Latest news with #SanMateoCountyBoardofSupervisors
CBS News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
San Mateo Sheriff Christina Corpus faces new questions over spending requests for radios, massage chairs
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors raised concerns over spending in the Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, though Sheriff Christina Corpus did not attend the meeting to discuss her request for millions to cover the purchase of new radios. At Tuesday's meeting, the Board was set to vote on approving the allocation of $4.2 million dollars to the Sheriff's Office for covering the one-time cost of updating and replacing outdated radio equipment. The agenda item was unrelated to potential proceedings by the Board to possibly remove Corpus from her role as sheriff. Last month, voters passed Measure A, granting the Board temporary power to oust the sheriff after the release of a scathing, 400-page investigation into alleged misconduct of Corpus. What was supposed to be a routine approval in the consent agenda with no required discussion became an argument that put Corpus and her office in yet another contentious situation. The discussion revealed an attempt by the department to buy 10 massage chairs with county money. Supervisor Jackie Speier requested that the decision to appropriate funds to the Sheriff's Office be moved off the consent calendar and onto the regular agenda because she wanted to discuss it further, directly, with Corpus. A few hours later when the item was up for discussion, Corpus was not present to address the Board's questions. Instead, Undersheriff Dan Perea came as a representative of the Sheriff's Office, saying that Corpus was busy at another meeting. Speier openly chastised Corpus for her absence. "We expect department heads to appear when they have issues before the Board of Supervisors," Speier told Perea sternly. "Moving forward, please alert her that if she has an item on the agenda that she should be prepared to come to the Board meeting." The Sheriff's Office has already purchased the 425 radios at $10,000 apiece, but allocating money from the county's Public Safety Augmentation Fund to the Sheriff's Office State Aid Public Safety budget to cover the cost needed approval from the Board. While large purchases from county departments are sometimes able to move forward without Board approval, the $4.2 million expenditure raised concerns for Speier, who is actively working on a resolution to bring more Board oversight to spending in county departments, she said. "Departments do have the authority to make goods purchases, sometimes through the procurement department, without coming to the Board," said County Attorney John Nibbelin during the meeting. But Speier pointed out to Perea that her concern also stems from other attempts by the Sheriff's office to make significant purchases, some of which may be considered unnecessary. "I've been made aware that there have been 10 massage chairs that were requested through procurement," Speier said, adding that the Office of Procurement had "thankfully" declined the request. Perea said he was aware of the attempted purchase but could not provide details on how the idea arose to buy massage chairs with county funding. He said he didn't believe he was involved in the approval and could not answer if Corpus approved it. "It was part of 'officer wellness,' as I understand it," Perea said. "I don't think I'm the best person, the most informed person right now to speak about that." The Board ended up unanimously authorizing the appropriation of funds to cover the cost of the new radios. But the lack of clarity about how the Sheriff's Office approves purchases, such as the 10 massage chairs, led the Board to request that Corpus appear at a future meeting to discuss the department's procurement process. "The whole procurement process is something that I think we need to have a better understanding of," Speier said.
CBS News
04-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
San Mateo supervisors closer to ousting Sheriff Christina Corpus after election certified
A San Mateo County measure giving the Board of Supervisors temporary authority to remove the sheriff was certified Thursday and voters overwhelmingly supported it by 84 percent. Now it's up to the supervisors to make their next move. Measure A was voted on in a March 4 special election . The charter amendment was spurred by an investigation into alleged misconduct of San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus, who has resisted calls to resign from supervisors, two deputy sheriff unions, and elected city, state and federal officials. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors resorted to holding a special election after Corpus refused to step down following a scathing 400-page report about her office was released last November . The author of the investigative report into Corpus, retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, suggested that the sheriff resign, but did not explicitly point out any criminality. In her report, Cordell interviewed about 40 current and former employees at the sheriff's office and concluded, "Lies, secrecy, intimidation, retaliation, conflicts of interest, and abuses of authority are all the hallmarks of the Corpus administration. Corpus should step down." The San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff's Association and Organization of Sheriff Sergeants on Thursday sent out a joint statement praising the outcome of the special election. "While the initiative was in many ways unprecedented, it is our firm belief that, in this case, decisive action was necessary," reads the statement. "Today's certified vote means that Sheriff Corpus' reign of unscrupulous mismanagement will soon come to an end." As for Corpus, she has been steadfast in her promise to stay put . She has said the attacks on her are politically motivated because she is a female sheriff up against a group of officers who are part of a "good ol' boys club." Corpus has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the county alleging discrimination and harassment. Under the amendment to the county charter established by Measure A, removal of Corpus would now require a four-fifths majority vote by the board of supervisors and Corpus will have an opportunity to defend her case. The board's authority to remove her will expire at the end of 2028. The board is set to meet on Tuesday, though the agenda for that meeting has not yet been posted. An attempt to reach Corpus was not immediately returned. Corpus was elected in 2022 and became the county's first Latina sheriff.
