District 2

The election results of this past week have been met by a range of reactions and emotions. Many communities are uncertain and fearful about what lies ahead. I want you to know that in this moment of transition, I see you, I stand with you, and I am committed to the safety, dignity, and well-being of all county residents. San Mateo County is home to all of us, whatever our backgrounds or beliefs.

As your representative, a daughter of immigrants in a mixed-status family, and an ally to vulnerable communities, I know how important it is to stand up for, protect, and serve all of our neighbors. I believe you elected me to lead, especially in times of change and uncertainty. This is precisely the moment for us to dig in deeper and work together, guided by the values that make this community resilient.

Let me be clear: I will continue to champion equity, inclusion, and belonging. I will continue to advocate relentlessly for our most vulnerable communities—immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, religious minorities, women, and all who feel threatened—to ensure everyone has access to the resources, opportunities, and protections we deserve here in our home.

The commitments of county leadership—to protect, uplift, and create opportunity—remain unchanged and strong.

I will work together with the Board of Supervisors, county staff, and community leaders to meet these times with unity, courage, and purpose by:

• Preparing, analyzing, and taking action to be ready for any attacks on civil liberties and our community members

• Listening to those most impacted about their needs and perspectives 

• Bridging divides in our community and having courageous conversations among people of diverse views with mutual respect 

• Ensuring open lines of communication with our federal and state elected officials to have the most up-to-date information about what to expect from our federal and state governments

• Making sure county and city elected officials have the latest information and are working together as the community’s safety net. We did so effectively during the pandemic, and we can do so again.

Our ability to collaborate effectively at every level is a necessity. In that spirit, I have also connected with Congressman Mullin and Senator Becker, who have expressed their solidarity in working with the county on these commitments. 

If you feel unsure or scared for any reason, please know you are not alone. I encourage you to reach out to my office at 650 363 4568 or ncorzo@smcgov.org so we can connect you with community resources, legal assistance, or simply a place to be heard. We are here, we are listening, and we are ready to work alongside you. 

Thank you for your trust, your voice, and your strength. While we anticipate changes ahead, we will continue to work together to build a community where every person belongs.

In its commitment to a full, transparent, and independent investigation, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will retain an independent firm to investigate allegations made by Sheriff Christina Corpus.

The Board has also directed the County Attorney's Office to notify the California Attorney General's Office of matters related to the Sheriff’s Office.

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors is committed to upholding due process and ensuring public trust in the County and Sheriff’s Office.

We remain committed to the ongoing investigation into the dozens of allegations made regarding the Sheriff’s Office.

Last night, Sheriff Christina Corpus made various accusations against County Executive Mike Callagy and followed up with a multi-page complaint that the Board of Supervisors received late this morning. We are reviewing her complaint and will take the necessary time to determine the appropriate course of action.

I am completely shocked and dismayed to learn that Sheriff Christina Corpus made the decision to fire Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan today. I have only known Assistant Sheriff Monaghan to be trustworthy, professional, and kind. I am deeply concerned about the timing of Sheriff Corpus’ decision to fire him following his cooperation in Judge Cordell’s independent investigation into the Sheriff’s Office and the impact that may have on other staff’s willingness to cooperate in the investigation.

I want to assure staff in the Sheriff’s Office and members of the public that the Board remains committed to a thorough and fair investigation. I urge the Sheriff to reassure her staff that they can and should cooperate fully in the investigation without fear of retaliation and to do everything in her power to avoid any actions that jeopardize staff’s and the public’s trust in this process.

I was heartbroken to learn that Yolanda Villar was killed while walking across the street in District 2.

As a social worker, I worked with Yolanda’s family. She was a family friend and dedicated single mother who advocated fiercely for her daughter. Her loss has deeply impacted her family and our community at large.

Walking across the street should never mean risking your life. Pedestrian fatalies are preventable and we must work to make our streets and crosswalks safer for all.

My thoughts are with Yolanda’s family at this incredibly difficult time.

I’m devastated to hear about the pregnant mother of four children who was killed with her full-term, unborn baby in an apparent domestic violence incident in my district. My heart goes out to her precious children and family as they navigate this unimaginable trauma. After over a year of working urgently with the Domestic Violence Council to make San Mateo County safer for families, we are faced with this glaring reminder of the immediate need. I commit to holding this mother and her family in my heart as we carry on the work with even more rigor, knowing that this tragedy and the many others that have impacted our community should have been prevented.

If you or someone you know is experiencing intimate partner abuse, find support at Communities Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA) at 800.300.1080. The odds of homicide increase 750% for people who have been previously strangled or choked by their partner. If you or a neighbor are in danger, don't hesitate to call 911.

