Michael Seibel 🔁
Daniel Lurie 丹尼爾·羅偉: The people of this city have called on us to rebuild a thriving San Francisco.
To do that, we must provide clean and safe streets, address the crisis of homelessness and addiction, and reinvigorate the spirit and strength of businesses and neighborhoods across this city.
As we lay the foundation for our long-term growth, we must boldly and responsibly realign San Francisco’s spending with its revenue. We must build a new culture of accountability for every hard-earned tax dollar we invest.
Here’s the bottom line: we have to stop spending more than we can afford. The era of soaring city budgets and deteriorating street conditions is over. The budget I’m introducing today faces the $800 million deficit head-on.
A crisis of this magnitude means we cannot avoid painful decisions—and I am prepared to make those decisions.
We are doubling down on the core services that drive our economy, showcase the beauty and diversity of our neighborhoods, and enhance the quality of life for all San Franciscans.
When I say core services I am talking about police, firefighters, emergency personnel, nurses, street cleaners, Muni operators, and more—all the things that keep people safe and support our long-term economic growth.
This $15.9 billion budget represents a collaborative effort to close the $800 million two-year deficit and address future projected shortfalls.
Unfortunately, in a crisis like this, there are no easy fixes. We are facing some incredibly difficult decisions that will impact our workforce and nonprofit partners. We have worked hard to limit those impacts and are grateful for the contributions and sacrifice of these dedicated public servants as we work to reclaim our place as the greatest city in the world.
Public safety has always been and will remain my number one priority. We’ve been working hard—crime is down roughly 30%—but when it comes to the safety of San Franciscans, we take nothing for granted.
Alongside our Rebuilding the Ranks plan, we are investing in police officers, sheriff’s deputies, 911 dispatchers and first responders who keep us safe.
And in keeping with longstanding San Francisco values, we will continue to invest in legal services to protect our immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities.
The number one thing I hear from people is that they are starting to see and feel the difference on our streets. But our work is far from over.
With the lowest number of encampments since 2019, we have made tremendous progress and will continue to assist those on the streets while preserving critical funds for street cleaning and San Francisco Public Works.
Building on the momentum of our Breaking the Cycle Fund, launched with $37.5 million in private seed funding, we will continue to tackle the behavioral health and homelessness crisis by expanding interim housing to provide the treatment and care required for those suffering on our streets.
It’s not enough to just build more shelter beds. Fentanyl has changed the game, and we need to change with it.
In continued partnership with the Board of Supervisors, I will seek approval to unlock the critical funds we need to build the types of interim housing and treatment that we need right now to get families and young people off the street and on the path to stability.
Finally, this budget breaks with the unsustainable practice of using one-time funds to cover ongoing costs. In past budgets, the city used emergency federal relief funds as a short-term band aid that failed to stop the bleeding.
As we get our fiscal house in order, we are revisiting contracts across city government and bringing grants back in line with pre-pandemic levels. Going forward, funds will be allocated with the expectation of increased accountability and measurable results.
These are the steps we must take to responsibly manage our budget—not just this year but for years to come.
It is time to invest in the future of San Francisco.
To create the conditions for our success, we will continue to help businesses grow with common-sense reform, bolster the innovation this region is known for, welcome back tourists, and look to the arts as a powerful driver of community, connection, and joy.
The road to recovery is long, but data shows that for the first time in five years, people feel San Francisco is headed in the right direction. This city voted for accountable leadership, service, and change—we are going to deliver.
I want to thank you all for making the choice to call San Francisco home. To work here. To raise your children here. To grow your businesses here.
I want to extend my deep appreciation to our city employees and nonprofit partners for all you have done and continue to do.
And I’d like to acknowledge the Board of Supervisors, with special thanks to Budget Chair Connie Chan, and Board President Rafael Mandelman for their partnership over the past few months to get us to this point. I look forward to working with the entire Board in the coming weeks to tackle these deficits and ensure we make the right investments in our future.
Together, we will make sure that San Francisco’s comeback isn’t just a moment—it is the foundation of a new level of prosperity that will benefit generations of San Franciscans to come.
Sat May 31 2025 01:58:46 GMT+0800 (China Standard Time)
