San Francisco voted in 2019 to close Juvenile Hall by the end of 2021, but it’s still operating—and in 2025 cost about $543,000 per detained youth per year. With SB 823 realignment requiring counties to handle the most serious cases, SF’s own plans show the work is underway—but City Hall still needs to pick a right-sized, costed path forward.

The SF Standard mapped the 37 labor leaders who can shape City Hall — just as San Francisco heads into a bruising 2026 budget and ballot year. The bigger question: how do we keep worker advocacy strong while restoring clear, democratic accountability for results?

Mayor Daniel Lurie has directed SF departments to cut $100M in personnel costs—about 500 positions—with plans due March 12. The right approach is to protect core services while shrinking bureaucracy and demanding measurable results.

SFUSD is set to send 42 preliminary layoff notices as it confronts declining enrollment, state oversight, and new labor costs the district must still show it can afford.

BART says if voters reject the Connect Bay Area sales-tax measure in November 2026, it could begin drastic cuts in January 2027—closing stations, cutting service, and raising fares—to try to close a massive structural deficit.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $590 million emergency bridge loan to keep Bay Area transit service running while the region works toward long-term ballot measures in November 2026 — including San Francisco’s proposed Muni parcel tax.

After SFUSD’s new labor deal, a teacher argues the district must finally close or merge under-enrolled schools to avoid deeper cuts to educators and classroom quality. With enrollment down for years and state scrutiny still looming, the real choice is orderly consolidation now—or chaotic layoffs later.

SFUSD and United Educators of San Francisco ended the Feb. 2026 strike with a tentative two-year agreement worth about $183M. We reviewed the 13-page contract, and here’s what it says.

BART says its new “next generation” fare gates are converting more riders into paying customers — bringing in an estimated $10 million per year and reducing station damage and maintenance needs. Turns out a small portion of riders can cause a lot of problems, and fixing that can make a big difference for everyone.

A neutral third-party fact-finding report recommends 3% raises in each of the next two years and a temporary, parcel-tax-funded path to cover dependent health care—while warning that SFUSD’s finances are still precarious and that some union proposals don’t belong in a labor contract. The question now: can SFUSD and UESF compromise quickly enough to avoid a strike and keep schools open?

San Francisco’s misnamed “CEO tax” isn't a tax on CEOs; it's a tax on revenue which will likely be passed on directly to consumers. It would raise the top rate by almost 800%, potentially hitting chains like grocery and pharmacy retailers the hardest.

San Francisco will use $21M in state Proposition 1 bond funding to open 50 new locked behavioral-health beds at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. The state pays for the buildout but SF must still fund staffing and operations.

Mayor Daniel Lurie says San Francisco will expand free and subsidized child care to cover more middle-class families, with free care for many households up to 150% of AMI and 50% subsidies extending higher. The key question: can the city scale supply and administration fast enough to match the new eligibility?

Labor unions and small business are gearing up for dueling tax measures that would rewrite last year’s Prop M compromise. Voters shouldn’t have to referee a special-interest feud over the city’s revenue base.

Mayor Daniel Lurie is asking departments to find $400 million in permanent cuts to help close a $936 million deficit, as federal Trump-era reductions and long-standing structural problems squeeze San Francisco’s budget.

San Francisco now sends $1.63 billion a year—over 10% of its budget—to nonprofit contractors, up from $809 million in 2019. While shelters, housing, and treatment capacity have expanded, oversight and impact measurement have not kept pace. GrowSF argues the city must pair robust services with transparent, outcome-based accountability for every major contract.

SFUSD’s finances have improved enough to move from a “negative” to a “qualified” budget certification, putting the district on track to regain local control by March 2026—if leaders follow through with additional cuts and avoid new cost escalations.

San Francisco has finalized a progressive parcel tax design for the November 2026 ballot that would raise $187 million a year for Muni, with most homeowners paying $129 while large landlords and commercial property owners shoulder the biggest share.

The SF Teachers' Union, or United Educators of San Francisco (UESF), voted to authorize a strike vote after nine months of negotiations. If the next votes succeeds, it will be the first teachers' strike in 49 years.

With many classrooms sitting empty, SFUSD is considering merging some schools to reduce costs and improve instruction. Superintendent Maria Su and the Board of Education are sketching out a multi‑year “Strong Schools” plan that could consolidate under‑enrolled campuses by 2027–28 to keep the district solvent and redirect dollars back into classrooms.

Mayor Lurie uses city reserves and private partnership to protect 112,000 residents from missed food payments during federal shutdown.

Controller finds systematic abuse of purchasing rules as taxpayer dollars funded luxury hotels and personal endeavors under former HRC director Sheryl Davis.

Intense pressure from Senator Wiener, Mayor Lurie, and activists revives a $750 million bridge loan for public transit after Newsom failed to deliver.

Transit agency directs 5-7% budget reductions across all divisions as a $322 million deficit forces painful service degradation.

Thursday night, the Board of Supervisors approved the city budget, marking a shift towards fiscal discipline and a renewed focus on core services. But does it go far enough?

Today, the Board of Supervisors approved $34M in funding towards shelters using 2018 Proposition C funding.

Despite passing by almost 70% across the state, Newsom has chosen not to fund Prop 36 in the next budget cycle.

SFUSD releases a balanced $1.3B budget, keeping all teachers employed and cutting 205 office jobs.

Mayor Lurie’s $15.9 billion budget proposal closes a $817.5 million deficit without sacrificing core services, while making structural cuts and setting aside reserves.

Despite a projected $782 million budget deficit, Mayor Daniel Lurie’s budget proposal does not cut funding from San Francisco’s core public safety services.

Public funding to the nonprofit Parks Alliance has been paused pending the outcome of a city audit amid allegations of financial misconduct.

San Francisco Unified School District cancels planned layoffs for counselors and teacher aides as budget outlook improves.

In protest of a request for a 15% budget cut, the Public Defender has announced it will stop taking cases one day per week.

The California Department of Education has partially lifted the teacher hiring freeze for SFUSD, signaling growing confidence in the district’s financial stability.

A new report from SFMTA shows that fare evasion is down, inspections are up, and revenue per rider is increasing.

$332M meant to pay for expenses from other city departments is left unused in city accounts.

Past leadership let costs outrun revenue and dozens of partner projects are on hold while the Parks Alliance seeks bridge loans and renegotiates grants.

Facing severe financial strain, SFMTA Director Julie Kirschbaum has cut 12 senior management roles to streamline operations and protect rider services.

San Francisco Unified School District is close to eliminating its $114 million deficit.

Facing an $818 million deficit and potential federal funding reductions, Mayor Lurie instructs city departments to identify further budget cuts.

New numbers from the SF City Controller show that housing permits are slowly rising, and downtown is starting to regain a lively rhythm. But it's not enough to solve our larger concerns with office vacancies and budget deficit.

A $700K conference and a city-funded vacation — another department run like a slush fund.

Senators Wiener and Arreguín have introduced SB63 to authorize five Bay Area counties to run a regional funding measure for public transit.