Woodside council endorses San Mateo County Measure A, citing concerns about sheriff’s leadership

The Woodside Town Council on Feb. 25 voted to adopt a resolution supporting San Mateo County Measure A, a March 4 charter amendment that would give the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors authority to remove an elected sheriff for cause by a four‑fifths vote.

Town staff described Measure A as a procedural change to county charter that would permit the Board of Supervisors to remove a sheriff for specified causes, including violation of law, flagrant or repeated neglect of duties, misappropriation of funds, willful falsification of official documents, and obstruction of investigations. Kevin Bryant, town manager, summarized the measure and the limited scope of the council action: the resolution would put the council on record as supporting the county measure, not as a call for resignation.

Council debate was robust. Supporters said the action reflected concerns about the sheriff’s leadership and the practical consequence for Woodside: the sheriff’s office contracts to provide policing services to the town (the council noted this is the town’s largest recurring public‑safety expenditure). Council members who supported the resolution cited an independent, court‑appointed investigation and the number of internal resignations within the sheriff’s leadership as grounds for enabling county oversight.

Opponents and several public commenters argued the town should remain neutral and allow county voters to decide, saying the sheriff is an elected official and removal questions should be settled by recall or by voters; some speakers urged the council not to set a precedent of taking positions on countywide political measures. Public commenters who spoke against a council endorsement included residents who asked the council to refrain from a political position and to preserve local voters’ responsibility for sheriff elections.

Despite those objections, the council approved the resolution supporting Measure A by voice vote. Council members who spoke in favor cited the need for transparency, ethical leadership and stable management of a county agency that serves, by contract, as Woodside’s police force. The council’s resolution supports the county measure as a procedural tool that would allow the Board of Supervisors to act if cause is established; it does not itself remove the sheriff.

The council’s action places Woodside among several other San Mateo County cities that have either expressed no confidence in the sheriff or endorsed Measure A. Staff said the town manager and town staff will continue to monitor county processes and inform residents about next steps.