Millbrae residents voted to recall Vice Mayor Maurice Goodman and Councilwoman Angelina Cahalan over disagreements about an area housing project, based on semi-official San Mateo County results released Friday afternoon.
More than 70% of voters within the Second District voted for Cahalan's recall, while 29% voted no. Nearly 79% of voters within the Fourth District voted yes for Goodman's recall. Polls for the local recall election closed on July 23.
Of Millbrae's 5,688 registered voters, 2,208 solid their ballots, representing a turnout of 38.8%.
Goodman said in a text message that he was pleased with the general public's engagement within the election but was upset with the final result.
“I am disappointed by the potential consequences for other elected officials who demonstrate political courage and represent the voiceless and hyper-marginalized in the face of misinformation,” Goodman said.
The recall effort was sparked by the controversial La Quinta Inn and Suites project. San Mateo County is attempting to buy the hotel to accommodate homeless families and seniors. The plan met with opposition from the community and sparked a legal battle between the town and the county.
In September of last yr, the Millbrae City Council voted to send a letter to the county opposing the county's purchase of the property. Cahalan abstained, while Goodman voted against sending the letter.
Last yr, the town sued San Mateo County over the project, arguing that the state violated Article 34 of the California Constitution, which requires public housing to undergo an area vote before being approved.
San Mateo County argues that the project is exempt from Article 34 since it falls under recent updates to state law fine-tuning the definition of “vertical housing.”
A San Mateo County Superior Court judge dismissed Millbrae's housing lawsuit against the county without prejudice last month, ruling that the case was filed prematurely. The city can refile the case at a later date.
The recall initiative was led by a bunch of volunteers who supported the conversion project “against the will of their voters.”
Albert Yam, an organizer who’s in favor of the recall resolution, didn’t reply to a request for comment. However, Laura Smith, a Millbrae resident who’s in favor of the recall resolution, previously told this news organization that she believes the 2 council members don’t represent the voice of the community.
“Because of what we believe was an unfair process and their very poor representation of the community, people felt they should be removed from office,” Smith said.
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