San Bruno rotating mayor question is heading to voters

“It’s been 45 years since the people of San Bruno voted on this type of selection of the mayor,” Councilmember Marty Medina said. “I personally think the city would benefit from [rotating the title].”

The city’s mayor position, like the vast majority of other cities in the state, is largely symbolic and does not carry executive authority greater than other councilmembers. The primary distinction is the mayor is responsible for leading city meetings.

But Marty Medina said he believed allowing other councilmembers to serve in the role could boost collaboration on the council.

Vice Mayor Linda Mason, who led the charge to examine the switch, said last year she felt the current system favored the status quo and did not garner incentive for competitive races. Despite mayoral elections occurring every two years (City Council elections occur every four years), in the last 23 years the city has had just three mayors, as there is no term limit.

Masons desire to make the change was part of her campaign in 2019 and, in 2020, she brought the item forward but did not receive support from her colleagues to advance it. Mason, in 2020, also ran for mayor, but lost to incumbent Rico Medina.

Councilmembers this time around agreed with Mason to bring the question to voters, with Rico Medina, after the council consensus became clear, stating he would remain neutral on the matter.

Salazar originally voiced opposition but opted to join the majority in “letting the people decide.”

“I’m generally opposed to trying to fix something that isn’t broken,” he said, pointing also to the estimated $10,000 cost to the city of placing the question on the ballot. “I’m not opposed to asking people but I am opposed to wasting money.”

The move, in addition to the ballot question cost, would require more significant city spending to actually enact, as the recently drawn and adopted district map for the council’s switch to district elections would need to be redone to accommodate another district. The council had hoped to include the drawing of a five-district map in the $100,000 process completed last week, but discovered late in the game the software available for public map submission only allowed four districts to be created.

Mason said while it would have been ideal to make the switch prior to districting, it should not serve as a barrier to proceeding. The move to district elections will leave the mayor as the only representative serving at-large, as all other councilmembers will be voted in by only their district.

Mason said she had heard from many constituents who had asked why the city did not have a rotational mayor, and many of those in favor of the current system likely felt that way because they were fond of the current mayor.

The council will further discuss the matter at a future meeting ahead of the election. The measure could include stipulations that the council would need to vote to approve the rotating in of a new mayor, or it could be required to occur automatically. Councilmembers agreed the latter was preferable as it afforded less opportunity for divisive politics.

In Millbrae, where the council must vote to approve the new mayor, the council in recent years blocked the appointment of Councilmember Ann Schneider for two consecutive years, citing “unbecoming” behavior. Rico Medina said the 1977 measure repealing the city’s rotating mayor process was the result of a similar dispute that had “divided a community.”

The council will also need to decide how the rotation is determined. City Manager Jovan Grogan said the city’s current system of rotation of the vice mayor title is based on seniority, but with district-elections the city may want to adopt a process that allows every district to have its representative serve as mayor.

corey@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200, ext. 105