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San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller called on the board to begin the process to potentially remove Sheriff Christina Corpus during the county supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday, May 20. 

“Supervisor Canepa, a few weeks back, you stated as president of this board that you didn’t care how long this process took,” Mueller said, according to a press release. “Respectfully, I disagree. 

San Mateo County District 3 Supervisor Ray Mueller speaks during a press conference at the San Mateo County Center in Redwood City announcing the release of an independent report into allegations against the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 12, 2024. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.

“I believe it is possible to be both time efficient and fair. Fairness doesn’t just apply to the Sheriff, it applies to those who work in the Sheriff’s office and the residents of this County,” he added.

The board adopted removal processes per Measure A at its May 6 meeting. The first step is to send Corpus a notice of intent to remove. The board has not had the opportunity to vote on sending the notice, as the board president largely controls the agenda. 

San Mateo County Supervisors Board President David Canepa has yet to add initiating the Measure A process to the agenda. If the board sends a notice of intent, the process to remove may take four to six months, or even longer if Corpus challenges it in court. 

Mueller’s press release did not explicitly say he favored removal. However, Corpus’ lawyers have argued that both Mueller and Supervisor Noelia Corzo have already decided they would vote to remove her and should be recused from the removal process. 

“This is uncharted territory,” Canepa said in a statement. “All of us on the board agree it should be a fair process. As president of the Board of Supervisors, I’m one of five members and these decisions are made by the board itself, not just by the president.”

On March 4, during a special election, voters passed Measure A, giving the board the power to remove Corpus until the end of her term. Eighty percent of voters supported the measure; however, only 24% of registered San Mateo County voters voted in the election. 

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Arden Margulis is a reporter for The Almanac, covering Menlo Park and Atherton. He first joined the newsroom in May 2024 as an intern. His reporting on the Las Lomitas School District won first place coverage...

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