LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The first candidate in next year’s races for county office has formally tossed his hat in the ring.

Patrick Sullivan of Upper Lake announced his intention to seek the office of treasurer-tax collector in the upcoming June 2022 election.

The office currently is held by Barbara Ringen, who has indicated she intends to retire when her term ends in January 2023.

Sullivan is currently Lake County’s tax administrator, a position he accepted in 2018 and has served in for three years.

“My efforts to increase Lake County’s revenues from both internal and external sources are making a difference here in Lake County,” Sullivan said. “As Lake County’s treasurer-tax collector, I will be able to expand those efforts and continue to improve the county’s financial resources which, in turn, will ultimately improve the general quality of life for County residents.”

He has worked on a variety of programs that have expanded Lake County’s revenues and strengthened the County’s finances.

Sullivan’s efforts have resulted in bringing short term rentals on sites such as Airbnb and VRBO into compliance with county regulations and have supported the continued development of the Cannabis Tax Program and related budgetary policies.

His grant writing has resulted in Lake County being awarded several state grants which Sullivan currently manages.

These grants have been used to create a program to support at risk students in partnership with the Lake County Office of Education, fund code enforcement efforts to combat illegal cannabis cultivation, and create a local equity program that will infuse state funds back into the community.

In addition to successfully acquiring new grant funds for Lake County, Sullivan was instrumental in obtaining third party software that helps the county identify and monitor unregistered short-term rentals — often advertised on sites such as Airbnb and VRBO — and began the enforcement of registration requirements and the collection of delinquent transient occupancy taxes.

He guided the process to retain an investment management and advisory service for the county to develop an investment program, and has participated in its implementation.

Sullivan also helped coordinate the efforts of multiple county departments to successfully develop a comprehensive data set which resulted in tax defaulted properties in the county being integrated into a searchable GIS platform.

He said his efforts in support of Lake County’s Cannabis Tax Program have been especially crucial to that program’s ongoing success, as the regular changes in regulations and laws at all levels of government have required constant attention.

Sullivan is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego where he majored in international relations.

He then went on to attend law school at Golden Gate University in San Francisco where he earned his Juris Doctorate. He is a licensed attorney and is a member of the Lake County Bar Association.

Before accepting the position of tax administrator in Lake County, Sullivan served for six years in the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s office in Mendocino County. While there, he served as an elected trustee alongside that county’s treasurer-tax collector, managing that county’s independent pension’s investment pool and benefits system.

Sullivan lives in Upper Lake with his wife and children. His wife, Anakalia “Andrea” Kaluna Sullivan, is a local business owner whose law practice is based in Lakeport. His children attend local schools in Lake County.

Over the next several months, Sullivan looks forward to meeting Lake County voters to understand their highest tax-related priorities.