Message from the Mayor:
On behalf of the City Council, I would like to welcome you to the City of Sonoma, where a rich history and a bright future blend to create an unparalleled quality of life. While tourism and wine are our major industries, you might be surprised to know that tucked away inside unpretentious office buildings and restored historic homes are businesses that create and produce unique products, develop specialized software, provide a variety of professional services, and contribute to global markets.
We invite you to discover the quality and charm of our many restaurants and hotels, the uniqueness of our downtown shops and galleries, and the beauty of our hillsides, vineyards, bikepaths and trails. We are a community that supports schools, our hospital, and a host of non-profits that provide services to all segments of the community.
We also support business. In 2004 the City and the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce joined togther to form the Sonoma Economic Development Partnership. The County joined the partnership in 2006. This program provides funding for specific business-serving resources, including an Economic Development Manager to act as a liaison to city staff, to provide outreach to the business community, and to assist in retention and recruitment efforts. The partnership also provided a strategy for economic development with implementation steps to keep the community and its businesses healthy. To learn more, take a look at the Partnership's website, SonomaValley4Biz.com.
Beginning in the same year, the City partnered with the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau to help fund a marketing campaign to bring visitors to Sonoma, to experience "real wine country."
The City also offers a friendly, professional staff that can offer you streamlined processing, and is always willing to work with you to meet your specialized needs. Just let us know how we can help as you evaluate our community as a potential location for your business.
Steve Barbose, Mayor