San Carlos City Council votes no confidence in sheriff, urges her to resign
San Carlos became the first city in San Mateo County to call for embattled Sheriff Christina Corpus to step down after the City Council unanimously took a position of no confidence in the sheriff on Monday.
"It's nothing less than a full spectrum failure of leadership," said Mayor John Dugan at Monday's council meeting.
The city joined a growing list of state and local leaders urging Corpus to resign after a scathing, 400-page investigation conducted by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell was released two weeks ago. It contained allegations of abuse of power, retaliation, intimidation, homophobia and racism in Corpus' office.
"The findings of Judge Cordell's report are serious and undeniable," said councilmember Ron Collins. "This is not about race, color, or gender. It's about accountability and only that. The cost to the taxpayers of San Mateo County are mounting every day she delays stepping down. I believe it is time for her to at least acknowledge the damage that is being done to the county in terms of public safety, public trust, confidence and the county's treasury, and resign immediately."
San Carlos does not have its own police department. It instead has relied on the Sheriff's Office since 2010 to provide law enforcement services in the city.
"These are dedicated men and women who keep us safe every day in positions that can be very dangerous at times," Collins said. "They serve our residents, who are our constituents. So, when their well-being is compromised, that becomes our business. Our primary responsibility as council members and city officials is to ensure the public safety of our residents."
The council heard comments from two members of public before agreeing to officially call for Corpus' resignation.
One of them was Bruce Cumming, a San Carlos resident and former police chief of Menlo Park and Morgan Hill with a 40-year career in law enforcement throughout the Bay Area.
"This whole situation in the Sheriff's Office is reprehensible. Never seen anything like it," Cumming said. "Sheriff Corpus ran for office on a platform of transparency and reform ... Her motto was, 'A Sheriff you can trust.' It turns out that none of that platform was true. I'm certain that the organization is in disarray. Morale is low. Staffing is unacceptable, with over 100 positions unfilled and the chances of recruitment to fill those positions dismal. It appears that Sheriff Corpus is over her head and is a sheriff you cannot trust."
Since Corpus took office in 2023, more than 100 sworn staff have left the Sheriff's Office, including Undersheriff Chris Hsiung and Assistant Sheriff Matthew Fox. In September, Corpus fired Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan, who participated in Cordell's investigation which suggests possible retaliation, county Supervisor Ray Mueller said in a statement.
"At least 106 sworn staff have left the agency with approximately half of those not being retirement eligible, which is very unusual," said San Carlos administrative services director Rebecca Mendenhall during her presentation to the City Council summarizing the report. "While the Sheriff's Office has been able to maintain our staffing levels as outlined in our agreement, it's uncertain if this will be sustainable given the staffing issues and significant turnover in leadership."
The other person to speak during public comment was Liz Lange, who urged the council not to take a position of no confidence in Corpus.
"No other cities or towns in the county have formally asked the sheriff to resign because it is not for city staff and council members to decide, but it's for the voters of this county to take action," Lange said. "The county Board of Supervisors and county leadership are trying to remove the sheriff by themselves through a charter amendment that has a sunset clause, clearly meant as a way to circumvent the voters. This is, without a doubt, a subversion of democracy ... This matter should be left solely up to the people who hired the sheriff, the voters."
The Board of Supervisors is attempting to remove Corpus by adopting a charter amendment that would give them the power to force the sheriff out but would expire by 2029. However, the amendment would have to be approved by voters in a special election in March.
One of Corpus' leading critics, San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff's Association union president Carlos Tapia, was also in attendance at Monday's City Council meeting. He was pleased to see the city come out and take a stand against the sheriff.
"On behalf of the Deputy Sheriff's Association, I am grateful for the support the San Carlos City Council has shown in their vote of no confidence in Sheriff Corpus," Tapia wrote in a statement. "It's humbling to see the concern our local leaders have for what goes in our community -- examining the facts from Judge Cordell's report and coming to their own conclusion of what they support."
Tapia was arrested by Corpus on suspicion of felony grand theft by false pretenses. The union said his arrest had "all the earmarks of whistleblower retaliation" in the wake of Cordell's report.
"I want nothing more than for our sheriff and her team to also look at what would be best for our community going forward," Tapia said. "It's imperative for them to consider the high standard we agreed to hold ourselves to when we were sworn into law enforcement and how anything lower than that standard puts our officers and residents at risk."
The San Mateo County Organization of Sheriff's Sergeants, or OSS, is another union that represents sheriff's sergeants and lieutenants. They also brought forth on Sunday a unanimous vote of no confidence in Corpus and her top leadership, including Undersheriff Dan Perea and her chief of staff Victor Aenlle. Aenlle is named throughout the report and is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with Corpus.
"We are witnessing the destruction of the Sheriff's Office and deterioration of morale due to the corruption and lies told by Sheriff Corpus," the union wrote in a statement. "Collectively, the members of the OSS stand united in the decision calling for Sheriff Corpus and her executive team to resign immediately."
Corpus did not respond to a request for comment. However, she did release a statement on Tuesday reiterating her intentions to stay in office. She did not directly address the San Carlos City Council's decision.
"I will not step down nor will I allow this institution to be politicized or influenced by special interests," she wrote. "Resigning from my position or relinquishing the independence of this Office is not the answer. Such actions would set a dangerous precedent jeopardizing the progress we've made and the meaningful change our voters entrusted me to deliver."
She also briefly mentioned trying to take steps to repair relationships within and outside the Sheriff's Office while keeping her remaining leadership in charge.
"I am moving forward with a restructured leadership team. Assistant Sheriffs, together with Undersheriff Perea, will lead with a renewed focus on restoring internal and external relationships while driving forward our strategic initiatives," Corpus said.
But her two assistant sheriffs, Fox and Monaghan, are no longer with the department. While the board tried to lay off Aenlle by eliminating the position of chief of staff two weeks ago, Corpus declared she would be promoting him to assistant sheriff. The board does not believe Aenlle is qualified to serve in that role since he is not a sworn officer.
San Carlos' action to take a position of no confidence in Corpus doesn't actually change anything. But the council is hoping that it will add to the mounting pressure on her to resign.
In addition to the call for Corpus' resignation, the city will also provide lunch and dinner meals over the next two weeks for staff in the Sheriff's Office, both sworn and civilian, who are assigned to serve San Carlos.
"All we can do is help lend their voice another microphone and another outlet," said City Manager Jeff Maltbie. "They are out there every day, putting their lives on the line, risking themselves for us. They need our help. They have loudly asked for it in the only way they can."
