Jackie Fielder, citing a mental health condition, will take leave of absence

<p>This article is from Power Play, a twice-weekly newsletter rounding up the latest City Hall and local politics gossip. To sign up, visit The Standard’s  newsletter page . Supervisor  Jackie Fielder ’s acute health crisis is a personal tragedy for a young politician at the inception of her career.  If she follows through on  her stated intentions to resign , it would also be a loss for progressive Democrats, winnowing a slender bloc on the Board of Supervisors into irrelevance. Fielder’s office Sunday evening released a statement saying she is taking a medical leave of absence, as she “ is currently navigating a mental health condition and needs time and space to recover before making any major decisions.” Publicly, Democrats are wishing Fielder a speedy recovery, with some hoping she reverses her intent — expressed to multiple people on Friday — to step down. Privately, moderate operatives are already gaming out strategies if she follows through and leaves office. Moderate Democrats are already floating potential candidates for Mayor  Daniel Lurie  to appoint to replace Fielder. Names Power Play reporters are hearing include  Moises Garcia , Lurie’s  community liaison  and former LGBTQ campaign outreach director, Planning Commission member  Lydia So , and  Joshua Arce , a program manager  with the Northern California District Council of Laborers  who  once ran  for District 9 supervisor. As for the progressives,  Jim Ross , a decades-long political consultant who ran  Gavin Newsom ’s first mayoral campaign, said the city’s lefties are undoubtedly considering committing more resources to  Natalie Gee ’s race in District 4, the Sunset and Parkside, to unseat Lurie’s recent appointment,  Alan Wong .  “That was a very important race for progressives before this – now it’s almost existential,” Ross said. The balance of power in San Francisco is at stake, imperiling progressive priorities: stalling layoffs, defeating charter reform, and softening the impacts of market-rate development, like evictions.  Fielder’s potential absence also takes away one of the most outspoken voices against President  Donald Trump  and his aggressive immigration policies, as others in the city, like Lurie, have taken a more cautious approach to the White House. The 11-member Board of Supervisors often serves as a counterweight to any sitting mayor, and in  London Breed ’s time, the body famously fought against her policy choices. Lurie has enjoyed more unanimity thanks to a six-member majority of mayor-aligned moderate Democrats. Supervisor  Myrna Melgar  sometimes serves as a seventh vote Lurie can court. “It actually hurts my stomach thinking about it,” said Melgar about the news regarding Fielder. “I really hope she doesn’t resign.” While the progressive bloc of four (and sometimes five) supervisors cannot, on its own, defeat Lurie’s preferred legislation, progressives wield enough power to negotiate on key issues, like when Supervisor  Connie Chan  successfully lowered the amount of homelessness funding Lurie wanted to redirect from Proposition C to shelters, away from housing,  to $34 million , when Lurie wanted $88 million. But if Lurie could appoint a replacement for Fielder, the game changes. Seven reliable votes are much closer to an eight-vote supermajority, which is the number needed to override any mayoral veto of board legislation. San Francisco State University professor  Jason McDaniel  said the scenario could “cement a board that is much more favorable to Lurie’s agenda.”  A weakened progressive flank could unlock multiple avenues for Lurie and his allies, including:  San Francisco’s budget.  Last year, Fielder was the lone dissenting vote against Lurie’s budget. One less progressive would make it tougher for Chan to stop the most severe Lurie austerity measures, like layoffs. OpenGov . Fielder was set to hold a hearing investigating Lurie’s OpenGov contract, which  The Standard found had troubling ties  to the nonprofit foundation Lurie founded, Tipping Point Community. If Fielder departs, the pressure may be off Lurie’s office.  Charter reform.  Lurie has already submitted paperwork to begin gathering signatures for his grand structural overhauls of city law, with progressive-aligned labor fiercely against ballot initiative regions. Fielder’s position as supervisor would give her a perch to speak out against them. The Great Highway.  Wong, a Lurie appointee, was a man alone when he tried to get a Great Highway measure on the June ballot, lacking his colleagues’ support. A District 9 appointee could help him get it on the November ballot, and helping Wong is a Lurie priority. Nearing a Board of Supervisors supermajority, and capturing the mayor’s office, has been a pie-in-the-sky dream of moderate Democrats since 1996, when voters approved the switch from citywide to district elections, which saw the rise of progressives like  Aaron Peskin , political observers told Power Play.  If Fielder steps down, which is by no means guaranteed, moderates would be closer to that goal than they have been in a quarter century, which would fuel energy to spend on contested races for the Board of Supervisors this November — like District 10, in the southeast, with their preferred candidate of  Theo Ellington  and District 8, in the Castro and Noe Valley, where they hope  Manny Yekutiel  takes the win.  “If they have a near veto-proof majority, they can fundamentally change San Francisco,” Ross said of moderates. “This is their chance, you gotta go all in, you’ve gotta spend every last dollar, do everything you can.” Peskin hoped moderates and progressives alike would pause and respect the health of a young politician, just 31, who has so much left to offer.  “That’s a moment when good people don’t use it as a political opportunity. It’s a time when they take care of one another,” Peskin said. “People who want to use it as a political opportunity should be ashamed.”  — J.F.R., G.G. and H.L. Got tips? Send to us at  powerplay@sfstandard.com . NEW NUMBERS:  We’re finally getting a look at polling in that heated race to succeed retiring Rep.  Nancy Pelosi . An internal memo  from  Saikat Chakrabarti ’s campaign, shared exclusively with Power Play, shows the former congressional staffer and tech engineer in second place, with 20%. He trails state Sen.  Scott Wiener , who is favored by 32% of voters. Supervisor Chan follows at 17%. About 13% of voters support other candidates, and 18% are undecided. The poll, conducted this month by Data for Progress, surveyed 800 likely voters via text and online in English and Chinese. The margin of error is 3 percentage points. It’s a rare snapshot of the race. The last  publicly reported poll  was conducted in September and  published by The Standard  earlier this year. The new memo compiles results from five polls conducted over the past year. As recently as January, Chan was in second place. The new poll shows Chakrabarti’s rising name recognition — from just 10% a year ago to about 50% today. While Wiener and Chan still have higher name recognition, both carry higher unfavorability ratings. Wiener’s favorability has declined, likely due to backlash over  his viral Gaza moment. Chakrabarti’s polling surge isn’t surprising due to his media blitz as of late. He has spent hundreds of thousands to air  TV ads  — drawing criticism from opponents who accuse him of  trying to buy a congressional seat . “Saikat has spent over $2 million to be in a statistical tie with a woman who has spent a fraction of that amount,” said  Julie Edwards , spokesperson for Chan. “We know voters are looking for a progressive fighter, not a corporate phony.” In its latest survey, the campaign tested messaging and biographical descriptions. Voters responded most positively to messages about refusing money from AI companies, Big Tech, and pro-Israel lobbying groups. Among biographical traits, the most popular ones are Chakrabarti’s upbringing in an immigrant family, raising a child in San Francisco, being a homeowner, and the potential to become the city’s first Asian American member of Congress — qualities that also apply to Chan.  — H.L. GAME ON : The San Francisco Chronicle is jumping into the political newsletter game, according to a LinkedIn job posting titled “California Confidential reporter.” The daily newsletter will focus on state legislation in partnership with USLege, an artificial intelligence tool that tracks bills and transcribes meetings. “The newsletter author will be a self-starter capable of unearthing news, reporting on daily developments, and big-picture conversations on the most urgent political topics of the day,” the  post  states.  “We are seeking someone with an entrepreneurial bent who is eager to launch a new project that they will own. This person should be passionate about how laws are made in California and how the process plays out throughout the state.” California Confidential will enter a crowded field. In addition to Power Play, it’ll go toe-to-toe with Politico’s California Playbook and CalMatters’ WhatMatters. It doesn’t appear the newspaper has swiftly identified a candidate for the job. LinkedIn shows it was reposted two weeks ago.  The Chronicle’s Editor-in-Chief,  Emilio Garcia-Ruiz , declined an interview request.  — G.G.</p>

