Unions Consider No Confidence Vote Against San Mateo Sheriff’s Chief of Staff

REDWOOD CITY, California –

Tensions are rising between San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus and two unions over her chief of staff and grievances over labor practices.

“She’s going to have to make a decision: Is she going to listen to the membership?” said Carlos Tapia, president of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Deputy Association.

“Unfortunately, I have seen a certain distance growing in the relationship between DSA and the administration and that is unfortunate. That is not what we wanted. That never happened,” Tapia said.

This week, unions representing sheriff’s deputies and sergeants are considering a vote of no confidence in Sheriff Victor Aenlle.

Aenlle, a volunteer reserve deputy, is said to be actually the one giving the orders in the new role of civilian chief of staff.

“In some ways he has overstepped the mark or exceeded his authority and is making decisions for the badge staff,” Tapia said.

There were no outward signs of conflict at the dedication ceremony for the new sheriff’s office headquarters in Redwood City on Monday morning.

KTVU sat down with the sheriff later in the day and asked him about the union’s grievances and complaints about his chief of staff.

“I really feel like this is political theater,” Corpus said. Asked about Aenlle’s response, she said, “I think he thinks this is really an assassination of his character.”

Corpus said she believes the union grievances are related to the end of years of double overtime that deputies and jailers received at great cost to the county.

“The voters of this county elected me because I represented change, and that’s what I came here to do. And it’s not always easy for people, but I’m determined to do it,” she said.

Supervisor David Canepa said of the no-confidence vote: “I think what they’re doing carries a lot of weight.”

He added: “To see the situation getting worse to this level is enough.”

Canepa said the board of supervisors should step in if the sheriff can’t reach an agreement with the unions.

“Your employees are the ones who do the work in the prisons, on patrol, you have to make sure your employees are taken care of,” Canepa said.

Unions say they should have the results of the vote by Wednesday.

The sheriff said any vote of no confidence had no legal value and that she would continue her mission regardless of the decision.

Henry Lee is a crime reporter at KTVU. Email Henry at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan