Joel Engardio
- Office: Supervisor, District 4
- Election Date: November 8, 2022
- Candidate: Joel Engardio
- Due Date: Tuesday, July 12
- Printable Version
Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the November 2022 General Election! GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous city via common-sense solutions and effective government.
The GrowSF endorsement committee will review all completed questionnaires and seek consensus on which candidates best align with our vision for San Francisco and have the expertise to enact meaningful policy changes.
We ask that you please complete this questionnaire by Tuesday, July 12 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.
Topical questions
These issues have been in the news recently. Please tell us your opinion and how you might address them as Supervisor:
A Place For All legislation
Supervisor Mandelman's "A Place For All" legislation requires that the city make a plan to end unsheltered homelessness.
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If you are a sitting Supervisor, did you vote for it? Why or why not?
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If you are not in office, do you support it?
Yes, I support it.
JFK Promenade
Do you support making JFK Drive accessible only to people walking, biking, using personal mobility devices like wheelchairs, and other non-automotive uses?
Yes.
Great Highway
The Great Highway is currently open to cars on weekdays and open to people walking, biking, using personal mobility devices like wheelchairs, and other non-automotive uses on weekends. Do you support this compromise position?
Yes. I support allowing cars on the Great Highway on weekdays to serve commuters and opening the Great Highway on weekends and holidays to pedestrians and cyclists for recreation.
I also know that we must act now to plan for the future of the Great Highway. In 2024, the state is permanently closing the Great Highway south of Sloat due to erosion. That stretch of road is literally falling into the ocean, so all southbound traffic will be forced to turn left at Sloat. This will create new traffic pain points that we need to work to understand and mitigate now, and not wait until it happens.
Many residents are concerned about speeding through their residential streets, which threatens public safety. While this has been a longstanding problem in our district, many feel the problem has gotten worse.
How we move traffic safely using street design and infrastructure is important. We need to provide routes for people to safely get to work and school using their preferred transportation modes. This is also an opportunity to create a permanent oceanside park. My priority is to ensure our neighborhood streets are safer and more convenient for local residents while Ocean Beach remains open and accessible to all.
Affordable Homes Now ballot initiative
GrowSF is running a charter amendment ballot initiative alongside the Housing Action Coalition, YIMBY Action, SPUR, Habitat for Humanity, Greenbelt Alliance, and the NorCal Carpenters Union. This ballot measure will make it faster and cheaper to build housing. Do you support it?
Yes. I attended the Affordable Homes Now press conference held by Mayor Breed in front of the parking lot at 469 Stevenson that should have been 400 units of housing.
Board of Education recall
In February San Franciscans recalled three members of the Board of Education. Did you support these recalls? Why or why not?
I helped lead the recall of the school board and organized drive-thru petition signing at Lowell High School. I also wrote the case for recalling the school board.
District Attorney Chesa Boudin recall
In June San Franciscans recalled District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Did you support this recall? Why or why not?
Yes, I supported the recall. My group Stop Crime SF spent eight months pursuing a public records request to get case outcome data from District Attorney Chesa Boudin. After facing refusals and resistance every step of the way, we finally prevailed. The case outcomes Boudin tried to keep hidden are now public for everyone to see. They showed a decline in convictions since Boudin took office. I believe we deserve a transparent and reform-minded district attorney who will prosecute serious crime and put victims first. After Boudin's recall, I wrote an OpEd in the San Francisco Examiner that explains what we can expect to happen next.
Vision
GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous San Francisco. We work to propose and pass laws that align incentives of private businesses and individuals to promote shared prosperity for every San Franciscan.
This section of our questionnaire seeks to help us gain an understanding of your alignment with our vision for San Francisco. Note that some of the questions may be outside the scope of the office you're running for.
Short-form questions
Please mark the box that best aligns with your position. You may explain any position if you so desire, but this section is designed to be a quick overview of your governing philosophy and view of the city's problems.