PST: Why SF’s crime rate has plummeted — and who’s taking credit

Muni streetcar crashed into Lurie’s Rivian. Plus: Sunset supe angers YIMBYs

<p>This article is from Power Play, a twice-weekly newsletter rounding up the latest City Hall and local politics gossip. To sign up, visit The Standard’s  newsletter page . Mayor  Daniel Lurie ’s “ Tussle in the Tenderloin ” this month raised eyebrows and questions about his propensity  for hopping out of his vehicle  and mixing it up on the street. But another incident, in December, involving the mayor’s security detail and suped-up black Rivian went quietly under the radar.  That time, it wasn’t people on the sidewalk who came to blows with Team Lurie but a historic, green San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency streetcar.  Video  from Dec. 11, obtained by Power Play, shows Lurie’s Rivian colliding with an F-Market & Wharves streetcar heading southbound on Market Street. The $134,000 electric vehicle ( bought and donated to the city  by Lurie himself) stops abruptly at the intersection of Octavia Boulevard while turning on its police lights, attempting to make a U-turn at a prohibited left-turn intersection. The streetcar does not have time to stop and collides with the Rivian, pushing it a couple of feet to the left of the road.  The train operator reported that someone onboard was injured, according to SFMTA records; however, video shot from inside the streetcar doesn’t appear to show anyone with a serious injury. A records request to the city attorney’s office returned no accident-related injury claims against the city in connection with the event.  However, what appeared to be a minor crash turned out to be a surprisingly expensive repair estimate for the streetcar. ( Welcome to San Francisco .) For parts, paint, labor, and lost revenue to the SFMTA, the bill came to a whopping $21,438. That particular streetcar was  built in 1946 in San Diego , and the model is in use in few places around the world, meaning SFMTA machinists often have to  build parts from scratch .  Lurie’s office did not respond to a request for comment about whether he was in the vehicle at the time of the crash. The video doesn’t show him exiting the Rivian after the incident; instead, an unidentified staffer holding what appears to be a blazer jumps out and crosses the street.  San Francisco Police Department policy  states  that lights and sirens should be used “only when an emergency response appears reasonably necessary to prevent serious injury to persons, whether or not a criminal offense is involved.”  In an unrelated incident,  David Lazar , a former assistant SFPD chief, in an apparent violation of policy, used the lights on his unmarked police car to get around traffic during 2025’s NBA All-Star Weekend,  resulting in a crash . So what was the Rivian, driven by SFPD officer  Noel Castro , doing with its lights on? SFPD spokesperson  Mason Lee  said only that it was “for a law enforcement purpose.” He added, “The U-Turn was necessary to prevent or reduce the risk of injury to persons at the scene.” Lee declined to provide additional details but said that an investigation had found that the streetcar operator was at fault for following the Rivian too closely. A streetcar operator who spoke anonymously with Power Play said they usually keep one train’s length (about 60 feet) away from vehicles, and braking can depend on a host of factors, including street conditions and weather.  — G.G. and J.F.R. Got tips? Send to us at  powerplay@sfstandard.com . WHERE’S MY INVITE:  After the embarrassing  cancellation  of a gubernatorial debate by the University of Southern California (this writer’s alma mater) because of the exclusion of some candidates, a San Francisco congressional candidate is pressuring a media organization over her exclusion from a debate stage. Political activist and former Trump appointee  Marie Hurabiell  has hired well-traveled election attorney  Jim Sutton , who  sent a letter  to KQED regarding her omission from an upcoming debate. In the letter, Sutton argues that KQED could be at risk of violating the law, noting that nonprofits must exercise caution when excluding candidates and ensure their selection criteria are neutral. “Choosing which candidates may participate in a debate when other candidates may still decide to run … is by definition arbitrary and unreasonable,” Sutton wrote. KQED had previously responded to Sutton that it set a Feb. 23 deadline for participants’ qualification — a cutoff that came two days before Hurabiell  announced her candidacy  — to allow sufficient time for production. The station claimed that adjusting the deadline for a specific candidate would be inequitable. Another requirement is that candidates must either raise $100,000 or receive contributions from 500 donors in their most recent filing, which was  due at the end of 2025 .  Peter Cavagnaro , KQED’s communications director, confirmed Wednesday that the decision to exclude Hurabiell remains unchanged and that the organization is committed to a fair, transparent, and substantive event. Hurabiell said the campaign is filing a formal complaint to the Federal Election Commission. The debate is  scheduled  for Tuesday evening and will feature the other candidates seeking to succeed Rep.  Nancy Pelosi : Supervisor  Connie Chan , former congressional staffer and software engineer  Saikat Chakrabarti , and state Sen.  Scott Wiener .  — H.L. ON HER OWN:  Speaking of Hurabiell, the self-described “commonsense” candidate has done something nonsensical for an aspiring San Francisco politician: She turned down the chance to proclaim the rights of transgender people.  A San Francisco Democratic Party  proposal  to reaffirm the city as a sanctuary for transgender people, authored by local Dems  Emma Hare ,  Peter Gallotta,  and  Eric Kingsbury , was dutifully endorsed by Wiener, Chakrabarti, and Chan. But not Hurabiell, who has been vocal on X about her anti-trans stance and told Power Play she is neutral on the measure. “I absolutely support defending the rights, safety, and dignity of all San Franciscans. That being said, it’s well known I object to biological males accessing women’s sports or spaces based on self-identification,” she said.  For years, Hurabiell has essentially denied the existence of transgender people in tweets we won’t link to here. But such a stance puts her out of step with pretty much every other political player in town, including her close ally Lurie, whose campaign  promised to support  trans youth.  Kingsbury noted that the candidate was out of step with local Dems. “There’s a party that agrees with her,” he quipped. “It’s not the Democratic one.” The SF Democratic Party will vote on the measure at Wednesday’s regular meeting. It’ll likely sail through.  Transgender Day of Visibility is March 31. —  J.F.R. SUNSET BETRAYAL:  The San Francisco YIMBY party endorsed Supervisor  Alan Wong  for his June reelection bid after he supported  a major upzoning effort  last year. Now the group feels betrayed. Wong has  initiated a petition  calling for the cleanup of a toxic plume beneath the 2500 block of Irving Street, an effort that just happens to also target  a controversial affordable housing project . Wong and nearby residents  say  toxic dry-cleaning chemicals — particularly perchloroethylene, or PCE — have been detected in the subsurface soil and in homes. But housing advocates see other dirty motives at work. In a scathing letter , YIMBY blasted Wong’s move as an inflammatory, NIMBY-driven petition, arguing that the alleged public health risks are based on claims that were thoroughly evaluated and disproved during the permitting process. The group also criticized Wong’s decision to oppose a senior affordable housing project at 1234 Great Highway. “We expect better from a city supervisor than peddling NIMBY conspiracy theories and opposing affordable housing projects in his district,” the letter said. It is a rare move for YIMBY to publicly rebuke one of its endorsed candidates, and the group could choose to withdraw its endorsement. Wong said in a statement that the project has already been built and that it is now more about addressing community concerns. “When there is documented evidence of chemical contamination in the surrounding neighborhood, it is understandable that neighbors want more than a narrow, site-only response,” Wong said.  — H.L. Clarification: This article has been updated to clarify that the $21,438 repair is an estimate.</p>

