Latest news with #DanielLurie
San Francisco Chronicle
5 hours ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Daniel Lurie didn't get everything he wanted in his first S.F. budget. Neither did his critics
Mayor Daniel Lurie 's first San Francisco budget negotiations were not as dramatic as they could have been, despite vigorous opposition from labor unions and nonprofits over his plan to close the city's huge deficit. When Lurie introduced his proposal to eliminate a roughly $800 million two-year shortfall, he sought to cut 1,300 vacant jobs and about 100 filled positions. But city lawmakers on Thursday reached a deal with Lurie to prevent 56 layoffs, blunting the impact on San Francisco's vast municipal workforce that is already one of the largest in the country. The mayor allocated funding for about 33,000 city employees next fiscal year. Unions sounded the alarm about the budget even before it was proposed by Lurie, unsuccessfully urging him to avoid deep cuts by calling on tech companies to drop lawsuits seeking tax refunds. As the Board of Supervisors vetted the budget plan, labor groups escalated their resistance, disrupting a meeting until police removed protesting workers in handcuffs. Nonprofits also vehemently objected to Lurie's proposal to cut about $185 million in grant and contract spending. Ultimately, the deal that the supervisors' budget committee brokered with Lurie scaled back some of his most aggressive plans. By tweaking the mayor's two-year spending proposal, supervisors freed up $15 million to reduce layoffs, and they reallocated $26 million to invest in a variety of services that Lurie originally intended to cut. The money is a drop in the bucket of San Francisco's $7 billion general fund, but it will help avoid some of the most painful belt-tightening originally envisioned by Lurie. The budget deal, which must still be approved by the full board of supervisors next month, illustrates how Lurie is trying to balance the demands of lawmakers and organized labor while making good on promises to reduce San Francisco's persistent deficits. He didn't give the unions or supervisors everything they wanted. But he also didn't seek a massive overhaul of the city bureaucracy or press for layoffs on the scale the city saw during the Great Recession. Lurie said in a statement that the budget deal would help the city avoid spending 'money we don't have, while focusing our resources on providing safe and clean streets, addressing the fentanyl crisis, and advancing our economic recovery.' 'Passing this budget also required painful decisions that were, unfortunately, necessary to set up our entire city for success,' Lurie said. 'Leadership means making those tough decisions, and this group of city leaders did that.' Supervisor Connie Chan, who chairs the board's budget committee, said Lurie was put in a difficult position partly because recent city budgets under his predecessor, London Breed, were balanced with a heavy reliance on temporary funding sources. Lurie used far less one-time money in his first budget proposal than Breed did last year, according to the city controller's office. The mayor and supervisors also set aside $400 million to help shield the city from federal funding cuts under the Trump administration. 'We are looking to the future about how we protect San Francisco and make sure that San Francisco is solvent,' Chan said. 'That really is the common goal that got us through this budget process… I recognize that and I think the mayor recognizes that.' Chan said she and her colleagues have tried to do 'whatever we can to reverse the layoffs for our front-line workers and to protect as many direct services to the most vulnerable as possible.' 'Under the circumstances, I think that we have delivered that,' she said. SEIU 1021, the city's largest public-sector union, had a mixed reaction to the budget deal. Union president Theresa Rutherford said in a statement that her group was relieved that the agreement between supervisors and the mayor 'reverses layoffs of frontline workers.' But she was 'disappointed and concerned' about cuts to nonprofits and city services that remain in the spending plan. The budget would still cut about $171 million from grants and contracts, a $14 million reduction from what the mayor first proposed. 'We've been fighting hard, but our work is not done,' Rutherford said. 'We will continue to fight to protect public services, especially for those in our community who need them the most, and the rights of all the workers who provide those services, public and nonprofit alike. And we will hold the mayor accountable for reversing these layoffs.' One of the biggest sticking points in this year's budget negotiations involved changes that Lurie proposed in how the city spends revenue from a 2018 business tax that funds homeless services. The tax measure, Proposition C, earmarked specific percentages of the proceeds for permanent housing, mental health services, homelessness prevention and shelter and hygiene services. Lurie wanted to redirect about $90 million in unspent revenue from the tax to fund his priorities, namely homeless shelters, which he thinks are in dire need of expansion to get more unhoused people off the streets. The mayor also sought more flexibility in how his administration spends future revenue from the tax. After an extended debate and negotiations with the mayor's office, the budget committee reduced Lurie's $90 million reallocation request down to about $30 million. The committee also agreed to let Lurie more freely spend up to $19 million in extra revenue from the tax if approved by a simple majority of the board. That prompted some intense pushback from Supervisor Jackie Fielder, who questioned why supervisors were 'going to do away with a key provision' of Prop C, which originally required a supermajority board vote to alter the funding categories. 