Small Business
| In general, is it too hard, just right, or too easy to… | Too hard | Just right | Too easy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open a new business | X | ||
| Run a business in the city | X | ||
| Hire staff at a living wage | X | ||
| Obtain various licenses & permits (liquor, entertainment, etc.) | X |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Small businesses were closing in San Francisco long before the pandemic. The reason was City Hall's excessive fees and regulations.
Starting a business in San Francisco can range from maddening to impossible because City Hall bureaucracy is overly cumbersome. It's time to streamline these processes to allow entrepreneurs and artisans to thrive. We can't afford to hinder the new ideas that will revolutionize our merchant corridors in a post-pandemic world.
That's why I helped organize the effort to make outdoor dining permanent — a lifeline to small businesses that kept our favorite restaurants alive.
While the tech industry is an important driver of San Francisco's economy, small business is the backbone of our neighborhoods. We need public servants who will foster creativity and innovation — and let every idea have a chance to be the one that saves our local economy.
Housing
| In general, is it too hard, just right, or too easy to… | Too hard | Just right | Too easy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expand your home (adding new stories, rooms, decks, etc.) | X | ||
| Demolish your home and redevelop it into multifamily housing | X | ||
| Redevelop things like parking lots and single-story commercial buildings into multifamily housing | X | ||
| Build subsidized Affordable housing | X | ||
| Build market-rate housing | X | ||
| Build homeless shelters (including navigation centers and "tiny homes") | X |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
I'm a westside homeowner. I know many westside residents are looking for new types of housing to meet their needs. Young families want affordable apartments that will allow them to stay in San Francisco. Seniors want the option to downsize to an apartment in an elevator building where they can safely age in place without leaving their neighborhood. Building multi-family housing will help grandparents remain close to their grandkids.
We should embrace more multi-family housing that can coexist with single-family homes and complement the westside neighborhoods we love.
Housing is also essential for addressing homelessness. We must build more housing of all types — including transitional housing combined with supportive programs to help people become sober and learn job skills. The "tiny homes" concept is a good example. We also need to offer enough beds in shelters and navigation centers so people always have a safe place to sleep. Tent encampments blocking sidewalks are not a viable option.
I also know housing is an equity and environmental issue. Improving San Francisco's diversity depends on building more housing that a middle income family can afford. To address climate change, we need to drive less and reduce suburban sprawl. This requires building more housing near public transit.
Public Safety
| In general, is it too hard, just right, or too easy to… | Too hard | Just right | Too easy |
|---|---|---|---|
| File a police report | X | ||
| Recover a stolen item like a bike or laptop computer | X | ||
| Arrest & prosecute criminals | X | ||
| File a domestic violence or rape report | X | ||
| Charge & prosecute domestic violence or rape | X |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
I support criminal justice reform. For it to succeed, residents must feel safe and victims cannot be ignored. Reform and safety go together.
That's why I believes we must:
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Put victims first! Prosecute serious crime and repeat offenders while pursuing criminal justice reform and police accountability.
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Recruit a new generation of reform-minded police officers to re-staff the SFPD shortage.
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Fund community programs that prevent crime.
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Give severely mentally ill and drug-addicted people the treatment they need.
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Make streets walkable and inviting so more people will be outside to look out for each other.
Education
| In general, is it too hard, just right, or too easy to… | Too hard | Just right | Too easy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attend a school of your choosing | X | ||
| Transport children to school | X | ||
| Hire teachers | X | ||
| Fire teachers | X | ||
| Evaluate performance of schools | X |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Families leave San Francisco for many reasons: cost of housing, quality of life — and schools. If we can keep more families here by fixing our mismanaged public schools, everyone will benefit. Our city's future depends on it.
Well-run public schools are essential for a city to function and thrive. I helped lead the historic recall of an incompetent school board.
We must treat parents like partners and offer what they want, which includes more public magnet schools in language, arts and sciences. When the school district uses city funds, there should be a requirement that academics are prioritized. There should also be advanced classes for high-performing students, permanent merit-based admissions at Lowell, and a school assignment system that allows families to walk their children to a neighborhood school.