Lurie-linked PAC gets rolling. Plus: Former supervisors’ sisterhood

<p>This article is from Power Play, a twice-weekly newsletter rounding up the latest City Hall and local politics gossip. To sign up, visit The Standard’s  newsletter page . When Power Play learned last month that Mayor  Daniel Lurie ’s finance and philanthropy pals were forming an independent expenditure committee  called “SF Believes”  for the 2026 election cycle, we knew the dollar bills would start flying.  We weren’t wrong. The group — started by the same people who established the 2024 mayoral campaign PAC that got a cool  $1 million from Lurie’s mother  — was created by financiers  Adam Clammer  and  Alec Perkins . It has brought in a whopping $600,000 in the last month alone. The entity is backing Supervisors  Stephen Sherrill  and  Alan Wong , Lurie allies who are facing serious challengers. Clammer, of True Wind Capital, has thrown in $101,000; Perkins, of Hunter Capital, gave $51,000. Other donors are  Jonathan Gans  of Ironwood Capital Management, $100,000; investor  David Lamond , $50,000;  Michael Seibel  of Y Combinator, $50,000;  Oleg Nodelman  of ECoR1 Capital, $75,000; his wife,  Heather Nodelman,  $75,000; and  Matthew Paige  of Twin Tree Venture, $100,000.  Campaign filings as of Wednesday show that SF Believes has spent only $24,705 so far, on a mailer. But the expenditures will almost certainly rise as the June 2 election approaches. A spokesperson for the PAC did not respond to a request for comment. The Lurie-linked money comes on top of other cash flowing to Sherrill and Wong, whose moderate leanings have earned them the approval of the city’s tech and finance circles. Moderate-leaning political group GrowSF has its own PAC for each of the two candidates. The one backing Sherrill has been raking it in: $30,000 from Graphitic Energy cofounder  Zach Jones , $50,000 from Permit Power CEO  Nick Josefowitz,  and $104,080 from 26 other donors, according to a Monday campaign filing. Wong has also been attracting some big bucks: $250,000 from venture capitalist and Standard chairman  Michael Moritz ,  $10,000 from Substack star  Noah Smith  and $10,000 from Salesforce attorney  Maco Stewart .  And as though Sherrill doesn’t have enough PACs behind him, there’s one more: ConnectedSF’s  Griffin Lee  has established “Committee to Support Supervisor Stephen Sherrill 2026,” though it is reports only a single donation so far: $1,500 from someone named  Michael Morandi .  — G.G. Got tips? Send to us at  powerplay@sfstandard.com . BEWARE OF UNDERDOG:  Speaking of the District 4 ballot bout, have we got a surprise for you: One of that race’s underdog candidates is showing surprising strength in a poll that has insiders’ tongues wagging. A February poll by GrowSF shows San Francisco State University politics professor  David Lee  doing surprisingly better than challengers  Natalie Gee  and  Albert Chow  in first-place votes. While the poll shows incumbent Wong coming out on top, sources say they were surprised by how well Lee did in the crowded field, especially considering Chow’s recent prominence in  Joel Engardio ’s recall and Gee’s labor backing. GrowSF declined to comment on the poll. But as you can imagine, Lee was pretty stoked. “There’s a race going on out here. We’re fighting hard every single day, and we haven’t spent any money,” Lee told Power Play. “To be up this much is a big boost to our campaign.” Lee has run for office before, including for the state Assembly, but the bulk of his previous campaigning was in the Richmond, making his show of strength in the Sunset a surprise. Not to throw cold water on Lee, but some questions in the poll show that support for him may be on shaky ground. And some sources speculate that he may have benefited from the ballot designation GrowSF used in the poll: “educator.” Why? It was conducted during the San Francisco teachers strike, when support for classroom workers was through the roof. —  J.F.R. SHE’S BACK : Many voters have never heard of the race for California insurance commissioner, but it carries enormous stakes.  The office  oversees the state’s roughly $3 trillion home and auto insurance market, amid  growing wildfire threats and rising premiums . A major San Francisco candidate is in the mix: former supervisor  Jane Kim . A progressive activist with limited experience in the insurance industry, Kim has nonetheless racked up a long list of endorsements. Two stand out — both  featured prominently  on her website and campaign mailers: her longtime ally Sen.  Bernie Sanders  of Vermont and, surprisingly, state Controller  Malia Cohen , a former Board of Supervisors colleague from the other side of the aisle. “Jane Kim and I have sparred for years on policy issues,” Cohen told a crowd Wednesday night at a Chinatown fundraising banquet. “She is a gracious woman — gracious when she wins and gracious when she loses.” Cohen, a moderate, served with Kim on the board from 2011 to 2019 but did not back Kim’s 2016 state Senate run or her 2018 mayoral bid. Kim is running on a progressive platform aimed at  taking on large insurance companies , including proposals to guarantee coverage and create a state-run insurance program. “How much of this industry should be in the for-profit market?” Kim asked at the banquet. It’s unclear how much momentum she can build, given the limited media coverage and public attention on the race. But Kim is emerging as one of two Democratic front-runners: She and state Sen.  Ben Allen  — whose district includes the west side of L.A., Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, and Malibu — each  received about 40%  of the vote in the California Democratic Party’s endorsement process. Another San Francisco candidate, parents advocate and  chess grandmaster   Patrick Wolff , trailed with about 6%.  — H.L. CRUSHING RUMORS : Following a chaotic year for the San Francisco Zoo that ended with the  resignation  of CEO  Tanya Peterson , the much-hyped deal to bring giant pandas from China has largely gone quiet.  But on Thursday, SF Zoo Watch, a group led by animal activist  Justin Barker , dropped a bombshell report claiming the panda deal is dead due to the zoo’s financial situation. The post cited unnamed insider sources but did not include a response from zoo officials. The  zoo’s new CEO ,  Cassandra Costello , quickly pushed back, issuing a statement Thursday night denying the rumors. “Recent claims by activist groups regarding giant pandas are not grounded in fact. As with any major development, the zoo will share updates publicly when there is confirmed information to report,” she said. Costello confirmed a small round of layoffs, with three positions eliminated as part of what she described as a strategic reorganization. “This was a difficult decision and one we approached with care,” she said. “We are grateful for the contributions of those impacted and will support them during this transition.” The zoo under Peterson had planned to debut pandas  next month , but the timeline is now uncertain amid the leadership transition and ongoing renovations to the panda habitat. Sources say the zoo is moving forward with the panda project and continuing its fundraising efforts — estimated costs  were $25 million  when the initiative was announced in 2024.  — H.L.</p>