'Should we even have a Board of Supervisors at this point?' Fielder asked at a budget committee hearing. The Coalition on Homelessness advocacy group also lamented the decision, calling it a 'mayoral power grab' in a news release. 'San Francisco is not a kingdom, and it is not a corporation, it is a democracy,' Jennifer Friedenbach, the coalition's executive director, said in a statement. 'Prop C … was carefully constructed to ensure that data-driven, voter-approved mandates existed to build a responsive and efficient homeless system that was protected from wrongheaded political winds.' Chan, the budget chair, defended the committee's decision as a fair compromise. 'We negotiated with the mayor the best outcome (possible) in a very balanced spending plan that supports homeless families and homeless transitional-age youth,' Chan said in an interview. 'I also understand that at this moment and this time, there is also an urgent need to solve the crisis that we see on our streets.' Aldo Toledo contributed reporting.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
If Zohran Mamdani is the future of the Democrats, they're doomed
It would be easy to call San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie the 'anti-Zohran Mamandi,' but that would fail to do the first-term leader justice. Sworn into office this past January, Lurie – like Mamdani – hails from a storied family, in this case the founders of the Levi Strauss denim dynasty. But that is where the similarities end. Lurie was elected to City Hall last November following nearly a decade of decay across San Francisco. Fuelled by the soft-on-crime policies of former district attorney Chesa Boudin, San Francisco – an urban jewel of technology and wealth – was close to becoming a failed state. Violent crime, open-air drug camps, hundreds of annual drug overdose deaths, a declining population base and desolate downtown plagued the city where I was born and raised. San Francisco's ills were akin to many large American urban centres: Philadelphia with its gruesome 'Tranq' crisis; the epidemic of deadly violent crime devastating Chicago. And, of course, Los Angeles – similarly battling an inhospitable mix of homelessness, drugs and criminality. But sized a mere 49 square miles (one-tenth that of Los Angeles), San Francisco's blight has felt uniquely acute and everywhere – all at the same time. Back in 2022, fed up voters ousted district attorney Boudin, whose laissez-faire prosecutorial approach directly led to the city's spiralling quality of life. Former San Francisco mayor London Breed attempted, honourably, to steer San Francisco back to sanity. But with a record 806 drug-related deaths in 2023 alone – and San Francisco's abandoned business core dubbed a 'ghost town' by major media – Breed lost to Lurie last November. Despite a lack of formal political experience, Lurie is hardly new to politics. His career has been shaped by public service, mostly leading large non-profits focused on tackling urban ills – often in association with scions of other local family dynasties. Lurie's flagship $500 million Tipping Point Community organisation, for instance, was established alongside the daughter of Financial Services billionaire Charles Schwab. The reliance on – rather than rejection of – the private sector for public good has been a key Lurie manoeuvre and stands in sharp contrast to Mamdani's platform. Indeed, much like former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg a decade ago, Lurie has tapped major corporations and philanthropists to fund ambitious city programs hit hard by San Francisco's $800 million budget deficit. Earlier this month, for instance, he set up an entire department, the San Francisco Downtown Development Corporation, to steer private funding to city projects. Lurie has also heavily leaned into San Francisco's abundance of visionary innovators, most notably – and understandably – in the tech world. OpenAI head Sam Altman helped lead Lurie's transition team after his election last year. Such schemes – and there are many – stand in sharp contrast to the economic expansion plan touted by Mamdani, which mostly relies on added taxes levied on New York's wealthiest residents and corporations. And not just any wealthy residents and corporations: Mamdani's own website describes his strategy as shifting 'the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighbourhoods.' Such taxes would then be used to pay for low cost