Two members of the Millbrae City Council were recalled by voters last month after they declined to sign a letter opposing a supportive housing project for formerly unhoused individuals.
Only about 40% of registered voters participated in the special election. The vote to oust District 2’s Angelina Cahalan and District 4’s Maurice Goodman passed overwhelmingly, with 70.91% in favor of removing Cahalan and 77.50% in favor of removing Goodman.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors purchased a Millbrae La Quinta Inn and Suites in 2023 to turn it into permanent supportive housing. The project upset a number of residents, who said the project would eliminate $600,000 in annual tax revenue and increase safety issues in the immediate area where there is an elementary school.
In the subsequent letter that Cahalan and Goodman refused to sign, the city said the following:
The City of Millbrae is one of the smallest in the County (both in terms of population and in terms of buildable land) and relies heavily on its commercial and transient occupancy tax (TOT) generating land uses. The County’s proposed project would reduce the City’s annual revenue by nearly $600,000. Moreover, the County has not attempted to address the City’s concerns about increased annual expenditures related to City police, fire, and other services totaling approximately $172,000 annually. Nor has the County quantified or addressed the existing jobs that will be eliminated by the proposal, or provided the City with assurances that the County will be able to maintain and repair the project. The City of Millbrae will have an annual deficit of $772,000 if this project is implemented. The County has failed to address how it will assist the City in recouping the revenue necessary to provide its essential services. Projects pursued by the County must not result in or incentivize the closure of viable businesses and the loss of local jobs. We urge the Board of Supervisors to adopt and implement such a policy before pursuing the purchase of properties such as the La Quinta Inn & Suites here in the City of Millbrae. In short, none of the City’s concerns have been addressed, nor has the County attempted to engage the City in meaningful discussion of these important issues.
Finally, the County has failed to comply with the requirements of Government Code 65402, which requires the County to request a General Plan and Zoning conformity determination from the City upon describing the location, purpose, and extent of a proposed property acquisition.
Albert Yam, who organized the recall effort, said the outcome was a triumph for accountability.
“They did not sign that letter, but that was just one action. For the months leading to the signing of the letter, we had pleaded repeatedly to both council members about the concerns we had,” he told KQED.
The City Council must now appoint two new members to serve until the end of the year.