Budget
| Do you think San Francisco spends too little, too much, or just enough on… | Too little | Just enough | Enough, but badly | Too much |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police and public safety | X | |||
| Street cleanliness | X | |||
| Homeless services | X | |||
| Affordable housing | X | |||
| Parks | X | |||
| Roads | X | |||
| Bus, bike, train, and other public transit infrastructure | X | |||
| Schools | X | |||
| Medical facilities | X | |||
| Drug prevention and treatment | X | |||
| Arts | X |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
San Francisco's budget is gigantic: $14 billion. It doubled the past decade, far outpacing population growth. If $14 billion isn't enough to have twice-as-clean sidewalks and twice-as-fast Muni, we need to change how the money is being spent.
City Hall must stop treating residents like an ATM and focus on getting basic services right. We must audit every city-run program and only pay for what works.
We deserve an innovative city government that is fiscally responsible, free from corruption, and fully transparent.
What are the top three issues facing San Francisco, and what would you like to see change?
Public Safety
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Prosecute serious crimes and repeat offenders while pursuing criminal justice reform and police accountability.
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Fund crime prevention community programs and give severely mentally ill and drug-addicted people the treatment they need.
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Recruit a new generation of reform-minded police officers to re-staff the SFPD shortage.
Housing/Homelessness
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Create housing for middle-income families, teachers, and seniors to keep San Franciscans in their neighborhoods.
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Build transitional housing like the "tiny homes" concept combined with supportive programs to help people become sober and learn job skills.
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Offer enough beds in shelters and navigation centers so people always have a safe place to sleep.
Local economy/Small businesses
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Foster innovation and creativity by streamlining approvals for business permits and eliminating burdensome fees.
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Promote safe merchant corridors and improve transportation by Muni, bike, and car to give our small business economy a boost.
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Make streets more walkable and inviting while supporting more outdoor dining, events, and recreation.
Tell us one thing you think needs to change in SF that the average voter wouldn't know about.
District elections and the voting process we use.
Supervisors used to be elected citywide. We first tried district elections in 1977. The goal was more diversity. The city was majority white and white candidates had the advantage in citywide elections. Thanks to district elections in 1977, the neighborhoods along Clement Street could elect our first-ever Asian supervisor. And the Castro could elect our first-ever gay supervisor.
But district elections also helped elect the killer of Harvey Milk. A concentration of votes in a conservative area gave us Dan White.
After the assassinations, we abandoned district elections. The fear was that the narrowly defined districts helped extreme candidates win. Even Harvey Milk was considered extreme at the time.
We had citywide supervisors until 2000 before going back to district elections again. But this time, diversity wasn't the issue. The new reason was to balance the shades of Democratic blue. Electing citywide supervisors meant more moderate supervisors — because citywide races tend to elect moderate candidates.
The mayor is elected citywide, and we mostly get moderate mayors. Power would not be balanced with a moderate mayor and mostly moderate supervisors. Since going back to the district supervisor elections in 2000, the supervisors have gotten more progressive.
But now we have gridlock with progressive supervisors and moderate mayors. There is lots of talk about going back to citywide elections. Or a hybrid: Five citywide supervisors and six district supervisors from much larger districts.
You might soon hear about something called proportional voting. It's a way for citywide supervisor elections to elect diverse candidates. This is different from the ranked choice voting we currently use in local races. Here's the larger question we must ask: Do we really need 11 districts in such a small land area that is San Francisco? Is our city Balkanized to the point it doesn't function?
Long-form questions
This section is optional.
We know your time is short, so please feel free to respond to the questions below which you think are most relevant to the position you're running for (but you are, of course, welcome to answer all of them). It is not necessary to answer these questions to secure our endorsement, but more context always helps us make better decisions.
Public health
Do you support the creation of safe consumption sites in San Francisco?
Yes.
Do you support our current laissez-faire approach to open-air drug usage? What would you change?