basic services including housing, transport and child care, even groceries. In other words – DEI meets Socialism. If this is the future of the Democrats, they are doomed. The problem with Mamdani's plans is that they rarely benefit – or are even desired – by those for whom they are designed. How else to explain the mostly white, mostly affluent New Yorkers who voted for Mamdani this week. Poor people don't need cheap housing – they need quality housing. They don't want free subway services, but reliable – and never more so – safe public transport. This requires funding, which taxes would supply, but also know-how, supply chains, available workforces and long-term commitments. And these are best delivered by partnering with the private sector. Earlier this month, for instance, crypto billionaire Chris Larsen gave $9.4 million to fund a Real Time Investigation Centre for the SFPD. Investment in law enforcement is another key area where Mamdani could learn from Lurie. Last month the mayor announced that the SFPD would be spared the 15 per cent budget cut he's implementing across city departments. Lurie has also signed an executive order to add 500 police officers to the department by, among other strategies, re-hiring recently retired officers. Lurie's law-and-order focus appears to be working: this week the SFPD made 97 arrests in a single day in San Francisco drug dens – 'the largest one-day fugitive-focused enforcement in recent history,' according to the city. While Lurie boosts officer numbers in San Francisco, Mandani has pledged to slash them. In their place, he will create a Department of Community Safety that relies on social-service schemes – 'evidence-based strategies that prevent violence and crime before they occur,' as he has described it – to maintain public order. This is a city that has finally seen a decrease in spiralling violent crime numbers – precisely because of an increase in police patrols. In 2023, for instance, New York City experienced a 20 per cent rise in arrests, a five-year record according to NYPD Chief John Chell. San Francisco may be far smaller than New York City, but its challenges – rising costs, a decreasing tax base, middle- and upper-class population declines – are eerily similar. Five years after Covid decimated both cities' business bases, mayor Lurie appears to understand that fixing San Francisco requires, above all else, public safety and a robust private-sector. Zohran Mandani should pay attention.
Axios
3 days ago
- Business
- Axios
San Francisco bets on new pro soccer team to boost Kezar Stadium
Mayor Daniel Lurie has struck a deal designating San Francisco's historic Kezar Stadium as the home field for a new men's professional soccer team: Golden City Football Club. State of play: As part of the agreement finalized Wednesday, Golden City FC— backed by private investors — will invest $10 million in stadium upgrades for pro and public use, the venue's largest cash infusion in decades. What they're saying:"This investment is truly an investment in the people of San Francisco," Lurie said in a statement. "San Francisco's vibrant culture, rich sports history and enthusiastic fan base make it an ideal home for an independent club," added Charles Altchek, president of MLS Next Pro and executive vice president of Major League Soccer. Zoom in: The renovations include new bleachers, a sound system, natural grass field, irrigation system and high-definition scoreboard. The venue will also undergo various ADA accessibility, press box and concessions upgrades. Friction point: The deal has sparked concern from supporters of the community-run San Francisco City FC — which has played at Kezar for decades — that it could sideline the team. The big picture: Golden City FC is the second pro team introduced under Lurie, following this year's debut of the Golden State Valkyries. His administration is betting on sports and entertainment to help revive local neighborhoods. Between the lines: Golden City FC will be permitted to use the stadium for home games and practices for 15 years — with three optional five-year extensions — and granted use of other city-owned fields for training.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Deal finalized to bring Golden City FC pro soccer to San Francisco's historic Kezar Stadium
San Francisco's newest sports franchise, Golden City Football Club, has been given the green light to launch another pro soccer team to play at historic Kezar Stadium. On Wednesday, Mayor Daniel Lurie announced he signed legislation to finalize an agreement with Golden City FC to begin play in the MLS Next Pro league beginning in 2026 or 2027. MLS Next Pro is the third tier of professional soccer in the U.S., a developmental league with most clubs affiliated with Major League Soccer clubs. As part of the deal, GCFC, which would join the league as an independent club, will commit $10 million for stadium upgrades and receive a 15-year permit to use the stadium, with the option for three additional five-year extensions. Last month, Lurie announced the plan to bring the team to San Francisco in a partnership with GCFC and the city's Recreation and Parks Department, in