Mark Farrell
- Office: Mayor
- Election Date: November 5, 2024
- Candidate: Mark Farrell
- Due Date: May 31, 2024
- Printable Version
Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the November 5, 2024 election! GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous city delivered via common sense solutions and effective government. Our work includes running public opinion polls to understand what voters want, advocating for those changes, and ensuring that the SF government represents the people.
The GrowSF endorsement committee will review all completed questionnaires and seek consensus on which candidates best align with our vision for San Francisco.
This questionnaire will be published on growsf.org, and so we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.
Please complete this questionnaire by May 31, 2024 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.
Table of Contents
Your Goals
We'd like to get some details about your high-level goals and how you intend to use your elected office to achieve them.
Why are you running for Mayor?
I am running for Mayor because during London Breed's tenure in office, San Francisco has become a city in decline. We are facing an unprecedented public safety crisis, a hollowing-out of our downtown, a growing unhoused population, rampant open-air drug markets that are holding neighborhoods hostage, and an explosion in drug overdose deaths. Too many San Franciscans have lost all confidence in the City's ability to solve these problems. But it doesn't have to be this way.
I was born and raised in San Francisco. I'm raising my three children here with my wife, Liz, because I know that this was the best place in the world to grow up—and it can be again. When it comes to good ideas, San Francisco has an embarrassment of riches. We just need stronger and more effective leadership. I am the only candidate for Mayor with meaningful experience inside City Hall and in the private sector, as well as a proven track record of legislative and executive success. I'm ready to hit the ground running on day one to finally deliver the change and results San Franciscans deserve after six years of failed leadership, finger-pointing, and excuses.
What is your #1 policy goal?
My shared top policy goals are to rapidly and effectively respond to the public safety crisis, clean up our streets, and restore our local economy. This includes clearing tent encampments, closing open-air drug markets for good, deterring petty crime, and growing our tax base and revenues once again.
How will you build the coalition and political capital to enact your #1 goal?
As a former Mayor, former Supervisor, and the longest-serving Budget Chair in the City's history, I've done the hard work of building coalitions and putting results above ideology to solve big problems. When it comes to seemingly intractable issues, just look at my track record. During my time in City Hall, I:
- Passed a ballot measure that solved San Francisco's $4.4 billion unfunded retiree healthcare pension liability with the unanimous support of my colleagues on the Board, Mayor Lee, and with the business community and organized labor's support;
- Worked with a broad coalition to legalize the construction of accessory dwelling units citywide and allowed them to be subject to rent control;
- Enacted the strongest owner-move-in tenant eviction protections in San Francisco history; and more.
- Passed the ballot measure that gave the City the authority to clear tent encampments
- Helped shepard the largest development in the Westside's history at 3333 California by working with the developer and community to develop hundreds of new housing units, ground-floor retail, and open space
- Approved Laura's Law, which was the third rail for many years with San Francisco progressives, by working across the aisle and finding common ground to finally approve the law that has helped thousands suffering from severe mental illness on our streets while saving the City significant resources in emergency healthcare costs
I'll work with anyone who wants to turn San Francisco around—progressive, moderate, or anywhere in between or beyond—because what matters most is actually making a difference for the people who live and work here, and that's what our residents deserve from their City government.
Will the power of the office of Mayor be enough to achieve this goal?
Yes. As an example, during my six months as Mayor in 2018 I cleared all large tent encampments in San Francisco, and I will do it again. We don't lack good ideas or resources in San Francisco; we lack effective execution. As Mayor, I'll be laser focused on making progress, not soundbites, by emphasizing outcomes and accountability on the top issues facing our City.
With respect to public safety, we need a vast improvement in officer recruitment and retention, an aggressive and results-oriented approach to the drug crisis, a zero-tolerance policy for property crime, and a tenacious Police Chief who has the respect of the rank and file and will actively fight for the resources they need. Leadership starts at the top, and San Franciscans cannot afford four more years of a Mayor who's afraid to use their bully pulpit to chart a clear course for the City and keep their departments on track. I have vast experience as an executive, am not afraid to hold myself or my teams accountable, and have a track record of taking on special interests that have too much influence in City Hall.
What are your #2 and #3 policy goals?
My next two policy goals are closely related to the first. They are to get all those suffering from addiction and homelessness on our streets into treatment, shelter, services and reconnected to their families so they can lead safe and fulfilling lives, to rebuild Downtown as a thriving neighborhood and economic engine for San Francisco, and to put policies and programs in place that grow our revenues again.
