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After election night voting results showed that voters appeared to overwhelmingly support Measure A, a ballot measure that would give the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors the power to remove Sheriff Christina Corpus, she vowed that she will not resign. Further, she said she and her legal team will continue to fight.
In a press release sent to this news organization, Corpus said that she and her legal team look forward to the opportunity for a public hearing that would be afforded to her in the newly established removal process. “(We) are confident that I will be vindicated through a legitimate process,” she said in her statement. “As for me — I will not resign. I will continue to fulfill my oath, do my job and work tirelessly to keep the residents of San Mateo County safe.”
As of 11 p.m. on March 4, 85.2% of 92,003 ballots counted were in favor of Measure A. The San Mateo County Elections Office estimates that as of 4 p.m. on March 5, 16,020 uncounted ballots remain. The voter turnout for this special election was about 24%.
Once election results are certified, the county charter will be amended to give the Board the authority to remove an elected sheriff from office with a four-fifths vote. The measure outlines the reasons for which the board could remove Corpus, including flagrant or repeated neglect of a sheriff’s duties, misappropriation of public funds or property, or obstruction of any investigation into her office. As the measure is written, the authority to remove a sheriff would expire at the end of 2028, which coincides with the expiration of Corpus’ current six-year term.
Supervisors Ray Mueller and Noelia Corzo held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to address the outcome of the election. They thanked voters for participating in the democratic process and for trusting the Board of Supervisors with the power to remove the sheriff.
“The results of this historic election send a clear message that San Mateo County voters continue to make educated decisions and trust the board of supervisors to uphold accountability and justice,” said Mueller.
Mueller and Corzo also outlined the next steps after election results are certified on April 3. The Board will first have to approve the election results. Then the change to the county charter will take effect 10 days after approval. At that point, if supervisors vote to move forward with removal proceedings, the sheriff will be served with a written statement outlining the grounds for her removal.
The county will then hold a removal hearing where Corpus will be given the opportunity, both in writing and in person, to defend herself and provide any explanations or defenses. Following the hearing, the supervisors can then take a vote regarding her removal.
“We are mindful of the serious responsibility that the voters of San Mateo County have decisively entrusted the Board of Supervisors with,” said Corzo. “We deeply value the Sheriff’s Office and the important role it plays in public safety in our county. We want to assure our residents that the services of the Sheriff’s Office will continue uninterrupted throughout this process.”
Corzo added that the board will “move forward as quickly as possible” with removal proceedings “in the best interest of the people of San Mateo County.”
Corpus says she looks forward to a public hearing. “With the passage of Measure A, I now have the opportunity to formally challenge and disprove the politically motivated allegations against me and my administration,” she said in her press statement.
Both the supervisors and Corpus promised transparency throughout the process. Mueller said that he wants to assure residents that “the county will implement clear procedures to ensure a public, impartial and lawful process,” as removal proceeds.
“I look forward to working with the newly elected Board of Supervisors to discuss a collaborative path forward — one that prioritizes transparency, accountability and the safety of our communities,” wrote Corpus in her statement.
If Corpus is voted out by the supervisors, Undersheriff Dan Perea would immediately begin acting as sheriff. The Board of Supervisors would then have 30 days to appoint an interim sheriff or call for a special election to fill the position. If no action is taken, the County Elections Office must schedule a special election after 30 days. The appointed or elected sheriff would serve the remainder of Corpus’s term.
The Board of Supervisors has not indicated whether it intends to proceed by appointing a successor or holding another election, and Mueller and Corzo declined to take any questions at their Wednesday afternoon press conference.
A joint statement from the Sheriff’s Office unions — the Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the Organization of Sheriff’s Sergeants — said that the members of the two unions are “gratified by … election results.”
“Today, it’s time to turn the page. We look forward to working with the Board to bring trust and accountability back to the Sheriff’s Office,” the statement reads. “Our duty, as always, is to protect our community, and we will continue to do so as the Board’s plan to rebuild the Sheriff’s Office takes shape.”
Corpus is living in a fantasy world. The voters have spoken, they want her gone. If she continues to fight this, there will be a recall election, which given this vote, will result in her removal.
Corpus will almost certainly be removed by the Board of Supervisors as soon as the election results are certified. They go through a county-wide referendum as a bluff.
Everything she is doing is legal positioning that sets the stage for the predictable wrongful termination lawsuit. After a short time, there will be a settlement agreement in the low seven figures, each side claiming it will save the taxpayers more money and further anguish.
From there, life will move on for the SMC Sheriff’s Office with their new boss, some of the exiled deputies and senior staff will return, and the former Sheriff will be able to buy a few more pairs of Louboutin boots.
Hopefully those shiny red soles will ease the pain of her ignominious departure.