close to what became a brief and turbulent stretch as Sausalito’s top administrator.
Forbes was taken into custody in July after officials said she entered several vessels at the Sausalito Yacht Harbor.
Mayor Steven Woodside confirmed Monday that the city had accepted Forbes’ resignation and that she was no longer working for Sausalito.
“Our hearts are with Elaine and her family, and we stand behind her as she takes this time to focus on her health and healing,” Woodside said.
In a closed-session vote, the City Council unanimously selected Brandon Phipps to serve as interim city manager for the next six months. Sausalito officials plan to begin the search for a permanent city manager after the November election.
Forbes had been on the job for only about three weeks when authorities arrested her July 18 after she allegedly boarded several boats, including a large yacht, at the Sausalito marina.
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Authorities said Forbes was found aboard the yacht around dawn after its horn began blaring.
Investigators alleged she initially claimed the vessel belonged to her before its owner confirmed she did not have permission to be aboard. She was initially booked on suspicion of felony burglary.
The yacht’s owner, Andy Cunningham, told The Post that Forbes had ransacked clothing, eaten food and consumed four bottles of wine aboard the vessel. A missing-person report had been filed for Forbes days before her arrest.
Forbes later agreed to undergo a psychiatric evaluation at Marin General Hospital during a court appearance and did not enter a plea. Her attorney, Randy Knox, said at the time that she was “trying to get the help she needs.”
Singer previously said Forbes was experiencing a significant mental health crisis during the incident. Forbes lived on a houseboat near the marina, and Singer said she may have believed she was aboard her own vessel.
Before taking the Sausalito job, Forbes spent nine years as executive director of the Port of San Francisco. She abruptly announced her departure from that post in September 2025, saying she was “tired” of overseeing such a large operation and needed a change.
Singer said Forbes’ family members — including her wife Angela Cavillo, clerk of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors — are grateful for Sausalito’s response.
“Angela and her family are tremendously grateful for the city of Sausalito and how nicely they have treated her during this difficult moment in her life,” he said.