Will the power of the office of Mayor be enough to achieve these goals?
It will be, but, as outlined above, it will require us to end the culture of complacency, blame-shifting, inaction, and anemic progress that has characterized City Hall under London Breed's tenure as Mayor.
Over the past six years, we've poured billions of dollars into a scattershot approach to homelessness and public health that has seen people continue to suffer on our streets, conditions in our neighborhoods deteriorate, and overdose deaths skyrocket. We must demand and enforce accountability from our departments and contractors, while making it easier to connect those in need with services that help them enter shelter, treatment, and recovery.
And in terms of rebuilding Downtown, in addition to improving street conditions, we need to be honest about what's working and what isn't, and we need a proactive approach from someone who understands the private sector and who will proactively partner with our business community. That means admitting things like Market Street's current design is not working. It means engaging with anchor businesses and new ventures to keep retail in San Francisco, launching new incentives to bring workers back to the office, rather than being caught off-guard by store closures and commercial move-outs.
What is the top single policy you would like to reform in 2025?
Our police staffing and recruitment crisis. Our police department will know that I have their backs and that I value their work. In 2025, I will start by committing to fully fund five police academies a year. I will also immediately outsource the officer background check process to trusted third parties, as other major cities have done successfully, to shake loose the estimated 500-plus police recruits who are stuck in the City's background check process. No applicant to a private company would accept the bureaucratic maze that San Francisco currently puts police recruits through, and we shouldn't accept it, either. As Budget Chair and Mayor, I helped grow our police force to a record size and will do it again.
Is there an "out there" change you would make to state/local government policy, if you could? (For example: adding at-large supervisors, changing how elections work, creating a Bay Area regional government, etc.)
I believe that we should move to a form of hybrid election for the Board of Supervisors, so that our legislative body in San Francisco is able to govern with more of a citywide perspective.
I want to help change the current culture of the City's workforce to one that is more focused on accountability, improved performance and results. I am committed to seeking to reform the civil service hiring process, and I believe that we can do more to partner with the private sector to help solve public sector challenges.
I also believe that there could be more empowered regional agencies for homelessness and transportation that would better allow us to address the problems we have in San Francisco that we share as a region.
Tell us one thing you think needs to change in SF that the average voter wouldn't know about.
So much of City Hall's success or failure comes down to effective leadership. Many San Franciscans would probably be surprised to learn that most City employees do not receive performance reviews, most City departments do not need to measure their work against benchmarks for success, and that nothing rarely happens to underperforming contractors.
But that's a policy choice—and the Mayor can change it. During my years inside and outside of City Hall, I've learned that strong leaders emphasize accountability, results, and teamwork in service of a common goal. As Mayor, I intend to hit the ground running and completely upend the culture of complacency, finger-pointing, and governing by reaction that has defined London Breed's time in office.
Executive experience
Please describe your experience running large organizations, managing executive teams (including hiring, firing, and performance management), driving cultural change and clear communication throughout all levels, effective financial management (budgets, reporting, audit, etc.), and any other experience relevant to running a city with a $14B+ budget and tens of thousands of employees.
I have a long track record of effective executive leadership inside and outside of City Hall. I have real experience running real businesses, and am the only candidate with significant private sector experience. I served as the 44th Mayor of San Francisco after having been the District 2 Supervisor for seven years, and was also the longest serving Budget Chair in the City's history, and helped grow our budget reserves to record levels. Prior to my career in public service, I worked as a lawyer and investment banker, and I co-founded Thayer Ventures in 2010, an investment firm focused on the travel and mobility sectors.
Please describe a time when you had an underperforming subordinate and how you handled the situation, including (and especially) how you were able to increase their performance.
Note: Please remember that this questionnaire will be public, so do not include any personally identifiable information.
I am the only candidate with significant private sector experience and knows what it is like to run a business and make payroll. There were a number of times that I had to hold employees accountable to performance. I did it by setting a clear vision and expectation on what success looks like. I increased their performance by being available, aligning on measurable goals, and the paths needed to hit them. I will bring that same process and inspiration to end the culture of complacency in City Hall, drive real change and results, and not be afraid to unfortunately let people go if they underperform.
As Supervisor, I held quarterly retreats with my aides to evaluate goals and performance as a team. We were always direct and honest about our progress, what stood in the way, and how we were going to tackle it, which led us to being one of the most effective and well-rounded legislators in City Hall.