I am deeply concerned by the Trump-appointed U.S. Supreme Court's inhumane decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson that allows cities to further criminalize homelessness and clear encampments without being required to provide shelter beds for our unhoused neighbors.

The solution to homelessness is housing. Without offering some form of shelter, evictions, citations, or jail time only further harm our neighbors who already have so little. I am committed to ensuring that our County continues the progress we have made toward functional zero homelessness by providing dignified services, shelter, and housing for our unhoused residents.

On May 21st, nearly 30 students at Portola Elementary school reported symptoms consistent with tear gas exposure after a training exercise involving the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department and UC Berkeley police where tear gas was deployed.

This incident is deeply alarming to me. Children should under no circumstances be exposed to chemical agents such as tear gas.

After being exposed to tear gas, the children reported symptoms including coughing, watery eyes, wheezing and trouble breathing.

As a County Supervisor, I feel a moral obligation to protect the health of children in San Mateo County. Tear gas should never be tested next to a school, let alone an elementary school.

I urge the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department to permanently cease all testing of chemical agents at the San Bruno Jail, which is adjacent to Portola Elementary School and Skyline College.

On Monday, March 4, 2024, I sponsored a Resolution in Solidarity with Healthcare Workers and Civilians in Gaza, introduced at the San Mateo Medical Center Board of Directors. While the outcome of vote was not what I hoped for, I am committed to speaking up against the violation of human rights wherever they occur. What makes the genocide in Gaza unique is the total collapse of the medical system, the blockade of food and medicine, and the targeting of Gaza’s best and brightest, which includes over 600 medical workers who have been killed while providing life-saving care. I will continue to condemn any and all attacks on innocent civilians and medical workers, even if it means I do so alone.

Every forum of power is the right place to speak up for human rights and I am proud of standing on the right side of history alongside many others in San Mateo County, our nation, and the world. 

It is no secret that San Mateo County is one of the most expensive places to live in California. San Mateo County is one of the only two counties in the United States where median home values top $1.5 million. As a community we should be working together to create more affordable and welcoming neighborhoods, not uphold or create exclusive and unwelcoming practices that keep our community divided. As county leaders, it is our responsibility to weigh in when we see these tactics being used to continue the legacy of redlining.

In the City of San Mateo, a very concerning effort led by a small group of homeowners seeks to designate Baywood, the 20th most segregated neighborhood of white wealth in the Bay Area, as a “historic district.” By making Baywood a historic district, they would create a template that could be replicated all across the city, county, and potentially the state. I have heard deep concern from my constituents that this historic district designation would infringe on the rights of property owners to renovate their homes by imposing unnecessary bureaucratic and financial hurdles. 

Board President Warren Slocum and I presented a resolution to the Board in opposition to these efforts that called on this group to rescind their application and for the National Register of Historic Places to reject the application. While the resolution did not receive the support necessary to pass, I am proud to have elevated this important issue that will affect our entire county and have received support from councilmembers across our county for doing so.  

On Tuesday, January 30, 2024, the Board of Supervisors voted to enact a new ordinance that will significantly change how the County addresses encampments in unincorporated areas. The new ordinance, called the Hopeful Horizons: Empowering Lives Initiative, will create a new procedure for the County that governs encampments on public property in unincorporated areas. I am hopeful about many aspects of this ordinance, including protections for unhoused residents’ belongings when encampments are cleared. I applaud Supervisor Slocum, Supervisor Pine, and our dedicated county staff for taking leadership to address the homelessness crisis in our county. The status quo is not working, and it must change. 

However, while I initially voted to advance the ordinance at the January 23rd Board of Supervisors meeting because of the many ways it will address homelessness in our county, I ultimately voted against adopting the ordinance on January 30th. I am concerned that by imposing a new misdemeanor penalty on unhoused residents who do not accept shelter within 72 hours, our unhoused neighbors may face new barriers when applying to housing in the future. In California, landlords can ask applicants for their conviction records – including misdemeanors – and this information may be used to reject a prospective tenant even if they meet other requirements. This concerns me deeply, because it might prevent our unhoused neighbors from accessing housing even if they have the economic resources to apply for a rental in the future.  

I am confident that county staff will work diligently to ensure that unhoused residents affected by this ordinance will be protected and that they will have access to court diversion programs that may be able to erase their charges. Nonetheless, I am committed to staying in touch with our dedicated county staff to understand how the rollout of this new ordinance will impact our unhoused neighbors. I am committed to understanding what steps are being taken to protect their belongings, their safety, and their ability to apply for rental housing. I am looking forward to working collaboratively with staff as the county implements this new ordinance to ensure it protects our most vulnerable neighbors.