San Bruno may rethink having elected mayor

For her part, Mason contends that the mayor’s title should rotate annually among councilmembers, as is the case in all other local cities, as well as the presidency of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

“It’s time for a change,” Mason, who ran for mayor last year but lost to incumbent Rico Medina, said.

Medina did not return multiple calls for comment on the proposal.

To dispel any notion that this is an emerging concept, Mason said she campaigned on a proposal to convert the post to a rotating title and intended to call for the shift if the election had turned out in her favor.

Her case against the independently-elected position is that it works to preserve the status quo and is a significant structural hurdle for new candidates to overcome. To illustrate her point, Mason acknowledged how rare a competitive mayor’s race can be in San Bruno.

“It’s clear by the numbers that the elected mayor doesn’t garner incentive for competitive races,” Mason said.

Beginning in 1999, former mayor Larry Franzella held the position for 10 years, before opting to not seek reelection. Jim Ruane then took the post in 2009 and held it until 2017, when he stepped away from elected office and Medina filled the vacancy with a win over political neophyte Annette Zink.

In that span, the only competition faced by incumbents was when Franzella defeated current Councilmember Michael Salazar in 2005 and Medina defeated Mason in 2020, Mason said.

“Those with the bigger name and longer-standing reputation often have a benefit that others don’t,” she said.

Beyond being an instrument for preserving the status quo, Mason also suggested that the mayor’s position should rotate as the city converts to district elections, to assure each neighborhood gets equitable representation.

Additionally, she said there are more costs facing the city by preserving the independently-elected position because it can go to the ballot every two years.

Looking to the upcoming meeting, there is no decision slated because it is not on the agenda for a vote. But Mason said she hoped that consensus could form around the matter and that it would be brought back for formal consideration at a future meeting.

Ultimately she anticipated that it would be up to voters to decide and she hoped councilmembers would agree that it could be floated to the same ballot as the recall election facing Gov. Gavin Newsom this year.

“The best way to handle it would be to have it on the ballot,” she said.

For her part, Mason estimated that there is a 50% shot that her fellow councilmembers will agree with her proposal to advance the overhaul.

“I think some of this will run along the lines of those who have been in power longer,” she said. “Likely reflecting the reasons that this should be supported.”

As she made her case, Mason noted that the title is largely symbolic and that the mayor is not granted any more authority when voting on issues than any other councilmember.

But the mayor is still an honored and recognized position that more people should have the access to, she said.

“The person is a symbol of the city,” she said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com