League of Women Voters Call for Special Election for Supervisor Seat

The League of Women Voters of San Mateo County, the very paragons of good governance, issued a statement on Tuesday, December 9 to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors requesting that the board call a special election to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of former Supervisor and now Assemblyman Jerry Hill.

The Statement, delivered by Marie Baldisseri, the president of the League of Women Voters of North and Central San Mateo County, was a polite but stinging rebuke of the board’s effort to undertake an undemocratic appointment process in lieu of an election.

“The Leagues…have a position of support for procedures to ensure an open and responsive process of selecting supervisors in San Mateo County,” said Baldiserri. “We believe that an election is the best way to ensure that process. If appointed, the [next] supervisor would face the next election as an incumbent which is always a substantial advantage and which may discourage others from running.”

The board held a public hearing in order to gather input from members of the public regarding criteria for selecting a new member of the board. Instead, the board got an earful from opponents of an undemocratic selection process.

The Leagues’ (North, Central and South chapters) action on this matter was an unusual challenge to the county’s political machine but one that may end up tipping the scales away from an appointment process.

The Leagues join the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club, the League for Coastside Protection and environmental activist Lennie Roberts who have all called for a special election. Prior to this most recent hearing, the San Mateo County Democratic Party, Republican Party leaders and several current and former local elected officials have protested the board’s actions and have called for a special election.

The remaining supervisors will hold another hearing on December 15 to hear from potential supervisor candidates seeking the board appointment and their supporters. The following day on December 16, the board will pick the next supervisor.

If the board is somehow unable to come to an agreement, the board can still call an election or perhaps appoint a caretaker candidate who will not seek election in June of 2010.