Fairfax Council Approves Hiring Rico Tabaranza As Town’s Top Cop

FAIRFAX, CA — The Fairfax Town Council last week approved the hiring of Rico Tabaranza as the town’s new police chief.

The five-member council voted unanimously in support of his hiring.

Tabaranza has served his entire 10-year career in law enforcement in Fairfax, including serving as interim chief since late last year when he replaced outgoing Chief Chris Morin.

Tabaranza is the first police chief of Filipino descent in any Marin County municipality, KTVU reporter Henry Lee tweeted.

Rico Tabaranza, a 11-year department veteran, sworn in as @FairfaxPD chief, the 1st Filipino American top cop for the town & in Marin County. His badge was pinned by his father pic.twitter.com/wEHI0Uvd1l
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) July 8, 2021

Tabaranza will earn an annual salary of approximately $206,300, a 1.8 percent bump from the $202,700 annualized compensation he received as interim chief.

His salary as interim chief was a 15 percent increase above his lieutenant salary.

Morin in September announced his retirement after leading the force for 10 years and serving it for 20. He stepped down in December.