June is Budget Season in SF

San Francisco has a famously large budget, which is approaching $16 billion. We also face a historic deficit of more than $800 million. June is budget season at City Hall, where the mayor and the Board of Supervisors finalize what to cut and spend.

The budget is a mystery to many residents, which is why I hosted a Budget 101 panel discussion recently for a full house at the Sunset Recreation Center. I was joined by San Francisco Controller Greg Wagner and Board of Education Commissioner Parag Gupta, both proud Sunset residents.

We held a deep dive discussion about the City and the school district’s separate budgets. We explained what powers the mayor has versus the Board of Supervisors over the City’s budget process. Controller Wagner provided a forecast into the state of the City’s economy, and Commissioner Gupta shared an update on the school district’s financial predicament.

I’m really proud of my team for organizing the event, which included live translation into Cantonese and audience Q&A. If you attended the event and didn’t get your question answered, or if you’d like a copy of our presentation, please contact EngardioStaff@sfgov.org.

As members of the budget committee at City Hall, our role is to negotiate over the mayor’s proposed budget that was released May 30.

As your supervisor representing the Sunset, my priorities include preserving funds for public safety and ensuring the City invests in the district’s families, including vulnerable youth and seniors.

Legislative Update

My common-sense legislation to streamline permits for basic home repairs and improvements – like garden sheds, stairways and decks – was the first to be rolled out of Mayor Daniel Lurie’s PermitSF initiative.

The goal for PermitSF is to make the City’s permitting system customer-focused, faster and more transparent. When we streamline permitting and make the City more accountable to residents and businesses, we can help drive the City’s economic recovery efforts.

My legislation was the result of frustrations I heard from residents who struggled to navigate the complex required city permit process when they wanted to make routine repairs to their homes. A minor project like rebuilding a decaying deck or fixing an uneven stairway sometimes required thousands of dollars in permits and public hearings. This could delay some home improvement projects for up to one year.

This type of reform can make a real difference in the lives of everyday residents. I am working to make sure people can spend less time at City Hall’s planning department and more time at home enjoying their new deck.

My legislation to amend the Building and Planning Codes on accessory structures is scheduled to be heard at the Planning Commission on June 26 at noon.

Mayor Lurie’s Family Zoning Plan

I know many westside community members are concerned about the City’s rezoning process, which is currently underway.

This citywide rezoning effort is required by state law to meet demand and expand California’s housing stock. Every city in California is required to prepare and submit a map to meet its housing goals. San Francisco’s goal is 82,000 new units.

I believe if this effort is focused on our commercial and transit corridors, rezoning changes can benefit the neighborhood – and keep an overwhelming majority of the Sunset’s single family homes as they are.

Because of the state mandate, doing nothing is not an option. If our rezoning map doesn’t add up, we risk losing local control over planning and land use decisions. We risk being subject to a state-imposed “builders remedy” where anything can be built anywhere. To prevent this, it’s best for San Francisco to voluntarily upzone commercial and transit corridors. This way we maintain some control over our neighborhoods and avoid the “builder’s remedy” that could put eight-story buildings anywhere.

The creation of San Francisco’s upzoning map was led by the former and current mayor’s office and the planning department. Earlier proposals included increased heights along Sunset Boulevard and near the coast. At one point, the streets parallel to Sunset Boulevard were proposed to be rezoned to 85 feet – about the height of an eight-story building.

When Mayor Lurie came into office, his team reached out to each supervisor to seek their input. I made it very clear that I would not support the mayor’s proposal if it allowed eight stories on 36th and 37th avenues, along Sunset Boulevard. I also did not want any height increase near the coast. I fought hard for these changes, echoing what I heard from many passionate Sunset residents who felt the same way.

Mayor Lurie’s rezoning plan focuses largely on westside neighborhoods. As this proposal comes before the Board of Supervisors this fall, likely October or November, I am committed to managing and mitigating any ancillary impacts on our community. That’s why I am supporting Supervisor Myrna Melgar’s hearing request on 2025 Housing Element Rezoning to learn more from the mayor’s office. The hearing is scheduled to be heard at the Board’s Land Use and Transportation Committee at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, June 16. I hope to see you there.

Joel Engardio is the District 4 representative on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He can be reached at engardio.com/contact.