Lurie fires official in charge of permitting reform, technology innovation

<p>Mayor Daniel Lurie has dismissed Florence Simon as director of the Mayor‘s Office of Innovation, The Standard has learned. The departure represents a major pivot for City Hall’s reform efforts less than a year after Simon, a former McKinsey consultant, was hired, and just as her department was set to expand. The mayor’s office described the departure as a mutual decision, but a source with direct knowledge of the situation said Simon had been let go. The office, essentially an in-house consultancy that implements tech solutions across San Francisco government, has been the tip of the spear for Lurie’s efforts to streamline city operations. Its work touches on such torturously bureaucratic areas as permitting reform, transit project management, and police hiring. The Board of Supervisors in February approved a $7 million, three-year grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to partially fund the office, expanding its team from six to 10 people, under Simon’s purview. The city is also contractually obligated to kick in $2 million for the office’s operations. “We’re going to do everything more efficiently and more effectively,” Lurie said on  Instagram  in February. “And this grant of $7 million is going to help us do that.” The Bloomberg Philanthropies’ grant stipulates that “i-teams,” short for innovation teams, should not “execute existing plans or solutions”; instead, they should “challenge assumptions” and conduct research to craft new solutions to pernicious city problems, like police hiring that drags on too long, or ensuring people had access to food stamps. A presentation of the office’s recent work shows it is wrapping up several projects it undertook in 2025 at the mayor’s behest. The new Bloomberg grant agreement, signed in February, shows a need for teams to “first complete research” on “new solutions.” That language suggests a possible conflict between the mayor’s existing priorities for the office and the philanthropy’s desire for new initiatives backed by independent research.  The Mayor’s Office of Innovation led the implementation of Lurie’s permitting reform effort by launching a software platform called OpenGov as part of a February 2025 executive order. Simon was hired the following month.  According to a source with knowledge of the office’s strategy, the permitting reform work diverted the office’s attention away from projects conducted under Mayor London Breed’s administration — such as reforming the city’s homelessness client management system — which were of keen interest to Bloomberg Philanthropies when its first grant to the office commenced in 2021.  A Bloomberg Philanthropies spokesperson did not respond to questions about Simon’s departure, saying only that the organization was pleased with the office’s performance. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said in a statement, “We are grateful for Florence’s service to this office and for her accomplishments solving some of San Francisco’s most complex challenges. We wish her continued success in her future endeavors.” This is the second recent personnel shift for one of Lurie’s key priorities, following the announcement this week that the head of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, Shireen McSpadden, will retire in June. Simon served in the U.S. Department of Transportation in the Biden administration, and,  like other Lurie hires , is a former McKinsey & Company consultant. She was hired as director to replace Stephen Sherrill, who was appointed to the Board of Supervisors at the end of 2024 by former Mayor London Breed. Under Simon’s management, the office took on more projects than it had under Sherrill, a review of legislative documents shows. It helped develop a dashboard to coordinate how four city departments respond to reports of violence and supported rapid-response teams at the city’s transit agency to improve bus safety and cleanliness.  OpenGov itself was controversial. In November, Supervisor Jackie Fielder called for a watchdog  review of a $5.9 million contract awarded to OpenGov  after an investigation in The Standard revealed that one of Lurie’s chief policy advisers, Ned Segal, had disregarded recommendations from city employees to contract with another company that was offering a cheaper software option. It is unclear if Simon’s stewardship of the software system had any role in her dismissal. Under Simon, the Mayor’s Office of Innovation implemented a new tool, ASTRID 2.0, that enables street teams to book shelter beds for people in need, which is estimated to save the city $3.6 million annually. The Mayor’s Office of Innovation was formed in 2012 with the hope that San Francisco government could become as technologically nimble as the Silicon Valley companies that thrive in the area. The renewed funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies announced in February created additional roles for data science and product management personnel, who will help expand the scope and impact of the office’s projects.  Simon’s dismissal came a month and a half after the expansion was enacted.</p>

