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Voters in San Mateo County are being asked this November whether to add new provisions in the county’s Charter Preamble related to extreme weather preparedness and reinforcing equal rights for all residents.
The proposed charter amendments would include new additions to the preamble, which is an introductory statement briefly summarizing the goals of the county government.
The suggested additions are ceremonial and aim to underscore the county’s priorities regarding equity for all residents and resilience to extreme weather events, subjects that were not previously a part of the preamble.
The current charter preamble reads as follows: “We, the people of San Mateo County, adopt this Charter to provide a local government responsive to our social, economic, physical and environmental needs and goals in a democratic, just and efficient manner.”
Measure L proposes updating the preamble to include another paragraph aimed at emphasizing the county’s commitment in building resilience to emergency weather events.
If approved by a majority of voters, the following paragraph would be added:
“It shall be the policy of San Mateo County that long-term resilience against extreme weather events — including fire, flood, wind, rain, heat, drought, and sea level rise — is a County priority, to be undertaken collaboratively with cities, districts, and other public entities.”
Measure AA also asks voters whether the preamble should have another new paragraph related to civil and equal rights.
 The paragraph that would be added reads as follows:
“The County of San Mateo affirms its commitment to the dignity, civil rights, and equal protection of all County residents in a manner that promotes equity, fairness, inclusion, belonging, accessibility, and opportunity.”
The proposed amendments were drawn up by a Charter Review Committee that met eight times over several weeks to create recommendations. In June, the Board of Supervisors moved to have the measures decided on by the voters in the election on Nov. 3.Â
No opposing arguments to Measures L and AA were submitted.
Registered voters can submit their ballots until Election Day on Nov. 3. There are currently three vote centers open in the county. Additional centers will open on Saturday and Oct. 31, bringing the total to 50 vote centers.
A map of vote centers and ballot drop off locations across the county can be found at https://smcacre.gov/elections/vote-center-and-ballot-drop-box-lookup.
This story was written by Alise Maripuu for Bay City News.
