STORIES BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ
Daily Post Staff Writer
Canepa plans to make changes in the office
San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa wants to fix the “dumpster fire” in the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder Office by reorganizing the department and restoring accountability.
Canepa, who is running to be the next assessor-clerk-recorder and chief elections officer, said in an interview that he will bring the leadership the department needs.
“There’s no governance in the organization,” Canepa said.
Canepa, 50, of Daly City, is running against the Assistant Assessor-Clerk-Recorder Jim Irizarry, whom Canepa believes is not doing enough for the department.
Canepa envisions having a deputy for each department in the organization of 167 employees.
“This job is not about experience. You’ll hear my opponent talk about experience. But there’s a difference between experience and there’s a difference between leadership,” Canepa said.
Canepa said there is a lack of trust in employees, leading to low morale. Canepa referred to a lawsuit that was filed in May 2025 against Irizarry and the department. Management Analyst Alicia Garcia alleged a hostile work environment and being forced to work long hours without pay to meet department deadlines.
He will work on improving employee morale and promoting within the organization, he said.
The position’s main goal is to serve taxpayers and it’s vital to engage with them. Whether it is to ensure your ballot is counted or to receive a bill for a change of ownership, residents should receive VIP service, Canepa said. Anyone looking for more help will receive it personally, not just be directed to the department’s website, he said. He plans to better educate residents about the department by using social media.
“Our job is to inform and educate. I think if we do that, we can really make sure that we’re a resource to people and not a hindrance,” Canepa said.
If he were elected, he would conduct a financial and performance audit.
“Whoever assumes this position is plagued with a lot of challenges,” Canepa said. “What I’m concerned about is what’s going to be there and what I’m going to find.”
Irizarry emphases his experience; says he’s ready to go
After working in the San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Elections Office for over 13 years, Jim Irizarry feels ready to take over.
Irizarry has been at the forefront of implementing new systems into the county assessor and election system and believes he is the best candidate to continue pushing change. Irizarry, 74, of Woodside, is running to replace his boss, Mark Church, on the June ballot and feels prepared to take over after playing a key office role.
“I love public service. I want to continue the great work of the department,” Irizarry said in an interview.
Irizarry helped create the vote-by-mail system, which San Mateo County was the first in the state to implement.
The system is safe and secure, and every voter is verified, Irizarry said.
“We basically have the best, in my opinion, election model in the United States,” Irizarry said. But the system is at risk of change if the federal government takes over local elections, and he is the best suited to address the challenge, Irizarry said.
Irizarry has already faced other challenges, such as the recount of ballots in the 2024 race between former Assemblyman Evan Low and former Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian after a tie.
That was an opportunity he took to showcase how great the office operates, Irizarry said. The certified vote was the exact amount verified in the recount, he said.
His opponent, Supervisor David Canepa, has raised concerns about office morale after a lawsuit was filed in May 2025 against Church and Irizarry.
Management Analyst Alicia Garcia alleged a hostile work environment and being forced to work long hours without pay to meet department deadlines.
Irizarry, who boasts having the best attendance in the department, said he has learned that in large organizations, employee morale depends on many factors.
“I would be remiss to say that we didn’t have a portion of our labor force that has a morale issue,” Irizarry said.
But there is a large portion of employees who are perfectly happy working in the department, Irizarry said. Many have retired after working for 20 or 30 years, he said. “People don’t stay in an organization for that long if they don’t like it,” Irizarry said. “But it’s not a perfect room, and we realize that.”
If he were elected, the first thing he would do is fill all the department’s va-cancies. His concentration will be more on building the organization, Irizarry said. He plans to promote from within to maintain a healthy organization with fresh ideas. “There’s always the need for continuous improvement,” Irizarry said.
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