Ready to rumble: The 37 most powerful labor leaders in San Francisco

Lurie launches City Hall clean-up campaign. Plus: Wiener’s spicy video

<p>This article is from Power Play, a twice-weekly newsletter rounding up the latest City Hall and local politics gossip. To sign up, visit The Standard’s  newsletter page . It’s spring cleaning time in City Hall.  Mayor  Daniel Lurie  filed paperwork with the Department of Elections on Wednesday to launch three signature-gathering drives aimed at placing charter amendments on the November ballot. The mayor’s calling it the “Clean Up City Hall” campaign. “This system works for the insiders,” Lurie told reporters. “It does not work for everyday San Franciscans.” Of the three proposed amendments, two are expected to be noncontroversial. One would  streamline and centralize the contracting process , giving more flexibility to the city administrator; the other would  expand the mayor’s power  to hire and fire commissioners and department heads, and allow the mayor to restructure departments. The third proposal will likely spark a battle, as it would raise the threshold for future ballot measures to qualify. Currently, proposals backed by signatures from 2% of registered voters can qualify; Lurie wants to raise that to 8%. He also proposes increasing the number of supervisors required to place a measure on the ballot from four to six — a simple majority of the board. The plan would also remove the mayor’s own authority to place measures directly on the ballot. The change would apply only to ballot measures that are ordinances, and the process for charter amendments would remain unchanged. Some  labor leaders have spoken out against that proposal.   Beyond political opposition, the biggest challenge may be gathering signatures. Lurie and his allies must collect about 53,000 — roughly 10% of local registered voters — to qualify the measures for the November ballot, a process likely to cost millions of dollars. “[We] haven’t figured out how much that will cost,” Lurie said. “But anyone who wants to join us, we would love their support.” There’s a notable exception to the mayor’s expanded authority. While Lurie wants broader power to hire and fire most department heads, he keeps the existing process for selecting the police chief. Under that system, the Police Commission provides the mayor with a shortlist of candidates to choose from. “We’re always going to work with a commission on that front,” Lurie said. “And I think that process is working well.” If all that isn’t confusing enough, the mayor’s proposals come alongside a separate effort to streamline the city’s commissions that stems from Proposition E in 2024. That effort is expected to advance through the Board of Supervisors. Lurie has also launched a separate signature-gathering campaign for a tax measure to fund the city’s transit system.  — Han Li Got tips? Send to us at  powerplay@sfstandard.com . VIDEO FIGHT:  The race to replace Rep.  Nancy Pelosi  is heating up as state Sen.  Scott Wiener , a leading candidate, posted  a spicy video  Tuesday targeting  Saikat Chakrabarti , a former tech founder who has been flooding local airwaves with expensive TV ads. “Being hyper-rich can buy you a lot of things, but it shouldn’t be able to buy you an election,” Wiener wrote in the social media post. In the video, Wiener accuses Chakrabarti of not living in San Francisco, suggesting he resided in Maryland or Los Angeles. The Maryland accusation stems from  reporting  by The Standard showing that Chakrabarti bought a $1.6 million house in the city of Gaithersburg in 2018 and signed a deed promising to make it his principal residence. The candidate chalked it up to a paperwork error, calling it “an honest mistake.”  Wiener also claims his opponent “deleted 13 years of his social media posts.” Chakrabarti previously served as chief of staff to Rep.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , and his past posts — including  provocative tweets criticizing Pelosi  — were  widely documented in press coverage  at the time. The exchange quickly triggered a firestorm on X, with allies on both sides rushing to join the battle. Chakrabarti and his supporters quickly pushed back, blasting Wiener’s message as a  “nativist dog-whistle attack.” His campaign admitted to deleting tweets but also accused Wiener of recycling an old campaign tactic. “If you run against him, he’s going to call you a carpetbagger. It’s his thing. He did it to [ Jackie Fielder ] , and now Saikat,” campaign communications director  Tiffaney Bradley  said in a statement. “It’s ironic coming from someone who moved here from New Jersey and now thinks he gets to decide who qualifies as a real San Franciscan.” Meanwhile, the moderate political group GrowSF  released TV ads  backing supervisors  Stephen Sherrill  and  Alan Wong , both of whom face reelection in June. GrowSF said it expects to spend about $250,000 on each race.  — H.L. BIG ETHICS FINE : A Municipal Transportation Agency staffer  who engaged in a yearslong scheme  to score sports tickets and other free stuff by faking a job title has been handed a big fine by the Ethics Commission.  Charlie Chiem  has agreed to fork over $42,611 in response to 19 violations of city laws, according to a stipulation agreement made public Monday. Chiem was found to have broken a slew of rules: use of city resources for personal gain, misuse of city email/impersonating an official, falsely representing oneself as a department representative, accepting gifts from businesses seeking contracts, and accepting gifts from restricted sources.  Investigators say Chiem, an IT administrator for the transit agency, pretended to be a manager and attended 14 sporting events, some in luxury suites, with companies that were expected to do business with the city. Monday’s filing states that the value of his attendance at those events totaled nearly $9,000 between 2021 and 2023.  Chiem also found time between 2021 and 2024 to attend more than 600 webinars, in which he received thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, including Uber credits, headphones, and gift cards. The pace of Chiem’s attendance of the webinars — which were hosted by Microsoft, Proofpoint, Nutanix and other companies — is eye-opening: He would join more than one per day; he attended eight over the course of three days in 2023. He would also create fake email accounts to attend events multiple times. “Respondent’s use of significant amounts of City time and resources, including creating unauthorized City email accounts are severe and demonstrate a blatant abuse of City resources for private gain,” the commission stated. Attempts to reach Chiem were unsuccessful.  — Gabe Greschler PROP. ASSIGNMENTS : The proposition letters for the June primary election are here. Prop. A, a bond, would bring $535 million in funding toward earthquake safety and emergency preparedness. Prop. B, a charter amendment,  would establish lifetime term limits  for the mayor and Board of Supervisors. Props. C and D are in battle with one another: C is the business community’s tax on top executive pay, while D, the “Overpaid CEO Tax,” is the union version, which would more aggressively tax businesses based on C-suite salaries.  — G.G. Clarification: Wednesday’s newsletter’s description of the “Overpaid CEO Tax” has been updated for this article.</p>

Can SF’s theaters save Mid-Market? This lawmaker says it’s showtime

<p>It’s a San Francisco show tune set on sad repeat: Once-vibrant Market Street is overrun by crime, blight, and public drug use. Ideas get floated for a revival. Investments get made. Attention shifts. Businesses and residents continue to struggle.  But Supervisor Bilal Mahmood says he’s got a new idea to resuscitate the blocks between 5th and 9th streets that make up the Mid-Market district: Recast the neighborhood’s historic theaters as the main character. On Thursday, Mahmood rolled out details for a plan to beautify the stretch, with an emphasis on raising the status of its theaters.  “The theater and the arts need to feel that love and bring in that same economic investment that we’re seeing in other parts of downtown,” said Mahmood, whose district includes the Tenderloin. The biggest visual change he proposes would be the installation of LED screens — like those in New York City’s Times Square, but on a smaller scale — that would advertise theater shows. Other ideas on the table include decorating the crosswalks with references from famous show, such as quotes from “Wicked” or “Hamilton”; installing public art, new lighting fixtures, planters and tables; and putting themed banners on lampposts to make that stretch of Market Street more inviting to attendees of the Orpheum, ACT Strand, the Warfield, the Golden Gate, and Bill Graham. Mahmood isn’t the first politician to try to spruce up the area. In the 2010s, under the late Mayor Ed Lee, Mid-Market saw a brief real estate boom as the city’s tech sector grew, fueled by a tax break that attracted Twitter and other companies. The area had struggled for decades to be recognized as a prime location for investment.  But just as it was getting back on its feet, the pandemic devastated it again. Today, more than 46% of neighborhood offices are empty, versus the citywide vacancy rate of 33%, according to real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. Prior to the pandemic, vacancy rates across the city were less than 6%.  The timing of Mahmood’s proposal comes as nearly two dozen Bay Area theaters have shuttered since 2020, including 15 in San Francisco. On Wednesday,  The Standard reported  on the struggles of the city’s theater business, as attendance has slowed since the pandemic, while production costs have risen. How would the mostly cosmetic changes make any difference?  “Its a very reasonable question. The reason I feel optimistic is we have a case study,” said Mahmood, explaining that the reactivation of UN Plaza — which has  a skate park and other amenities  — serves as an example of how  a previously dreary public space  can become a draw. Mahmood intends to raise money for his project through a private-public partnership, similar to a model Mayor Daniel Lurie has used frequently throughout his first year, leveraging his connections to tech founders and philanthropists.  The city this month announced  a $5 million donation from billionaire Chris Larsen  to breathe new life into Larkin Street in the Tenderloin. With the city’s finances tight and a $936 million budget deficit expected over the next two years, private funding has taken a larger role in public projects.  Mahmood said he hopes to raise an amount similar to that of the Larkin project. He estimates that the initial pilot program for an intersection would cost $1 million, while the full scope of the plans would total $5 million. He said city leaders have focused on wooing Big Tech and office workers, but the arts are an “important part of the story” that often get overlooked. In addition to the design changes, Mahmood’s plan has two other crucial components: public safety and reenergizing small businesses along the street. He said his office has worked on getting more police foot patrols in the area, and the city’s Drug Market Agency Coordination Center is operating every day of the week. Meanwhile, the Office of Economic Workforce and Development is helping businesses open along the street, which is pockmarked with vacant signs. On Tuesday, the department  opened applications  for grant funding of up to $100,000, and the corridor along Market from 5th to 9th is one of the eligible areas.  Fernando Pujals, executive director of the Mid-Market Business Association and Foundation, said signs of life are starting to crop up along the street, including last year’s  sales of the Warfield  and  Odd Fellows Temple buildings . He supports Mahmood’s plan. “We’re not reaching that potential,” he said of the area. “I think we’re leaving money on the table.”</p>

