County Charter Review Committee to meet Weds, Jan 13 at 6pm

San Mateo County is the only remaining county in California with at-large elections for Supervisors.  During the last 40 years only one Coastside resident has been elected to the Board of Supervisors.

The cost to run a county-wide campaign is much higher than a district campaign, and the expense of running such a large campaign drastically limits the candidate pool.

The Charter Review Committee will have public meetings in Redwood City starting this week and possibly running though June 30, 2010.

For more info on the Charter Review Committee please read the following:

• San Mateo County Grand Jury Report [pdf]
• Charter review panel to meet Jan. 13 [County Times]
• Stacking the deck aginst reform in san mateo county [Examiner blog]
• Grand Jury Demands District Elections for San Mateo County [Peninsula Examiner blog]
• Unincorporated San Mateo County Housing Allocation Process: “There’s got to be a better way” [The Pelican Eye]

Committee Members include:

• Rosalie O’Mahoney and Cary Wiest (appointed by Supervisor Mark Church)
• Sean Foote and Beverly Miller (appointed by Supervisor Rich Gordon)
• Melanie Hildebrand and Ruth Nagler (appointed by Supervisor Carole Groom)
• Dolores Canepa and Susan Brissenden Smith (appointed by Supervisor Adrienne Tissier)
• Dave Pine (appointed by San Mateo County School Boards Association)
• Dave Burow (appointed by Council of Cities)
• Kathy Everitt (appointed by League of Women Voters)
• Daniel S. Cruey (appointed by SamCEDA)
• Shelley Kessler (appointed by San Mateo County Central Labor Council)
• William R. Schulte (appointed by Sustainable San Mateo County)

*Three appointees to be announced: Two from Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson and one from the Youth Commission. Source: San Mateo County counsel

WHAT:  First meeting of San Mateo County’s charter review committee. The Meeting is Open to the Public
WHEN:  Wednesday, Jan. 13 6:00pm
WHERE:  Room 101, 455 County Center, in Redwood City.