Residents press Millbrae council to honor mayoral rotation, accuse 'whisper campaigns' and call for transparency

Dozens of residents used the public‑comment period at Millbrae’s Nov. 25 City Council meeting to press elected officials to keep the previously announced rotation for mayor and vice mayor and to publicly address rumors and alleged ‘‘whisper campaigns.’’

Former Mayor Robert Gotchocks opened the sequenced public comments calling for approval of the Hahn Yu Garden and then urged the council to follow rotation protocols that residents expect. Multiple in‑person and online speakers singled out Ruben Holliber (often spelled Ruben/Haliber in oral comments) and Steven Rinaldi, urging the council to install Reuben (Ruben) Holliber as mayor and Steven Rinaldi as vice mayor at the Dec. 9 ceremony.

"We are strongly encourage the council to rotate as stated," one commenter said, and other residents echoed that the rotation had been announced previously and should be respected. Several commenters lauded Council Member Steven Rinaldi for constituent responsiveness and used that record to support his selection as vice mayor.

The meeting also included a heated online interruption in which an out‑of‑topic and offensive speaker was removed after a warning; the mayor and City Attorney Laura Liu said disruptive comments may be warned and muted under state law. "When public comment is allowed to the extent that it is not disruptive to the actual meeting... I believe that at this point, it has reached the point of disruption," Liu said.

Speakers asked the council to place the rotation issue on a future agenda so the public can hear clarification before the Dec. 9 swearing‑in. The council did not change any appointments at the Nov. 25 meeting.