San Mateo County Community College District seeks trustee applications 

The decision to pursue an appointment process was made this Monday during a special meeting, the district announced in an email Friday. Maurice Goodman was elected to represent Area 3, a district covering the cities of San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, Hillsborough and parts of South San Francisco, San Mateo and Pacifica, in 2020 and his term was set to expire in 2024 but he opted to vacate his seat early after winning his bid for Millbrae City Council. 

The vacancy could be filled in one of two ways — either by hosting a special election or by trustees appointing Goodman’s replacement themselves. During a special meeting Tuesday, trustees decided to make the appointment instead of running a special election but not before weighing the benefits and downsides of both options. 

During the Wednesday discussion, board President Lisa Petrides shared concerns the board would not have enough time to inform the public they were seeking candidates if they pursued an appointment process. Doing so would give the board 60 days from the day of Goodman’s resignation — Dec. 13 — to interview and select a replacement. 

Chancellor Mike Claire noted that if the board decided to host a special election, that race would likely occur in April. But that would leave the board without a fifth member for four months instead of the two under the appointment process. 

Trustee Richard Holober said he typically is in support of letting voters decide, estimating that, even if turnout is low, they could see ballots cast by thousands of residents. The election could be expensive for the district, he noted, because it would be the only issue on the ballot. He did also acknowledge that the race would be isolated in one part of the college district. 

“I can see the pros and cons for both,” Holober said. “I like democracy, I like to let voters decide.” 

Ultimately, Holober and Pimentel agreed the district wouldn’t “need to do a whole event,” such as hosting town halls and polling the community about what they’d like to see in a new trustee, with Holober noting the position is very different from that of chancellor. 

The district is currently undergoing a review process for three candidates who have applied to replace Claire who is retiring at the end of this school year. That process has included public meetings and engagement opportunities. 

Now decided on making their own appointment, the district will begin accepting applications from eligible residents living in Trustee Area 3 in January. More details on the appointment process will be hammered out during a special meeting Jan. 10. Applicants will be interviewed and a selection will be made on Feb. 18, 2023. Whoever is selected will finish out Goodman’s term through 2024. 

“While my heart will always remain here with the district, my role as a member of the Board of Trustees will end. I am extremely grateful to this district for what it has done for me as a student first and then as a student leader,” Goodman said last Wednesday. “As I said before, our fates are intertwined and either we move forward with all of us winning or we will definitely lose. Let’s keep our focus on our humanity and kindness and move our district forward.”