Undercutting Lurie, YIMBY group to sue city over Family Zoning Plan

<p>Neighborhood NIMBYs aren’t the only ones up in arms over San Francisco’s Family Zoning Plan.  The pro-development advocates at YIMBY Law plan to file suit against San Francisco next month, claiming Mayor Daniel Lurie’s upzoning scheme fails to fulfill the city’s state-mandated allowance of housing, the organization’s executive director, Sonja Trauss, told The Standard. In response to the decades-long housing crisis, California officials have in recent years been pressuring local governments to loosen zoning requirements or risk losing state funding or land-use control. San Francisco is mandated by state officials to plan for 82,000 new homes by 2031. Of that, the city must rezone to reasonably allow for about 36,000 homes in the next six years.  The Board of Supervisors  approved  San Francisco’s rezoning strategy — dubbed the Family Zoning Plan — in December.  The Planning Department, which has been developing the Family Zoning Plan since before the Lurie administration, created  its own projections  using various models that estimate rezoning would allow for the creation of up to 64,000 homes. (That doesn’t mean all those homes will be built, as  planners often note .) However, an  analysis from Ted Egan , San Francisco’s chief economist, found that even in the most optimistic scenario, rezoning could create about 14,600 units over the next 20 years — a fraction of the benchmark set by the state. The report provided ammo for those pushing for more aggressive housing policies.  “Why do planners always make promises they can’t keep? They’re addicted to it,” Trauss said.  The plan met with fierce opposition from some residents who argued that wide-scale upzoning would change neighborhood character and function as a developer handout. Responding to those complaints, supervisors debated and approved a slew of amendments that included carve-outs and exemptions for specific areas. The potential lawsuit mirrors litigation filed by YIMBY Law and Californians for Homeownership against Los Angeles, claiming  the city  was not doing enough to rezone for new housing capacity as laid out under state law. If successful, the lawsuit could force sweeping rezoning or trigger the “builder’s remedy,” under which a city loses the ability to approve or deny housing developments. In a  preliminary review , California’s Department of Housing and Community Development found that the Family Zoning Plan meets state requirements, based partly on the Planning Department’s projections. City Attorney spokesperson Jen Kwart said the City Attorney would review any lawsuits once served and respond in court. She added Trauss said YIMBY Law would not push the city to repeal its rezoning plan but rather to expand it by increasing height limits in specific areas. She added that YIMBY Law will be seeking individual residents to sign on as plaintiffs in the case.  Charles Lutvak, a spokesperson for the mayor, emphasized maintaining local control in a statement. “As the cost of housing continues to rise, the Family Zoning Plan is going to help ensure that the next generation of San Franciscans can afford to raise their kids here,” Lutvak said via text message. “But our administration is not going to hand the keys to Sacramento—we’re going to meet state requirements while protecting what’s so special about our neighborhoods and our city.” Those on the other side of the issue — who think Lurie’s proposal means too much development —  filed a lawsuit against the city this month  over the state-mandated plan. The legal challenge was filed by the NIMBY-aligned groups Neighborhoods United SF and Small Business Forward. San Francisco has a deadline of Jan. 31 to adopt a finalized rezoning plan. Trauss said her organization plans to file its lawsuit challenging it in February. As for cost? “We’ll spend as much money as it takes,” she said.</p>

Sunset recallers launch effort to reopen Great Highway after supervisor’s plan crashes

