London Breed calls for overhaul of San Francisco city charter

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has initiated a significant overhaul of the city’s charter, the first since 1995, urging city and county leaders to explore comprehensive reforms for potential voter approval in November 2026. The charter serves as the governing document that outlines the city's governance structure and responsibilities. Breed's directive emphasizes the need to streamline the ballot measure process, which she argues has created excessive bureaucratic layers within the government. The mayor's proposal includes gathering data on various reform options, such as consolidating city departments, restructuring commissions, enhancing accountability in the Executive Branch, and modernizing the legislative process. Breed believes that the current moment is ripe for substantial reform, and she has enlisted the nonprofit San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) to contribute to this initiative. SPUR has put forth specific recommendations, including reducing redundancies in government operations, appointing a legislative analyst to the Board of Supervisors, and reinstating the mayor's authority to hire and fire department heads. Additionally, the organization suggests increasing the threshold for ballot measures from 2% to 5% of registered voters, thereby raising the bar for local initiatives. County Supervisor Rafael Mandelman echoed Breed's sentiments, acknowledging the dysfunction inherent in the current charter. SPUR's President, Alicia John-Baptiste, emphasized the importance of reassessing the existing system to ensure it effectively supports government functions, highlighting the need for a thorough evaluation of the charter's structure.