Sheriff’s day care plans halted

This story has been updated to include a response from the Sheriff.

BY AMELIA BISCARDI
Daily Post Staff Writer

San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus’ plans for a childcare center and substation are being put on hold due to a lack of a budget plan, according to an email from County Executive Mike Callagy. 

Callagy’s email includes a list of reasons he thinks the sheriff’s plan for a childcare center ought to be halted — including the allegation that her office did not follow county protocols related to the substation, resulting in $750,000 being spent on a vacant building. 

Corpus responded to Callagy yesterday, saying his assertions about her office’s budget are incorrect and unfairly penalize her employees who would benefit from the center. She also said her office followed county protocols, even hiring a project manager he suggested.

Callagy’s email had pointed out that the sheriff’s office’s budget surplus has shrunk from “a healthy $33 million reserve to a reserve of only $3 million, which falls below the reserve threshold required, under the County’s budget policy, which mandates departmental reserves of at least 2%.” 

The county’s Office of Budget and Performance previously told the Post that the major items the sheriff’s office paid for with its surplus include spending $27.8 million on its headquarters project. 

Sheriff’s spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker previously defended the surplus drop, saying it’s “normal practice to budget one-time capital and technology projects in fund balance,” such as the sheriff’s office’s new headquarters and a server upgrade.

Now that the headquarters project is wrapping up this fiscal year, “we are confident in our ability to build our reserves back up to the recommended levels,” Spiker said.

The sheriff’s office announced the launch of a law enforcement child daycare center on Sept. 19, aiming to use it to improve retention and attract more employees, according to a statement issued by Corpus. 

The center is looking to be located at 686-690 Broadway in Redwood City, according to a records request from the Post. The Sheriff’s Office’s initial social media post about the ribbon cutting in Redwood City on Sept. 19 said approval for construction would go before the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 8. However the item has not appeared on any agenda yet. 

Callagy said in the email that Corpus’ proposed agenda items regarding the childcare center for the Board of Supervisors meeting on Nov. 12 were not going to be on the agenda. Callagy’s staff had reached a member of Corpus’ twice telling them they needed to meet with and plan with Callagy’s office so the Sheriff’s Office could repay the county.

“Your staff didn’t follow the mandated procurement process for the buildout of the new Sheriff’s substation, it resulted in significant delays resulting in the incurring of $750,000 in taxpayer expense over the last year and a half for a vacant building,” Callagy said in the email.

Corpus refuted Callagy’s claim that her office has not followed the correct procedure, and instead has “diligently” followed every direction from Callagy’s office. 

Corpus says she remains ready to bring the child care center to the board next week and explain to the board how her office plans to finance the project. 

“I strongly urge you to immediately place this item back on the Board’s agenda. Our employees should not be penalized for political maneuvering or personal disagreements. Removing this project from consideration at this juncture appears to be a retaliatory action and a continuation of inappropriate interference in the operations of the Sheriff’s Office,” Corpus wrote. 

The Post found through a previous records request that Callagy halted Corpus’ termination of Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan on Sept. 17.

Callagy said in an email to Corpus that the termination might be seen as retaliation or an attempt to interfere with an independent investigation of the Sheriff’s Office being conducted by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, based on complaints involving Corpus’ department.

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