Ray Mueller hits ground running for San Mateo County’s District 3

The experience was illuminating, he said, and underscored the importance of two key initiatives he campaigned on — developing a Coastside Resilient Infrastructure Specific Plan, or CRISP, as Mueller refers to it, and establishing a coastside office where residents will have more direct access to support from their electeds. 

District 3 is the county’s largest district geographically. While many of its residents are located in San Carlos, Menlo Park and parts of Belmont, Mueller’s new constituents can also be found living along much of the coastline, in rural swaths of forest land and other unincorporated areas. 

CRISP would help him and his team get a better sense of which infrastructure improvements need to be prioritized. With the county’s agriculture industry largely focused in his district, Mueller said it’s also imperative to better understand how officials can support farm stakeholders and the marine economy. 

Mueller’s current office in County Center is reachable to those near Redwood City but Mueller is eager to get an office opened somewhere on the coast. That space, he said, is fundamental to serving the coastside and should be open within 90 days of his swearing in which took place Tuesday, Jan. 3. 

Once opened, he said part of his team will be stationed there along with potential staff members for state Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, and Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto. 

“Hopefully, what we’ll have is a one-stop shop for coastside residents where people can get help,” Mueller said. “We’re trying to bring convenience and efficiency and effectiveness to serving residents in the district.”

Building takes time 

Getting to that point will take time. County staff is actively looking for a space to rent, however, some county officials have advised Mueller to practice patience, a trait he admits he sometimes struggles to balance with his ambition to get the job done, whatever it may be. 

In the meantime, Mueller has put much of his focus into building a team of dedicated community servants. Members of former Supervisor Don Horsley’s office have all taken positions in other places, Mueller said, leaving him to fill three full-time and three part-time roles. 

Mueller, in an interview before being sworn in, said he planned to have interviews completed by the end of this week and was looking for people who are passionate about the district and public service with a good mix of experiences. 

One area he said he’d like a staff member to tackle is digital storytelling and outreach, enabling his district offices to communicate in a culturally competent way in multiple languages. 

“I’m ready to go but I’m also trying to be patient in making sure there’s a plan put together and the right people in place to really run. For the first few months in office, it’s about getting everything in place to then be able to move projects forward,” Mueller said. 

Looking back, moving forward 

Mueller comes to the board with about a decade of experience, having governed on the Menlo Park City Council, including two terms as mayor, since 2012. Before then, he served for two years on the city’s Transportation Commission and volunteered with the county’s Surfrider Foundation and as a board member with the housing nonprofit LifeMoves. 

He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in bioresource sciences, went to law school to the University of California Hastings College of Law, and interned with the Public Law Research Institute in San Francisco with hopes of helping draft public policy.

While Mueller was dedicating hours a day toward public service, he was also working full time as an attorney. Keeping on top of his demanding schedule was made possible by the support of his wife, Kristen Shima, a principal at Corte Madera School, he said. 

Though his family, including his two children, have long supported his public and political endeavors, Mueller said his new job as supervisor will bring changes. His new supervisor income of about $141,000 will be less than what he’s made in years past and the position will demand more time from him than being on the council did given the dozens of committees and commissions to which he’s been assigned. 

But the job is one Mueller said he’s grateful to have and he appreciates the voters for trusting him to make policy for and with them. 

“I’m taking a pay cut so there’s sacrifice for my family in that respect but it’s humbling to have the job,” Mueller said. “It’s a big transition in my household but we’re all in and we’re all committed to serving the public.” 

Mueller beat out former San Carlos Councilmember Laura Parmer-Lohan for the county’s District 3 seat. By the end of his bid for the supervisor role, Mueller said the race “turned negative,” but he’s ultimately proud of the positive issues-focused campaign he led.

With the campaign behind him, Mueller said he’s ready to build bridges with those who didn’t support him and to work alongside a board of diverse members for the greater good of the community. 

“I’m really excited to work with this board,” Mueller said. “It has a lot of wonderful experience and a great mix of individuals to do great work together.”