Drug users should not be criminalized. People suffering from drug addiction need treatment. But drug dealers should be prosecuted, especially when they are selling deadly fentanyl that has led to a record number of overdose deaths.
Education
How should the Board of Education be reformed to bring more accountability and better performance to the Board?
It is difficult for average voters to understand who are competent school board candidates when the campaigns get little attention. The vast majority of San Francisco voters do not have children in public schools, which means they have little awareness of what is happening in the schools.
The average voter, along with voters who have kids in school, might get better results if they could hold the mayor accountable for how schools are run. Everyone knows who the mayor is and mayoral candidates would have an education platform. Voters would know what they're signing up for when it comes to how schools are run — and they would know who to hold accountable.
If the mayor hired school board members like they hire the police chief, the school board commissioners could be vetted for the expertise and qualifications needed to run a school district.
Should the ban on middle school algebra be reversed?
Yes. My friend Terry is a parent who likes to say "Merit is not a four-letter word."
If kids want to take Algebra in the 8th grade, there's nothing wrong with that. If kids want advanced placement classes, there's nothing wrong with that.
We should encourage it. We should create more high schools like Lowell. And we should focus on making sure students in every elementary and middle school are set up for success.
Families leave our public schools when we don't offer the programs they want. They go to private schools. But not every family can afford private education. They rely on public schools to provide things like 8th grade algebra.
Should charter schools be allowed to operate in San Francisco?
Yes.
Urbanism
Do you support raising the price of parking and driving in San Francisco?
Depends. The parking garage in Golden Gate Park should be free for disabled people and deeply discounted for seniors to allow easier access to the museums. This in turn allows for JFK to remain car-free without limiting access to seniors and disabled people who want to visit the museums.
I also want to be mindful about regressive pricing. People who can afford it will continue to drive and park regardless of the cost, if that's what they want to do. But people with lower incomes who need to drive for a specific reason will be impacted the most. Out of town visitors coming from areas not connected to BART may stop doing so if the price to park rises too high, which could have a negative impact on local businesses.
Do you support banning cars from central downtown areas and certain retail or residential corridors?
Depends on the area. For example, the retail corridor on Valencia between 16th and 20th Streets makes a lot of sense as an area that can thrive as a promenade for dining and other activities. We should convert every part of San Francisco that can sustain a promenade and has support.
Do you support congestion pricing?
Yes.
Should San Francisco expand its protected bike lane network?
Yes.
Should San Francisco prioritize buses over car traffic by creating more bus-only lanes and directing traffic enforcement to ticket drivers who ignore the restrictions?
Yes.
Should Uber, Lyft, and other ride-share services be banned?
No.
Should San Francisco allow more bike share and scooter share companies?
We need more bike sharing locations. Competing companies each with their own bike docking infrastructure could be too chaotic and confusing. A unified bike sharing program with locations in every neighborhood makes most sense and City Hall could use competitive bidding to find the best operator.
Should San Francisco allow bike and scooter share companies to operate with fewer restrictions on the number of vehicles they offer for rent, and in more places (including inside Golden Gate Park)?
We need more bike sharing locations in every part of the city, including inside Golden Gate Park. Competing companies each with their own bike docking infrastructure could be too chaotic and confusing. A unified bike sharing program with locations in every neighborhood makes most sense and City Hall could use competitive bidding to find the best operator.
Do you support keeping JFK Drive and the Great Highway car-free permanently?
JFK Drive:
Have you seen the joy on the faces of kids riding their bikes in Golden Gate Park since a portion of JFK Drive was closed to cars? I want to be a public servant to bring joy to people. And less cars in a park has certainly saved some lives. We can continue to work on finding the best ways for museum patrons, seniors, and residents from faraway neighborhoods to have access to the park.
Great Highway:
I support allowing cars on the Great Highway on weekdays to serve commuters and opening the Great Highway on weekends and holidays to pedestrians and cyclists for recreation.
