Public Records · Form 700

What does your council member own?

California law requires elected officials to publicly disclose financial interests that could create conflicts of interest. These are Form 700 — Statements of Economic Interest, filed annually with the City Clerk under the Political Reform Act.

7 current council members required to file
Annual filing requirement — due April 1 each year
Public filings available at netfile.com · agency: PET

Note on personal residences: Under California Government Code §87207, a filer's personal residence is generally not required to be disclosed unless it generates rental income. The properties shown here are investment, rental, or commercial holdings. However, a personal residence can still be grounds for recusal if it falls within 500 feet of a project area — as happened with the Downtown Housing Overlay in October 2024.

Schedule B · Real Property

Member Financial Disclosures

Disclosures of real property interests other than personal residences, as reported on Form 700 Schedule B.

Loading disclosures…

Case Study · October 7, 2024

How conflict of interest works in practice

The Downtown Housing and Economic Opportunity Overlay came to a vote in October 2024. One council member was absent — not because of illness or travel, but because state law required it. This is the system working correctly.

1
The overlay vote
On October 7, 2024, the City Council voted on the Downtown Housing and Economic Opportunity Overlay — a zoning change that would reshape development rules for a large swath of central Petaluma and approve the EKN Appellation Hotel Project EIR.
2
One member absent
Alex DeCarli (District 5, Councilmember) did not cast a vote. He recused himself because his personal residence is within 500 feet of the overlay area — a legal threshold that requires disqualification under California Government Code §87100.
3
Why it's not on Form 700
Personal residences don't appear in Form 700 disclosures unless they generate rental income. But they can still trigger conflict-of-interest rules. The 500-foot rule applies regardless of whether a property is disclosed on Schedule B.
4
The vote passed 4–3
The remaining six members voted, with four in favor and three opposed. The overlay passed. DeCarli's absence did not change the outcome, but the recusal is important: without it, his vote could have invalidated the entire action.
Gov. Code §87100 — no public official may make, participate in, or influence a governmental decision in which they have a financial interest.
Downtown Overlay Area
Schematic of the overlay zone and the 500-foot exclusion radius. A property owner within this radius must recuse from votes affecting the area.
D St E St F St G St H St Ptlma Blvd Kentucky Western Keller OVERLAY ZONE 500 ft N property within radius (triggers §87100 recusal)
Downtown Overlay Zone
500-foot exclusion radius
Property within radius → recusal required

Public Records Access

Look it up yourself

All Form 700 filings are public records available through the NetFile portal. No account required.

How to find a filing

  1. Go to netfile.com/pub2/?aid=PET
  2. Search by the council member's last name
  3. Select "Form 700 — Statement of Economic Interest"
  4. Choose the most recent annual filing
  5. Open Schedule B (Real Property) to see disclosed property interests

What else is disclosed

Form 700 covers more than real property:

  • Schedule A-1: Investments (stocks, bonds)
  • Schedule A-2: Business positions
  • Schedule B: Real property interests (this page)
  • Schedule C: Income sources over $500
  • Schedule D: Gifts over $50
  • Schedule E: Travel payments

Full instructions: FPPC Form 700 guide

Conflict of interest rules

Under California Government Code §87100, a public official must not participate in any decision where they have a financial interest. Key thresholds:

  • Real property within 500 feet of a project → disqualification
  • Financial interest of $2,000+ in an affected entity
  • Income of $500+ from a source in the past 12 months

FPPC conflict-of-interest rules →

About this data

The data on this page comes from three sources:

  • Form 700 — self-reported by officials under penalty of perjury
  • Sonoma County Assessor — parcel records (owner names redacted from public GIS)
  • City meeting records — vote data from Petaluma City Council meeting minutes

Vote data: City of Petaluma official records

Disclaimer: Property data reflects Sonoma County Assessor records as scraped from public GIS layers. Form 700 disclosures are self-reported by officials under penalty of perjury, and personal residences are typically not required to be disclosed. The proximity analysis uses parcel centroid coordinates and an approximate 500-foot (152-meter) radius; exact legal determinations require a professional survey. This tool is for civic information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Always verify information against the original source documents. Source: City of Petaluma official records · Sonoma County Assessor · California FPPC.