Elaine Forbes was the director of the Port of San Francisco for nearly a decade before starting the new role in Marin County three weeks ago.
Jul 20, 2026
Updated 10:27 am PT
Sausalito City Hall in Sausalito on July 13, 2026. (Nina Glick/KQED)
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.
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 law.
The city council plans to discuss next steps on Tuesday.