I also know that we must act now to plan for the future of the Great Highway. In 2024, the state is permanently closing the Great Highway south of Sloat due to erosion. That stretch of road is literally falling into the ocean, so all southbound traffic will be forced to turn left at Sloat. This will create new traffic pain points that we need to work to understand and mitigate now, and not wait until it happens.
Many residents are concerned about speeding through their residential streets, which threatens public safety. While this has been a longstanding problem in our district, many feel the problem has gotten worse.
How we move traffic safely using street design and infrastructure is important. We need to provide routes for people to safely get to work and school using their preferred transportation modes. This is also an opportunity to create a permanent oceanside park. My priority is to ensure our neighborhood streets are safer and more convenient for local residents while Ocean Beach remains open and accessible to all.
Should Muni be free for everyone? If so, what other programs would you take money from in order to fund this change?
No. Most people should pay something for Muni. The majority of users should pay full fare to keep Muni solvent. While school-age kids and seniors deserve deep discounts, they should pay something to feel they are contributing what they can to sustain and respect this valuable public service. Some folks do need fully subsidized Muni, but that should be assessed on a means-based system to ensure we all pay our fair share.
Taxes
Would you repeal Prop 13, if you had the authority to do so? Or, if not repeal it, how would you change it?
I believe it is important to amend Prop 13 so businesses and corporations don't abuse it. There's no excuse for large commercial buildings to benefit from a 1978 tax rate.
Are taxes and fees on small businesses too low, just right, or too high?
Small businesses have too many burdensome fees and regulations. It's important to note that 500 restaurants closed in San Francisco in 2019 the year before the pandemic and during boom times. It's because their profit margins were so slim and they were being killed by City Hall's excessive fees and regulations.
Should San Francisco pursue any and all avenues to impose parcel taxes that could bypass Prop 13, which keeps property taxes on multi-million dollar property artificially low?
Depends on the definition of "multi-million." The average family in San Francisco is stretched with a mortgage on homes that are now typically about $2 million. We should focus on properties worth more than $3 million, with clear guardrails to ensure this would not become a regressive tax with inflation or other external and unexpected factors.
Are sales taxes too low, just right, or too high?
We have to be careful with sales taxes that disportionately affect lower income residents.
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
What would you change about the process of new business formation?
City Hall needs to streamline the approval process for new businesses, waive fees, and reward entrepreneurs. We need public servants who will foster creativity and innovation. City Hall must get out of the way and let every idea have a chance to be the one that saves our local economy.
Should San Francisco welcome all businesses, regardless of size?
Yes. If a beloved burrito "chain" has a dozen locations in the Bay Area, one more won't hurt a neighborhood if there is demand for it.
Do you think the government should decide which businesses can and cannot open in San Francisco?
The free market best determines which businesses residents prefer based on how much demand there is for the business.
Should all businesses be permitted by-right? If not, which business categories do you think should not be by-right?
Some businesses, like gun shops or too many businesses of the same type concentrated on one street, would probably not be supported by most San Franciscans. It's reasonable for the city to not allow gun shops. The market will determine how many of any single type of business can survive in a neighborhood.
Housing & Homelessness
Do you believe that San Francisco has a shortage of homes?
Yes.
Do you believe that housing prices are set by supply and demand constraints?
Yes.
Should San Francisco upzone? If so, where and how?
Yes. The westside can allow small apartment buildings sprinkled among single-family homes. Westside transit corridors can allow up to six stories of housing above retail that match the height of Art Deco era apartment buildings that have existed on the Westside for a century before downzoning happened in the 1970s and 1980s.
Should homeless shelters be exempt from CEQA, Discretionary Review, and Conditional Use permits?
We need CEQA reform so true environmental issues like toxic waste can be addressed and remediated before building housing over a former toxic dump, gas station, or dry cleaner that allowed toxic chemicals to seep into the ground for decades. The clean-up should happen so we can safely put housing in those areas. In general, we should not allow discretionary review and conditional use permits to block much-needed housing.
Should subsidized Affordable housing be exempt from CEQA, Discretionary Review, and Conditional Use permits?
