Dear Friends,

I wish you a Thanksgiving full of family and friends. To me, this holiday is a reminder to express my gratitude to all of you who’ve given me the opportunity to serve. It’s also a wonderful time for me to be with the people I love and reflect on the good things that have come my way.

This time is not necessarily a good time for everyone. In October, the board approved an additional $900,000 in emergency funding for food, rent and other safety net assistance. We wanted to ensure that every family in the county could have a turkey or chicken on the table for Thanksgiving. All county core agencies are hosting one of those food distributions, including protein, vegetables, carbohydrates, and a generous portion of dignity.

A delivery worker brings in a pallet of frozen chickens for the YMCA’s holiday meal distribution in South San Francisco.(read story here)

A New Day In the Sheriff’s Office

I’m also very grateful that we have a new sheriff. Kenneth Binder, former Gilroy Police Chief and former Santa Clara County Undersheriff, was sworn into office on November 12th after an odyssey of disruption and uncertainty surrounding former Sheriff Christina Corpus.

Following approval by voters on the March ballot measure, the board was empowered to create a selection process for a new sheriff. It was productive and transparent. The public engagement was impressive with emails, zoom participation and in-person attendance.

One of the takeaways for me was how fortunate we were to have such talented professional candidates come forward in less than a week. It underscored that there were great professionals who could be sheriff but didn’t want to be politicians, too.

The three candidates’ experiences varied, but they had one thing in common: a deep commitment to public service. I would have been happy with any one of them as sheriff, but in the end, I voted for Kenneth Binder. He had a 27-year career in law enforcement and extensive experience in running a jail. His calm, deliberative leadership style and his experience in rebuilding a sheriff’s office after it had endured disruption convinced me that he was the right person to rebuild the sheriff’s department as a place with integrity, justice, and fiscal competency.

You can watch my full remarks on my vote to appoint Sheriff Binder here:

Wrapping up our Child Care Listening Tour

Supervisor Gauthier and I hosted our fourth and last child care town hall at the Half Moon Bay Library. Thank you to the city of Half Moon Bay for hosting us! I was thrilled that Sheriff Binder joined us in the beginning of the event to say hello to the coastal community.

Sheriff Kenneth Binder (right) and Captain Richard Cheechov, Sheriff's Office Coastside Patrol Bureau (left) listen to the child care town hall in Half Moon Bay.

At all four events in South San Francisco, East Palo Alto, San Mateo and Half Moon Bay, we learned so much from parents and providers and were grateful that they took the time to share their experiences. The message was clear: child care is too expensive.

I’m still reeling from the comments of a San Mateo County employee with two children who said she would like to have more children but won’t because she can’t afford it.

You can watch the full town hall here:

Next, we need to translate parental and provider input into action. I’m working with the county attorney’s office to add a half cent sales tax measure on the November 2026 ballot. It could generate about $115 million a year and among other things help low-income and middle-income families with child care costs. The child care crisis isn’t only a family issue. It’s an economic and workforce issue that impacts everyone in our county.

Be Aware. Prepare.

Human trafficking may not be visible to many of us, but it exists right here in our county. SFO, freeways and hotels make it a prime area. The county is mobilizing an urgent campaign to get stakeholders trained to recognize and respond to human trafficking. Next year, the Bay Area will host two of the top sports events in the world: the Super Bowl in Santa Clara in February and FIFA matches throughout the region starting in June. These big events will attract millions of visitors. It is imperative that our region focuses on a heightened, coordinated effort for human trafficking prevention, education, awareness, training and response.  

Until 2022, San Mateo County had a human trafficking unit that was housed in the sheriff’s department, but it was defunded that year. Supervisor Ray Mueller and I revived the anti-trafficking effort this year by funding a designated human trafficking position in the District Attorney’s office.

Now the county, in partnership with our federal partners, is planning a convening on December 8th of elected officials, law enforcement officers, victim’s service providers, business owners, hospitality workers, health workers, transportation workers, and educators. If you are a stakeholder and have not received an invitation yet, please contact my office. There will also be several trainings in January, National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

Making our Parks Even More Attractive

Would a cup of coffee and pastry make your morning walk at Sawyer Camp Trail even better? Our parks are one of San Mateo County’s greatest assets and I want us to develop innovative ideas to make them even more attractive to residents and visitors. I am thrilled that our Parks Director Nicholas Calderon is not only open to this idea, but he made the first coffee cart at Sawyer Camp Trail happen on November 8th. Sage Bakehouse of Montara served up coffee, cold drinks, pastries and their famous New Zealand pies to about 100 people who showed up on that beautiful morning.

Nick Lee, the owner of Sage Bakehouse, said the first event was so successful, he returned the following two Saturdays and is looking to return in December.

We will explore more opportunities at other county parks next year. Please let me know what you think of this idea.

My Favorite Part of Public Service

I’ve said many times that I think public service is the highest calling. The most rewarding and impactful part of it is mentoring and inspiring the next generation. I love visiting high schools and speaking to students. In early November, I visited Burlingame High School and spoke to about 300 seniors about the importance of their voices in shaping our history. I was delighted to take selfies with a long line of students after my talk.  

Before I Go…

Please remember that families need help all year round, not only during the holidays. You can contribute money or your time to our core agencies on Samaritan House’s website. Every dollar donated creates four meals for a needy neighbor.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and take a moment to reflect on the blessings in your life.

All the best,

Jackie