San Mateo County Joins 118 Cities And Counties To File Amicus Brief In United States V. Texas Urging U.S. Supreme Court To Permit President Obama’s Executive Action On Immigration To Move Forward

As part of Cities for Action, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors joins a broad coalition of cities and counties that are filing a friend-of-the-court amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Texas today, urging the Court to overturn a lower court’s decision and allow President Obama’s executive action on immigration to move forward. The brief, signed by 118 cities and counties representing 35 states, argues that the nationwide injunction blocking implementation of the President’s executive action on immigration was erroneously entered and should be reversed because it places millions of families in our cities and counties at economic and personal risk. Locally, six Bay Area counties have signed on to the amicus brief, including San Francisco, Alameda, Marin, Santa Clara, Sonoma and San Mateo Counties along with the major municipalities of San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento.

Breathing Easier in North Fair Oaks

In October of 2014, our Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance to ban smoking in multi-family dwellings in the unincorporated areas of San Mateo County. That ordinance began in January 1, 2015 with new multi-family dwellings; in January 1, 2016, it expanded to include existing multi-family units. We sincerely hope to improve the health of the residents in the County.

Elections Office offers e-filing for campaign disclosure forms

A story from the San Mateo Daily Journal that was published on 1/13/2016 and reposted here along with my kudos to the Elections Office for their new online e-filing system for campaign disclosure forms. It's a step that is in keeping with the online world in which we live!

VRS Celebrates the Holidays and their updated Kitchen!

My staff and I celebrated the holidays with the staff of the County's Human Services Agency (HSA) and the Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) Division and their clients at their remodeled facility in Belmont on January 13th. We served and shared a classic Thanksgiving Dinner!

Honored to be Elected President of the Board of Supervisors

On January 5th, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors unanimously elected Supervisor Slocum to be the President of the Board. He noted how honored he was by their confidence in him and was pleased that Supervisor Don Horsley was elected Vice President of the Board. He thanked outgoing President, Supervisor Carole Groom for her leadership over the past year noting her compassion for the residents, enthusiasm for the County and steady, guiding hand through complex issues. 

San Mateo County Veterans Commission - The Work Begins!

The San Mateo County Veterans Commission holds its inaugural meeting and begins the exciting work of serving the 33,000 veterans who call San Mateo County home.

Citizenship Day at Sequoia High School

Proud to co-sponsor Citizenship Day in Redwood City!  Here's a short video clip from the day to share with all of you! Citizenship Day  

Facebook Opens a Year-Round Farmer's Market

Kudos to Facebook for opening a year-round Farmer's Market on their campus. The Grand Opening was held on Sunday, October 4th and the market will be held every Sunday going forward. Thanks for bringing farm-fresh fruits and veggies to the neighborhood and hosting the market!

Housing task force launches: Group to brainstorm solutions to gap between jobs and housing

By Bill Silverfarb, San Mateo Daily Journal. With the economy in boom, San Mateo County has added tens of thousands of jobs in the past few years but only a fraction of the housing needed to accommodate them. With rents up 50 percent in four years to an average of more than $2,500 a month for a one-bedroom apartment, many low-wage earners can no longer afford to live in the county while a new glut of high-tech workers and other professionals can.

Bye, Bye, Bill! Thank you for your service!

Bill Lowell, a 23-year veteran county employee who is known for his big-picture ideas, creative solutions, and unique ability to get things done, has decided to retire. He began working for the County in 1993 for the Alcohol and Drug program, then moved to the San Mateo Medical Center as a Management Analyst, and was later recruited to serve as the Deputy Court Executive Officer. That's when I first worked with Bill; he was a standout.

Dignity on Wheels

What is dignity on wheels? Summed up best in the tagline...Rebuilding the lives of the homeless, one shower and laundry load at a time.