We need CEQA reform so true environmental issues like toxic waste can be addressed and remediated before building housing over a former toxic dump, gas station, or dry cleaner that allowed toxic chemicals to seep into the ground for decades. The clean-up should happen so we can safely put housing in those areas. In general, we should not allow discretionary review and conditional use permits to block much-needed housing.
Should market-rate housing be exempt from CEQA, Discretionary Review, and Conditional Use permits?
We need CEQA reform so true environmental issues like toxic waste can be addressed and remediated before building housing over a former toxic dump, gas station, or dry cleaner that allowed toxic chemicals to seep into the ground for decades. The clean-up should happen so we can safely put housing in those areas. In general, we should not allow discretionary review and conditional use permits to block much-needed housing.
Policy
Now that we know where you align and differ from our vision for San Francisco, we'd like to get some details about how you intend to use your elected office to achieve your goals.
Why are you running for Supervisor?
I believe the best days of San Francisco are ahead. I know it's been frustrating living in San Francisco lately. Everything seems to be going in the wrong direction.
But I'm not giving up. I'm running for supervisor to create our best San Francisco. I believe the city we love can realize its full potential.
City Hall is distracted by sideshows and infighting. This must stop.
Our elected officials must focus on getting the basics right: Safer streets, better schools, more middle-income housing, and vibrant small businesses.
We deserve to live in a city that works.
What is your #1 policy goal?
Create housing for middle-income families, teachers, and seniors to keep San Franciscans in their neighborhoods and ensure the next generation of San Franciscans has a future here.
How will you build the coalition and political capital to enact your #1 goal?
When it comes to housing, it's important to offer housing solutions that address the actual needs residents have: Their adult kids and grandkids can't stay in San Francisco and seniors have nowhere to downsize or safely age in place in an elevator building in their neighborhood. Approach housing from this angle and you will find the coalition willing to create the housing to solve those real life needs.
Will the power of the office of Supervisor be enough to achieve this goal?
We need at least six supervisors and a mayor who align on goals to make things happen.
What are your #2 and #3 policy goals?
Better public safety and removing barriers so small businesses can thrive.
Will the power of the office of Supervisor be enough to achieve these goals?
We need at least six supervisors and a mayor who align on goals to make things happen.
What is an existing policy you would like to reform?
Local ranked choice voting needs reform because it is not user friendly. Many voters still don't understand how to use it correctly and become disenfranchised when they don't use it. We should consider proportional voting as a more user-friendly way to achieve fair and diverse election outcomes.
What is an "out there" change that you would make to local or regional government policy, if you could? (For example: adding at-large supervisors, changing how elections work, creating a Bay Area regional government, etc.)
We must think outside the box on a number of issues, including: Consider proportional voting, a hybrid of citywide and district supervisors, and more unified regional governance — especially when it comes to transportation and housing.
Personal
Tell us a bit about yourself!
How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?
I arrived in San Francisco in 1998 to work as a journalist and live my full, authentic life as a gay man. I was born and raised in the General Motors factory town of Saginaw, Michigan at a time when society was extremely hostile toward LGBTQ people. I met my future husband in San Francisco when I was working for the national ACLU to secure our right to marry. Today, there is a resurgence of hostility toward LGBTQ people. This proves that freedom is fragile and we must always be defending it.
What do you love most about San Francisco?
Our city stands for freedom and human rights. There's natural beauty in every peak and valley visited by the afternoon fog. Our diverse residents, cultures, and food are joyous.
What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?
From public safety to public schools, too much seems to be on the wrong track. Did our city leaders forget how to run a city? Distracting sideshows won't clean the streets or make the bus show up on time.
Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.)
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Executive Director of the nonprofit Stop Crime SF
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United Democratic Club board of directors
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Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club board of directors
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Helped lead the school board recall
Thank you
Thank you for giving us your time and answering our questionnaire. We look forward to reading your answers and considering your candidacy!
If you see any errors on this page, please let us know at contact@growsf.org.