Depending on how the four-person Board of Supervisors proceed in filling the empty chair in their chambers — by appointment or special election — we may see a dramatic change in how we elect these officials in the future. San Mateo County is one of the few counties which still elects its representatives county-wide rather than by separate districts.

The at-large (county-wide) system was long preferred by reformers so elected officials would represent broader interests rather than just the parochial interests of their own constituents. In San Mateo County, you must live in the district you represent but are elected by voters throughout the county. To run a meaningful campaign you need big name endorsements and big bucks. The result has been few real contests and, in many cases, no election. The candidate with overwhelming countywide political support, name recognition and major financial contributions will usually scare off a challenger. The last heated contest in the county occurred in 1998 when Richard Gordon ran to represent the third supervisorial district. His opponent was Denise deVille, Tom Huening’s wife and the executive director of SAMCEDA. In the last 10 years, Rose Jacobs Gibson was appointed to the board when former supervisor Ruben Barralles left; Jerry Hill ran for Tom Huening’s seat when Tom was termed out. Gibson, Hill, Mark Church and Adrienne Tissier were elected and re-elected without any serious opposition. In some cases the incumbent supervisors had no opposition during re-election and no significant opponents when they first ran.

While many (including this writer) still prefer the at-large system because it produces experienced and reliable candidates who think of the big picture rather than narrow interests (and point to San Francisco as an example of what can go wrong), some are rightfully questioning whether democracy has suffered in the process. The present system as it has evolved discourages those who may not yet enjoy the support of the local labor and business establishment. But change is in the air. More people are voting. More people are interested in running for office, especially at the local level. New constituencies feel they are not adequately represented in top county posts. By the time there is the next round of supervisor elections in 2012, I would not be surprised if we were voting by district rather than countywide. That might mean some spirited elections and some new faces in county seats. But wouldn’t it be better if we kept the at large system and also had real contests every four years?

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Local philanthropy: San Mateo residents Tracy Butler, a nurse, and her husband Dr. David Marcus, a radiologist, have been recognized by the San Mateo County Health Foundation for their contributions to the foundation. Tracy has written a book on prenatal care which is given free to all pregnant patients at clinics throughout San Mateo County. It includes everything you need to know to stay healthy during pregnancy and tips on how to have a healthy infant. The book is also available in Spanish. David has been a member of the Board of Directors and served as chief of the medical staff of the San Mateo Medical Center for three years. Business Week listed the top 50 philanthropists in the United States. Atherton and former San Mateo resident, Lorry Lokey was No. 26. Lokey may not be the 26th richest American but he is one of the most generous. A former reporter for United Press International, Lokey founded Business Wire where he made his fortune. When he profitably sold the company he pointed out that he preferred giving to libraries, universities and other worthwhile causes rather than spending his money on yachts. He helped fund the Jewish Community Center in Foster City.

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More on garbage: Readers have contributed the following additions and corrections — The original business entity was San Mateo Scavenger Co., which was owned and operated by local residents. It later included Belmont Scavenger and others. In 1976, San Mateo Scavenger was acquired by BFI, a publicly owned company. Louis Devincenzi, the former general manager of San Mateo Scavenger, became the first general manager of BFI. He was followed by Lino Valbusa and then by Dan Day. BFI was a publicly-owned company and was not owned by the Valbusa family as I had indicated. BFI was the second largest waste-hauler in the United States but was acquired by Allied Waste, a smaller waste hauler (No. 3 in the United States) in 1997. According to one reader, “Allied Waste borrowed substantial funds to acquire BFI, and looked to each BFI district to amortize the debt. This additional cost was the cause of the deterioration of the service level in the San Mateo District.”

Sue Lempert is the former mayor of San Mateo. Her column runs every Monday. She can be reached at sue@smdailyjournal.com.