which the team would also use other Rec and Parks facilities for training. The city's Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the plan last week. "Today it's official: Golden City FC will become the newest professional team to call our city home," said Lurie in a prepared statement. "This investment is truly an investment in the people of San Francisco and represents a new era for San Francisco sports." "We are deeply grateful and incredibly excited to officially call Kezar Stadium GCFC's long-term home," said Geoff Oltmans and Marc Rohrer, co-founders of Golden City FC, in a prepared statement. "This is a tremendous milestone for our club, and it wouldn't have been possible without the broad support of the San Francisco community. As we continue to grow GCFC, we're committed to making our city and fans proud, and we can't wait to build something truly special together at Kezar." Kezar Stadium in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department GCFC will be the second Bay Area team to play in the MLS Next Pro league, joining The Town FC, an affiliate of the San Jose Earthquakes, which plays its home games at Saint Mary's College in Moraga. The planned upgrades to Kezar Stadium that GCFC will fund include a new natural grass field, new seating and bleachers, a high-definition LED scoreboard, improved ADA accessibility, and upgrades to press box and concession areas. Situated in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park, the stadium is also currently the home of the San Francisco Nighthawks of the amateur Women's Premier Soccer League and the San Francisco City FC of the amateur USL League Two. It also hosts other amateur and recreational sports leagues, along with high school football games. Originally opened in 1925, Kezar Stadium hosted track and field competitions, auto racing, rugby, and college football games before becoming the home of the San Francisco 49ers from 1946 until 1971, when the 49ers moved to Candlestick Park. The 60,000-seat stadium was demolished in 1989 and reconstructed as a much smaller venue, mostly for high school sports, with a seating capacity of 10,000. Additional upgrades were added beginning in 2014, which included the installation of thousands of seats from Candlestick Park, which was closed in 2014 and demolished the next year.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie unveils "Family Zoning" plan to boost homebuilding
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced a legislative package aimed at overhauling decades-old zoning laws on Tuesday, the latest effort in his plan to increase the city's housing supply and make housing more affordable for families. "Families deserve to live in San Francisco—not just visit, not just commute, but live here, grow here, and thrive. They deserve a city that loves them back," Lurie said at a press conference outside an apartment building run by Mercy Housing at 1100 Ocean Ave. on Tuesday morning. The proposed plan, if approved, would include updated height and density rules to allow for larger multifamily homes in residential areas around the city and increased housing density along commercial corridors and large lots. It would also enact new policies to allow for the creation of more housing near public transit stops and lines, including changes to city parking and density standards, and maintain tenant protections and high-quality design standards. The plan would also give housing projects a wider range of benchmarks to qualify as affordable housing, including on-site affordable housing units, dedicated affordable units off-site, or 100% rent-controlled buildings. Lurie's Family Zoning plan aims to modernize San Francisco's zoning laws to comply with state mandates while still respecting the character of the city's neighborhoods. "From backyard cottages in San Francisco and the Sunset to small apartments in Laurel Heights to denser housing in historically low-density neighborhoods, I'm excited about the future where San Francsico can grow and change in innovative and valuable ways," said Brianna Morales, a community organizer for the non-profit advocacy group Housing Action Coalition who spoke after Lurie. San Francisco has a state mandate under its Housing Element to add 82,069 new residential units by 2031. The Family Zoning plan is just the first step in the construction of these homes, says Morales. "If we pass the mayor's rezoning proposal, we won't wake up the next day with 82,000 new homes built," she said. "We need to continue to streamline our permitting processes, we need more funding for affordable housing, we need to make building housing more financially feasible, and we need to continue to reform our housing policies so we can jumpstart housing production and help San Francisco accomplish its housing goals." San Francisco is also required to adopt a rezoning plan compliant with state requirements by Jan. 31, 2026. Failure to meet the deadline could result in the state revoking local control of development and zoning decisions from the city government. "Either we lead on housing, or we lose control ... Our plan keeps control right here where it belongs," Lurie said.
