San Mateo County District 1 Supervisor Mark Church announced Tuesday (July 6) he will step down from the Board of Supervisors in January.
Church, who was elected as the San Mateo County assessor-clerk-recorder last month, said he will continue his service on the board until he assumes his new office in January.
His third and final term would have ended in December 2012 had he not been elected to the new post and decided to step down early, Church's spokesman Edwin Chan said.
San Mateo County supervisors are elected to four-year terms and may serve up to three terms.
Church's replacement cannot be chosen until after his seat is vacant, per the county's charter. Then, his replacement will either be appointed or there will be an election to fill the seat, Chan said.
Church acknowledged there was some pressure for him to step down earlier than January to let the process of selecting his replacement begin, but he said he wants to see out the completion of several projects and initiatives before stepping down, including determining the location and size of the new San Mateo County jail.
"I have an obligation and public duty as an elected official to serve the people of this county in my current capacity as long as possible," Church said in a statement.
