Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Subject: Report and Recommendations of the 2026 San Mateo County Charter Review Committee
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation to:
A) Receive the report of the 2026 San Mateo County Charter Review Committee; and
B) Consider the Charter Review Committee’s recommendations regarding potential amendments to the San Mateo County Charter, as well as any additional amendments that the Board of Supervisors may deem appropriate, and whether to direct the County Attorney to prepare an ordinance calling an election on November 3, 2026 on a measure or measures to amend the San Mateo County Charter.
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BACKGROUND:
Pursuant to Section 801 of the San Mateo County Charter (the “Charter”), on December 9, 2025 and January 13, 2026, the Board established and appointed members to the 2026 San Mateo County Charter Review Committee. As constituted by the Board, the Committee consisted of nineteen members: five selected by individual Supervisors and fourteen selected through an application process, representing a broad range of community interests. Two members of the Committee resigned prior to the Committee voting on recommendations to the Board. The Committee membership is listed on the final page of the Committee’s report, which is submitted as an attachment to this memorandum.
DISCUSSION:
In accordance with Section 801 of the County Charter, and pursuant to direction given by the Board of Supervisors in Board Resolution No. 081557, the 2026 Charter Review Committee has submitted its report recommending amendments to the County Charter for consideration by the Board.
These recommendations were developed over the course of eight (8) meetings held between January 26, 2026 and April 27, 2026. The Committee considered several potential issues for review suggested by Committee members and individual Board members, and ultimately voted to create subcommittees to focus on the following issues: 1) Board procedures for appointments to fill vacancies in elected offices; 2) adoption of Board governance policies and procedures; 3) creation of an independent redistricting committee; 4) requiring an audit prior to consolidation of any County ROW offices; 5) mandating language access requirements; 6) establishing a human rights and equity commission; and 7) including a policy statement or report requirement regarding County resilience to events of extreme weather.
The subcommittees investigated these issues, including conducting research of written materials and other counties’ practices, meeting with and interviewing County officials and other interested parties, and considering public comment. Each subcommittee returned to the full Committee with its recommendations. The full Committee considered, discussed, and deliberated each issue, and ultimately voted on whether to recommend that the Board present any amendments to the County Charter for approval by the electorate at the upcoming November election. Pursuant to the Board Resolution creating the Committee, and based on the number of filled Committee seats at the time of the vote, nine affirmative votes were required for the Committee to recommend any amendment to the County Charter.
The Committee voted to recommend the following amendments to the County Charter:
• Policy Statement on Resilience to Extreme Weather. Amend the Charter Preamble to add language “designating long-term resilience against extreme weather events - including fire, flood, wind, rain, heat, drought, and sea level rise - as a County priority, to be undertaken collaboratively with cities, districts, and other public entities.”
• Policy Statement on Rights and Equity. Amend the Charter Preamble to add language stating that “the San Mateo County affirms its commitment to the dignity, civil rights, and equal participation of all residents in a manner that promotes equity, fairness, inclusion, belonging, accessibility, and opportunity.”
• Independent Redistricting Committee. Amend Article II (Board of Supervisors) of the Charter to add a new Section creating an Independent Redistricting Commission pursuant to California Elections Code Section 23003, which shall have the power to approve the reapportionment of supervisorial districts (i.e., set district boundaries) following each federal decennial census in a manner consistent with general law.
• Board Governance Handbook. Amend Section 206(a)(6) (Board of Supervisors - Powers and Duties) of the County Charter to replace the existing provision with one requiring the Board of Supervisors to adopt a Governance Handbook specifying the powers, duties, procedures, rules of operation, code of conduct, and ethical policies of the Board and County employees, and that the Governance Handbook be reviewed no less than every two years and appropriate amendments be adopted by the Board.
• Report on Climate Change Impacts. Amend Section 206 (Board of Supervisors - Powers and Duties) of the Charter to add a provision requiring that an annual report to the Board of Supervisors be prepared on climate change impacts, emergency preparedness, the adequacy and effectiveness of resiliency policies and actions, and the state of coordination on these matters among County departments, cities, and public districts.
• Board Process for Filling Vacancies in Elected Offices. Amend Section 415 (Vacancies) of the Charter to state that in the event of a vacancy in an elected office other than the Board of Supervisors, the Board shall either make an appointment or order the calling of a special election, but not both, and in the event that the Board makes an appointment, requiring the appointment be made within 60 days of the effective date of the vacancy (currently 30 days), and requiring that the Board hold at least one publicly noticed meeting for the purpose of receiving public input regarding the appointment and qualifications of potential candidates.
The Committee’s full report identifying all potential Charter amendments considered, along with the subcommittees’ analyses, is submitted as an attachment to this memo.
If the Board wishes to have any of these Committee-recommended Charter amendments, or any other amendments that the Board of Supervisors may deem appropriate, presented to the electorate, the next step would be to direct the County Attorney to prepare an ordinance to call an election on November 3, 2026 on such measure or measures to amend the San Mateo County Charter.
The County wishes to extend its sincere appreciation to the members of the Charter Review Committee for participating in this important task of updating the County’s Charter.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
The Board’s appointment process for the 2026 Charter Review Committee was intended to ensure that a broad range of community interests were represented through the Charter-mandated public review process.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact in accepting the report.