San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie seeks expanded executive power via ballot reforms

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is seeking to expand executive authority through a series of charter reforms appearing on the November ballot. Central to this effort is Proposition F, which would grant the mayor direct power to reorganize city departments, appoint department heads without Board of Supervisors input, and dismiss officials without cause. The measure also proposes restoring the deputy mayor position.

Lurie’s reform package, promoted by the “Clean Up City Hall” committee, includes Propositions D, E, and F. These measures aim to increase efficiency by altering the city charter, which currently contains various checks and balances on executive management. Proposition D would raise the signature threshold required to qualify new measures for the ballot, while Proposition E would grant the city administrator more authority over contracts.

Campaign finance filings indicate that the mayor’s committee has raised over $11 million, surpassing the total funds raised for all other local ballot measures combined. This funding, supported by several billionaires, has largely been used for signature gathering and digital advertising. In contrast, opposition to the measures remains significantly underfunded.