San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has 2 weeks to a new sheriff

The Board of Supervisors must appoint the next sheriff before Nov. 13, which means county staff is all hands on deck in making sure the selection process is transparent and engages with the public, County Executive Mike Callagy said.

“To do this the right way and to get public input, this would be the highest priority,” Callagy said. “This is so important that this would take the highest priority, we would have to stop doing some other things and really work on this.”

Applications will close next week, at noon Wednesday, Nov. 5, and then the Board of Supervisors will do an initial vetting of all candidates on Thursday, Nov. 6, in a public meeting, Callagy said.

The board will then whittle the pool down to the top candidates who will then appear in a public forum to receive questions from a moderator on Monday, Nov. 10. Questions asked will be from the public, who can submit online starting as early as Thursday, Callagy said.

The intent is to conduct a final round of questioning and make an appointment Wednesday, Nov. 12, Callagy said.

“We want to get it right, we want to make sure there is public input for this board to consider,” Callagy said.

Concerns were raised of the extremely short amount of time allotted to find the best candidate by board President David Canepa and Supervisor Jackie Speier. Interested parties have less than a week to make their case on paper — and in a two-minute video that will be posted online for the public on Nov. 5.

“The appointment of a sheriff for three years determined by the applications submitted over the course of only six weekdays is far too short,” Speier said. “It is not consistent with an open and deliberative process.”

In a special meeting held Tuesday evening, the Board of Supervisors heard from nearly 100 individuals who weighed in on what they want to see in the next sheriff of San Mateo County and just how to find that best candidate.

There was an overwhelming desire to entrust the board with appointing Corpus’ successor that will properly fill the needs of the Sheriff’s Office and quickly work to rebuild trust within the department and externally with the public.

“You have the full breadth of knowledge of exactly what’s needed in the sheriff’s department,” Kalimah Salahuddin, chair of the Independent Civilian Advisory Commission on the Sheriff’s Office, said during public comment. “You are best suited to appoint someone to serve those needs.”

Carina Merrick, a Redwood City resident, said that the passage of Measure A in March gave the Board of Supervisors the authority to remove an elected sheriff, and county charter already allows the Board of Supervisors to appoint a successor to fill an elective office vacancy for the remainder of the term.

“You can accept the power and the mandate that 85% of voters gave you when we passed Measure A and make that long-term appointment,” Merrick said. “You can represent us in this matter.”

Julie Lind, executive of the San Mateo Labor Council, spoke during the public meeting on behalf of the sworn and civilian staff of the Sheriff’s Office. Stable, consistent leadership will be essential, and removing the “last remnants of former Sheriff Corpus’ command staff” will allow the Sheriff’s Office to rebuild, she said.

Undersheriff Dan Perea, who was hired by Corpus, is currently discharging the duties of the Sheriff’s Office.

“Our captains, lieutenants, sergeants and deputies, as well as our civilian colleagues, support a long-term appointment to complete the remainder of Ms. Corpus’ term,” Lind said.

Still, supervisors were split 3-2, with Canepa and Speier opposed and interested in putting the task in the public’s hands with another special election. Should the election occur consolidated with the June 2026 primary, it would effectively be free. Alternatively, an election held as early as Feb. 24 would cost the county over $3 million.

Supervisor Ray Mueller had previously proposed the board appoint a trusted individual who will resign immediately and require a consolidated election in June 2026. At Tuesday’s meeting, he shared why he changed his mind.

“Given the amount of damage that has been done to the morale of this department, I don’t think four changes of leadership in such a time period is in the interest of the department nor in the interest of the residents of this county,” Mueller said.

Mueller noted that by proceeding with an appointment process, the county can seek more from a candidate than just the minimum requirements needed to run a campaign.

“This board can require more at a time we need more,” Mueller said.

Visit smcgov.org/ceo/new-sheriff to read the job description online.