<div class="content-grid article-content"><div class="Metadata_container__fxAzw"><div class="flex flex-row gap-x-md"></div><div class="Metadata_metadata__W_0LF"><span>By <a class="" href="https://sfstandard.com/author/han-li/">Han Li</a></span><time datetime="2026-01-14T01:44:56.673Z">Published Jan. 13, 2026 • 5:44pm</time></div></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The endless saga surrounding the Great Highway — San Francisco’s version of “War and Peace” — is about to get another bloody chapter. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">A group of west-side residents tied to the 2025 recall movement against former Sunset Supervisor Joel Engardio is taking over the campaign to reopen two miles of the coastal highway to cars on weekdays.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Their effort began Tuesday, just as the clock wound down on Supervisor Alan Wong’s effort to <u><a data-post-id="9da505bd-6054-445c-9a69-f9189a504185" href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/12/reopen-great-highway-fall-short/">secure support</a></u> from board colleagues to put the Great Highway issue back on the ballot. Wong gave up the push after failing to convince a minimum of three supervisors to lend their signatures to his proposal for a June voter referendum to overturn Proposition K. </p></div><div class="!p-0 !m-0"></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Jamie Hughes, a leader of the Engardio recall and the spokesperson for the new campaign, said Tuesday that his group will file paperwork with the city to start gathering signatures for a November voter initiative that would return the Great Highway to a state of “compromise”: open to car traffic on weekdays and to pedestrians, skaters, and cyclists on weekends. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Supporters of the closure have continued to gaslight residents into thinking this is working while wasting unapproved taxpayer dollars and ignoring the unsafe conditions this has brought to the west side,” Hughes said. “San Francisco voters are looking for a sensible solution to this issue.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">He dismissed the effort from Wong, who was appointed by Mayor Daniel Lurie at the end of November.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Supervisor Wong campaigned citywide multiple times and never did anything to support this effort,” Hughes said. “He made an unserious last-minute attempt, solely to benefit his supervisor campaign. Unfortunately for many of us counting on him, he flunked his first test of leadership. The ‘at least I tried’ act is not good enough.”</p></div><div class="w-full bg-warm-gray-50 border border-warm-gray-300 rounded-xl flex flex-col gap-md px-lg py-[20px]"><div class="flex flex-row text-medium leading-[1.1] text-black font-inter gap-xs"><span class="italic font-normal">More about</span><a href="https://sfstandard.com/tag/sunset-district/"><span class="font-bold underline decoration-highlight decoration-[3.2px]">Sunset District</span></a></div><ul class="flex flex-col gap-md"><li class="flex flex-row gap-sm pb-md border-b border-warm-gray-300"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/12/reopen-great-highway-fall-short/" tabindex="-1"><div class="flex-none w-[90px] h-[60px] overflow-hidden"><img alt="A man in a suit raises his right hand, taking an oath from another man holding a document, while a crowd watches and records the event." class="object-cover w-full h-full lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="5464" loading="lazy" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_ngnejqthi50ld15hk7lb7ek51f/-S3840x2561-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_ngnejqthi50ld15hk7lb7ek51f/-S3840x2561-FPNG 1x" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 8192 5464'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="8192"/></div></a><a class="h-fit" href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/12/reopen-great-highway-fall-short/"><h3 class="text-medium sm:text-lg leading-[1.3] font-medium text-warm-gray-900 font-ivar-headline">Sunset supervisor gets cold shoulder from colleagues in bid to reopen Great Highway</h3></a></li><li class="flex flex-row gap-sm pb-md border-b border-warm-gray-300"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/opinion/2026/01/11/s-time-tear-san-francisco-zoo-s-should-go-its-place/" tabindex="-1"><div class="flex-none w-[90px] h-[60px] overflow-hidden"><img alt="A woman and child walk on a boardwalk by a wetland with birds, a snake, plants, and the sun setting over the ocean in the background." class="object-cover w-full h-full lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="3508" loading="lazy" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_urfl7ontbd2qr81bu3mls4604l/-S3840x2715-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_urfl7ontbd2qr81bu3mls4604l/-S3840x2715-FPNG 1x" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 4961 3508'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="4961"/></div></a><a class="h-fit" href="https://sfstandard.com/opinion/2026/01/11/s-time-tear-san-francisco-zoo-s-should-go-its-place/"><h3 class="text-medium sm:text-lg leading-[1.3] font-medium text-warm-gray-900 font-ivar-headline">It’s time to tear down the San Francisco Zoo. Here’s what should rise in its place</h3></a></li><li class="flex flex-row gap-sm"><a href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/08/sunset-night-market-return-2026/" tabindex="-1"><div class="flex-none w-[90px] h-[60px] overflow-hidden"><img alt="" class="object-cover w-full h-full lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="3743" loading="lazy" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4ovvmb1rnt2sr13lcj5d84ko6e/-S3840x2560-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_4ovvmb1rnt2sr13lcj5d84ko6e/-S3840x2560-FPNG 1x" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 5614 3743'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="5614"/></div></a><a class="h-fit" href="https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/08/sunset-night-market-return-2026/"><h3 class="text-medium sm:text-lg leading-[1.3] font-medium text-warm-gray-900 font-ivar-headline">Sunset Night Market to return after last year’s political chaos</h3></a></li></ul></div><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Wong met with reporters in his office on Tuesday night to emphasize his commitment to the issue. He declined to say whether he will support a citizen-led initiative.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Ultimately, we were not able to get enough signatures. I am disappointed with the results,” Wong said. “Our office did our best to advocate for our constituents.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Two supervisors, Richmond representative Connie Chan and District 11’s Chyanne Chen, had agreed to back his proposal.</p></div><figure class="ImageBlock_ImageFigure__ZnquR inset-image mobile-grid-full mobile-grid-full" data-align="none"><div class="relative"><div><img alt="A man in a gray suit sits on an office chair holding an open signed document, with a wooden desk, two monitors, and office supplies nearby." class="block lazyloaded" data-nimg="1" decoding="async" height="3024" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 1001px) 600px, (min-width: 768px) 700px, 100vw" src="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_77dkgka1hh2h585q6cb3cib71j/-S3840x2880-FPNG" srcset="https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_77dkgka1hh2h585q6cb3cib71j/-S640x480-FPNG 640w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_77dkgka1hh2h585q6cb3cib71j/-S750x563-FPNG 750w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_77dkgka1hh2h585q6cb3cib71j/-S768x576-FPNG 768w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_77dkgka1hh2h585q6cb3cib71j/-S828x621-FPNG 828w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_77dkgka1hh2h585q6cb3cib71j/-S1024x768-FPNG 1024w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_77dkgka1hh2h585q6cb3cib71j/-S1080x810-FPNG 1080w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_77dkgka1hh2h585q6cb3cib71j/-S1200x900-FPNG 1200w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_77dkgka1hh2h585q6cb3cib71j/-S1920x1440-FPNG 1920w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_77dkgka1hh2h585q6cb3cib71j/-S2048x1536-FPNG 2048w, https://assets.sfstandard.com/image/994911177489/image_77dkgka1hh2h585q6cb3cib71j/-S3840x2880-FPNG 3840w" style="color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 4032 3024'%3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=='/%3E%3C/svg%3E&quot;)" width="4032"/></div></div><figcaption class="basis-full mt-[10px] text-xs text-gray-550 font-inter leading-[18px]">Supervisor Alan Wong shows that he received two signatures from his colleagues, Connie Chan and Chyanne Chen.<span class="image-caption-divider"> | </span><span class="image-credit"><span class="sr-only">Source: </span>Han Li/The Standard</span></figcaption></figure><div class="floats"><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Richard Corriea, a retired police captain and a leader of the Engardio recall effort, will serve as principal officer of the new campaign.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Alan Wong began slow-walking this issue the minute he took office and had no intention of truly supporting it from Day One,” Corriea said. “He may want west-side voters to give him an A for effort, but that’s disingenuous.”</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The effort continues a four-year battle over the Great Highway’s future. It adds to a deepening divide between the city’s urbanist activists, who want more green space and bike lanes, and those who rely on cars. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The city first closed the road to cars during the pandemic to create recreational space. In 2021, cars were allowed back during the week while the road was turned over to pedestrians on weekends. A 2022 ballot measure to reopen the highway to cars failed before supervisors <u><a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/sf-supervisors-seal-great-highways-fate--for-now/article_f5afab98-759d-11ed-b34f-efe8146882c7.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">voted to keep its dual status <span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>through 2025. </p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The board then put Prop. K on the ballot to allow voters to decide the road’s fate. The measure passed in November 2024 with 55% of the vote, but west-side neighborhoods rejected it, including 63% of voters in District 4, where the two-mile stretch is located. This prompted a revolt against Engardio, who had championed Prop. K and was ousted in a September recall election.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">The campaign to overturn Prop. K must collect roughly 10,000 valid signatures, <u><a href="https://media.api.sf.gov/documents/Guide_-_Qualifying_SF_Initiative_Measures_June26.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">according to the Department of Elections<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>. Unlike the process to qualify the Engardio recall, which was limited to D4 voters, the campaign can collect signatures citywide.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">It will be an uphill battle. The highway will have been closed for almost a year, and Sunset Dunes, the park that was built there, is <u><a href="https://sfrecpark.org/m/newsflash/home/detail/2182" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">thriving<span class="sr-only"> (opens in new tab)</span></a></u>, according to the Recreation and Parks Department. The California Coastal Commission has approved the road’s closure, and a lawsuit challenging Prop. K was rejected by a San Francisco judge in early January.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">Any effort to overturn Prop. K, whether through a signature-led initiative or via the Board of Supervisors, would face fierce opposition from park advocates.</p><p class="paragraph-block article-body undefined text-left">“Today is an opportunity for the park opponents to come to terms with a democratic outcome and join us in planning the future of our collective park,” said Lucas Lux, president of Friends of Sunset Dunes. “We’re disappointed but not surprised that instead they are choosing to waste further resources in their attempt to rip out one of the city’s most used parks. We look forward to San Franciscans telling the anti-park zealots no for the umpteenth time.”</p></div></div>

Asian Art Museum

Office of the City Administrator

Adult Probation Department

Airport

Arts Commission

Office of the Assessor-Recorder

Board of Appeals

Office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

Office of the City Attorney

Department of Children, Youth and Their Families

Controller's Office

Planning Department

Civil Service Commission

District Attorney's Office

Department of Building Inspection

Department of Early Childhood

Department of Emergency Management

Department of Police Accountability

Department of Public Health

Department of Public Works

Office of Economic and Workforce Development

Environment Department

Ethics Commission

Fine Arts Museums

Fire Department

Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing

Human Rights Commission

Department of Human Resources

Human Services Agency

Health Service System

Juvenile Probation Department

Public Library

Municipal Transportation Agency

Office of the Mayor

Public Defender's Office

Police Department

Port

Public Utilities Commission

Recreation and Park Department

Department of Elections

Retirement System

Rent Board

Sheriff's Department Office of Inspector General

Sheriff's Department

Department of Technology

Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector

War Memorial

Department on the Status of Women

General City Responsibilities

General Administration & Finance

Culture & Recreation

Community Health

Human Welfare & Neighborhood Development

Public Works, Transportation & Commerce

Public Protection

SF Civil Grand Jury

The Abatement Appeals Board provides a final review process for City permitting decisions. It ensures fair and efficient adjudication of permit-related disputes before an impartial panel. The board holds authority to make binding decisions on appeals concerning notices of abatement.

