The marginalization of the GOP in California is especially evident in the Bay Area, where independent voters now outnumber Republicans in five counties, a trend that could shape the outcome of some races under the new top-two primary system.

Opponents of proposed chain-store restrictions in Sonoma won a victory last week when city leaders backed away from enacting a temporary ban. But with a narrow majority on the City Council clearly favoring the concept, it’s probably only a matter of months before the city of 10,000 joins a select few nationwide that have such regulations. What, if anything, should the City Council do?

After days of making national news, Sonoma city leaders on Wednesday backed away from enacting a temporary ban on chain stores. Some saw the proposal as a way to protect the town’s character, but others said it would shut out economic development. Was it the right decision?

Williams-Sonoma could face an uphill battle over its plans to return to Sonoma and open a store at the original site on Broadway due to possible city regulations on chain stores. What do you think the City Council should do?

The city of Sonoma is moving closer to regulating so-called formula businesses, including an outright ban on the city’s historic Plaza.City staff are preparing a draft ordinance that would set limits on chain and similar businesses and where they can locate in the city of 10,000.

Sonoma City Councilman Ken Brown and his family have been living rent-free in their home for months after a bank foreclosed on the landlord. Brown, who says he made attempts to pay rent or purchase the home from the bank, is at the center of a national debate over the legal and moral requirements borne by tenants, homeowners and lenders in a housing market that has shifted views of responsibility.

Business owner and councilwoman Joanne Sanders will serve her second stint as Sonoma’s mayor after her colleagues voted unanimously Monday night to appoint her to that role. What does she want to accomplish as mayor? Shorten the City Council meetings. “I’m convinced we lose the public the later it gets,” she said.

Momentum is building once again toward bringing a community pool back to Sonoma. But as with numerous proposals, the current initiative hinges on where to put the pool — and who is going to pay for it. The Sonoma City Council set a deadline of March for members of Citizens United for a Sonoma Pool, or CUSP, to present a plan.

Sonoma’s city finances are healthy compared to many other California cities, but uncertainty over state funding could lead to residents being asked to approve new or higher taxes to generate more revenue. It is unclear whether the city will be able to tap redevelopment funds in the future. “There is a need for more revenue, notwithstanding our performance last year,” Councilman Steve Barbose said.

The Sonoma Valley Unified School District is looking at its election practices after being alerted by Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Steve Herrington that its current hybrid practice might not meet Voting Rights Act standards. “The biggest thing is we want to be sure that we do have representation from the voting population here in Sonoma and that the minority voice is being accounted for and addressed,” Superintendent Louann Carlomagno said.