Chris Zapata is the City Manager of the City of Sausalito. He was appointed by the City Council in May 2021 and began his City Manager duties in June 2021.

Zapata has over thirty-five years of  public service, including leading cities in California and Arizona, such as serving as the City Manager of Anaheim in Orange County, San Leandro in the San Francisco Bay Area, and National City in San Diego County. Zapata also served as the deputy city manager of Glendale, Ariz., home of the National Football League’s Arizona Cardinals and the National Hockey League’s Phoenix Coyotes.

Zapata holds a bachelor’s in recreation leadership and a minor in business administration from Northern Arizona University.

The office of the City Manager was created by Ordinance No. 484 in 1955 and is appointed by the City Council. The City Manager is the administrative head of the government.

It is the duty of the City Manager to implement municipal policy, enforce all laws and ordinances of the City, and to see that all franchises, contracts, permits and privileges granted by the City Council are faithfully observed. The City Manager hires personnel, develops fiscal plans, regulates building activities, and maintains a unique understanding of how all city operations function together. The City Manager also supervises the day-to-day operations of all City departments and staff, and it is the responsibility of the City Manager to recommend to the City Council such reorganization of offices, positions, departments or units under his/her direction as may be indicated in the interest of efficient, effective, and economical conduct of the City's business. Working with other city managers in the County, the City Manager tackles cross-jurisdictional issues.