The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously moved closer to asking voters to give them the power to remove Sheriff Christina Corpus from office following a scathing independent report about her tenure.
The board discussed a charter amendment sponsored by Supervisors Noelia Corzo and Ray Mueller that would allow them to remove Corpus for cause, "which means violation of any law related to the performance of sheriff's duties, flagrant or repeated neglect of sheriff's duties, misappropriation of public funds, willful falsification of official statements or documents, or obstruction of any investigation into the conduct of a sheriff," according to the Board.
A second reading of the charter amendment will be held in early December and if approved, San Mateo County voters will be asked to weigh in on giving the Board the power to remove Corpus in a March 4 election.
Corpus is accused of retaliating against her staff, uttering racial and homophobic slurs and giving too much power to her civilian chief of staff Victor Aenlle, who independent investigator and retired Judge LaDoris Cordell found in her 400-page report to be in an inappropriate personal relationship with the sheriff. Corpus has denied any inappropriate relationship with Aenlle.
Corpus has been defiant against calls for her to resign, which have come from the board and local, state and federal leaders such as U.S. Reps. Kevin Mullin and Anna Eshoo, state Sen. Josh Becker, and Assemblymembers Marc Berman and Diane Papan.
On Monday, Corpus reiterated that she had no intention of stepping down.
"I am disappointed, but not surprised that more elected officials have decided to pile on me and my office," the sheriff said in a statement.
"To the people of San Mateo County, I want to make it clear: I am not going anywhere. You elected me to be your Sheriff, and I intend to continue the hard work of reforming this office and keeping this community safe," Corpus said.
Corpus said she is a woman amid a "good ol' boy" system and doubled down on her stance Tuesday after the Board of Supervisors made its first move toward the charter amendment.
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"Today's vote by the Board of Supervisors was wrongheaded and anti-democratic," said Corpus in a statement released by her office. "It is a mean-spirited political scheme. This charter amendment with sunset language that only applies to me is an effort to go around the voters to try to unseat me. I will fight it tooth and nail. I am not going anywhere."
Corpus outlined several initiatives her office has taken to improve public safety, such as increasing recruitment, improving corrections, and providing a licensed therapist to staff.
Corpus said the board's bid to get rid of her is a "blatant attempt to go around the voters" who elected her in 2022.
Supervisor Corzo said that supervisors are also elected, and "are responsible for the safety net of this county, the safety net services, and for protecting our most vulnerable."
"Right now, what's happening at our Sheriff's Office is impacting and negatively impacting public safety," Corzo said at the meeting. "While it may be true that certain people or communities have seen improved conditions, that is not the case for everyone, and most definitely not the case for both administrative and sworn staff in the Sheriff's Office who are working under duress, working under conditions that no one should be exposed to."
Multiple speakers during the public comment period of the supervisors' meeting shared strong support for Corpus. A few pointed out that she had been duly elected by the people and had done a good job.
Another speaker questioned the price tag of putting the charter amendment to voters, saying he calculated it to be a cost of nearly $5 million.
Board president Warren Slocum joined the meeting via Zoom and said any elections= costs would be dwarfed by the liability Corpus poses.
"The number of lawsuits that we possibly face and will face far exceeds the cost of the election," he said.
Not everyone in the community who made statements at the meeting was in support of Corpus. The board read a written statement from Redwood City resident Sandra McKee.
"I'm wondering if the Board of Supervisors and other participants in the sheriff investigation should have additional security protections," she said. "I wonder how stable the sheriff is at this time, and with the power of the gun and the badge, could be a risk for other law enforcement officials and herself as her anger escalates."
For voters to approve giving the supervisors power to remove Corpus, it would take four-fifths vote of the board and only after giving the sheriff written notice and an opportunity to be heard publicly, the county said.
"These safeguards mean the Board could only apply the charter amendment to a sheriff that egregiously violates the public trust and the oath of office," said the county.
The proposed amendment has a sunset clause of 2028, at which time the board's authority to remove the sheriff will end.