Abatement Appeals Board

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 1

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 2

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 3

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 4

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 5

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 6

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 7

The Access Appeals Commission provides final reviews for a wide range of City permitting decisions. It ensures an efficient, fair, and expeditious permit issuance process through an impartial panel. The commission holds authority to make binding decisions on appeals related to City permits.

Access Appeals Commission

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 1

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 2

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 3

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 4

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 5

The Adult Day Health Care Planning Council advises on the development and improvement of adult day health care services. It provides expertise in healthcare planning, policy recommendations, and program evaluation. Key responsibilities include assessing community needs and advising on service delivery enhancements.

Adult Day Health Care Planning Council

Adult Probation Department supervises individuals on probation and facilitates their reintegration into the community. It provides reentry and rehabilitative services, including victim restitution and financial assistance for crime victims. The department values public safety, offender rehabilitation, and community partnerships.

Cristel Tullock

The Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners evaluates arts and crafts applicants and monitors program compliance. It conducts studio visits and public screenings to ensure adherence to established criteria. Members also revise program criteria and undertake additional tasks as needed.

Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners

The Advisory Council on Human Rights advises on anti-discrimination laws and racial equity initiatives. It provides expertise on reparations and public policy impacts on Black communities. It guides efforts to establish partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities in San Francisco.

Advisory Council on Human Rights

San Francisco Airport manages air traffic operations and ensures safe aircraft movement. It provides parking facilities and maintains airport infrastructure to accommodate travelers and staff. The department oversees ground transportation and coordinates with airlines for efficient passenger services.

Mike Nakornkhet

The Airport Commission oversees policy and strategic planning for San Francisco International Airport. It makes key decisions on airport development projects and financial management. It ensures compliance with regulations and collaborates on initiatives like terminal naming.

Airport Commission

Airport Commission Commissioner 1

Malcolm Yeung

Jose F. Almanza

Mark Buell

Susan Leal

Airport Director

Animal Care and Control Department manages animal sheltering, adoption, and emergency response services. It enforces animal-related laws and regulations, ensuring the humane treatment and safety of animals. The department also provides public education on responsible pet ownership and animal welfare.

Animal Care and Control Department

Virginia Donohue

Animal Care and Control Department, Director

The San Francisco Arts Commission oversees the integration of arts into city life and ensures public access to cultural experiences. It makes decisions on public art programs and allocates grants to support local artists and performances. The commission actively shapes policies affecting the arts ecosystem in San Francisco.

Arts Commission Commissioner 1

Arts Commission Commissioner 2

Arts Commission Commissioner 3

Arts Commission Commissioner 4

Debra Walker

Suzanne Ferras

Jessica Rothschild

Seth Brenzel

JD Beltran

Marcus Shelby

J Riccardo Benavides

Nabiel Musleh

Charles (Chuck) Collins

Lydia So

Arts Commission Commissioner 15

San Francisco Arts Commission invests in a vibrant arts community and shapes cultural policy. It enlivens the urban environment through public art programs and supports diverse artistic expressions. The commission facilitates meetings and discussions to engage the community in cultural development.

Ralph Remington

Arts Commission, Director of Cultural Affairs

The Asian Art Commission determines policy and administers the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. It oversees museum operations and collaborates with the Asian Art Museum Foundation on fundraising efforts. Commissioners ensure the museum's strategic direction and financial sustainability.

Asian Art Commission

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 1

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 2

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 3

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 4

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 5

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 6

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 7

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 8

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 9

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 10

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 11

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 12

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 13

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 14

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 15

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 16

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 17

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 18

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 19

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 20

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 21

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 22

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 23

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 24

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 25

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 26

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 27

Asian Art Museum showcases Asian art and culture through exhibitions and educational programs. It offers diverse collections and hosts special events to engage the community. The museum fosters cultural appreciation and understanding by providing access to its extensive art collections.

Dr. Soyoung Lee

Asian Art Museum, Director

The Assessment Appeals Board #1 hears property tax assessment appeals in San Francisco. It evaluates evidence presented by taxpayers and the Assessor to determine property values. The Board has the authority to make final decisions on assessments regardless of property type or value.

Assessment Appeals Board #1

Assessment Appeals Board #1 Commissioner 1

Assessment Appeals Board #1 Commissioner 2

Richard Lee

Stephen Wasserman

Adena Gilbert

Paul Bellar

Quirina Mitchell

Hilary Winslow

The Assessment Appeals Board #2 adjudicates property tax assessment appeals for San Francisco taxpayers. It evaluates evidence presented by taxpayers and the Assessor to determine accurate property values. The Board exercises authority to render final decisions on residential properties and specific real estate assessments.

Assessment Appeals Board #2

Assessment Appeals Board #2 Commissioner 1

Assessment Appeals Board #2 Commissioner 2

Assessment Appeals Board #2 Commissioner 3

Claire Ervin Lee

Louisa Mendoza

Joyce Lewis

Nicholas Goldman

Michelle Domingo

The Assessment Appeals Board #3 provides a platform for San Francisco taxpayers to contest property tax assessments. It conducts hearings where evidence from both taxpayers and the Assessor is evaluated. The Board makes binding decisions on property assessments based on presented evidence.

Assessment Appeals Board #3

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 1

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 2

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 3

Marc Dickow

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 5

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 6

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 7

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 8

Assesses property, applies exemptions, collects transfer taxes, and records official documents.

Assessor-Recorder

Joaquín Torres

The Ballot Simplification Committee ensures voter materials are clear and understandable. It reviews and revises ballot language to accurately reflect propositions and measures. The committee advises on simplifying complex legal and technical terms for voter comprehension.

Ballot Simplification Committee

The Bayview Hunters Point Citizens Advisory Committee provides policy advice on planning and land use matters in Zone 2 of Bayview Hunter's Point. It offers expertise in land use policies, zoning issues, and urban development. The committee advises the Board of Supervisors, City Boards, and commissions on relevant projects and initiatives.

Bayview Hunters Point Citizens Advisory Committee

The Behavioral Health Commission advises on mental health policy implementation and quality service delivery. It reviews and advocates for effective mental health services, ensuring policies meet community needs. It educates stakeholders to integrate mental health considerations into broader health strategies.

Behavioral Health Commission