The Facts

Dennis Herrera will retire at the end of the year, ending his tenure as SFPUC general manager, according to The San Francisco Standard and the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Context

Herrera is one of the most consequential San Francisco officials of the last 25 years. He served nearly 20 years as City Attorney before moving to SFPUC in 2021. As City Attorney, he helped defend San Francisco’s same-sex marriage licenses, sued the Trump administration over its sanctuary-city funding threats, and built one of the country’s most respected municipal law offices.

The SFPUC manages some of San Francisco’s most important infrastructure: drinking water, wastewater, and power. Herrera took over after former SFPUC general manager Harlan Kelly was caught up in the City Hall corruption scandal. Kelly was later sentenced to four years in prison for bribery, bank fraud, and conspiracy.

Herrera leaves behind a mostly positive legacy: a serious City Attorney’s office, a stabilizing tenure at SFPUC after scandal, and a public-power effort that is further along than when he arrived.

The GrowSF Take

Mayor Lurie now gets one of the most important appointments in city government.

The next SFPUC chief should be boring in the best possible way: ethical, competent, and focused on the basics. San Francisco needs reliable water and power, clean contracting, and faster delivery of major infrastructure.

They will also inherit the city’s long-running effort to take over PG&E’s local power infrastructure. Whatever one thinks of public power, its implementation requires serious management, clear numbers, and honest communication with the public.