Please describe a time when your organization faced an extreme challenge and how you got the organization through it.
As Budget Chair and Mayor, I faced an extreme challenge getting everybody on board to fund a variety of different key priorities.
I am proud of the fact that every Budget I helped to lead was unanimously supported by my colleagues. This has not always been the case under Mayor Breed. I earned the unanimous support of my colleagues by building real relationships, finding areas of common ground and where we can compromise, and always kept true to my word.
Unfortunately, the Mayor has let her relationships with the Board deteriorate in such a way that it is harming our City. You can disagree without being disagreeable and that has always been a value that I practiced as a public servant.
The Board of Supervisors may not be aligned with your goals. In that case, how will you be able to execute with an adversarial Board?
I am a person that values creating and maintaining relationships, even and especially with people whom you may often disagree with. I made it a priority to have real and honest relationships with all of my colleagues and Mayor Lee when I was on the Board and it paid off. Despite our differences, my values dictate that I show respect to my colleagues and find ways to work together while staying true to my north star goals - making San Francisco better for everyone.
As Budget Chair, I worked with Mayor Lee and Supervisor Avalos to pass consensus and unanimously supported budgets. I worked with Supervisor Wiener and Peskin passed historic legislation that legalized the construction of ADUs citywide and made them subject to rent control. I brought business, labor, my colleagues, and Mayor Lee together to author and approve a ballot measure that solved our $4.4B unfunded healthcare liability without cutting benefits for any workers.
Franky, Mayor Breed has placed too much blame on the Board for her lack of or anemic progress. In my estimate, 90% of what the Mayor does on a daily basis does not include or need the Board of Supervisors. That doesn't mean I won't work with them to drive change and real results, but I will not be afraid to use my bully pulpit and executive authority every day to make a real difference for San Franciscans, our workers, and visitors.
As Mayor, I was relentlessly focused on results. Take homelessness for example. When I took office, I told my department heads that I wanted to go out with their teams to see how they resolved encampments, and I told them not to pre-clean the areas they were working on, like they usually do for Mayors' visits. I saw what worked and what didn't, we kept at it, and the number of people we moved into shelter increased. Eventually, within six months, we were able to remove every single large tent encampment in San Francisco.
When I'm Mayor, we won't make progress by throwing up our hands, burying our heads in the sand, or blaming courts or other elected officials who don't run the City. We'll make progress by making a plan, staying focused on outcomes, and doing the work.
The Issues
Next, we will cover the issues that voters tell us they care about. We hope to gain a better understanding of your policy positions, and we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.
Public Safety
What is your plan to increase SFPD staffing?
San Francisco can be doing so much more to increase SFPD recruitment and retention. As Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, and as Mayor, I helped grow our police force to record size and I will do it again.
As Mayor, I will aggressively tackle the City's police staffing crisis through a series of policies that will rapidly get the SFPD up to full operational capacity. I will restore the Deferred Retirement Option Program, which will allow hundreds of experienced officers to return to our neighborhoods on patrol and to train new recruits without affecting their pensions. I will ensure a wave of new recruits by fully funding five police academies a year (the maximum per year and more than Breed's budget proposal), growing the size of our force back to where it needs to be. I will also immediately outsource the background check process for new recruits to trusted third parties, making the process faster, more efficient, and less opaque. I will increase funding for lateral recruitment from other municipalities, and reallocate any unspent funds for vacant positions for recruitment. More fundamentally, I will make it easier for young people from our diverse communities to envision themselves as San Francisco police officers, including by investing in recruitment drives and mentorship opportunities at San Francisco schools and community events. And I will never support cutting SFPD's budget or appointing Police Commission members who want our officers to do their jobs with outdated tools, strategies, or technologies.
Traffic enforcement has been declining since 2014, and fell off a cliff in 2020. It is now near zero. Why do you think this crash in enforcement happened and what is your plan to ensure SFPD actually performs their jobs?
Mayor Breed has let the Police Department deteriorate on her watch, as we are down over 500 officers, nearly a 25% reduction in our force since I left office. Is it any wonder why traffic enforcement has taken a hit?
As I mentioned above, I have the most detailed plan to fully staff our police department and I will also restore our traffic company and make traffic enforcement a KPI for my new chief since we know traffic enforcement can help save lives.
Currently, we ask too much of our police officers while starving them of the resources they need to do their actual jobs. In addition to improving recruitment and retention, my plans for the City will reduce this burden on officers and allow them more time for patrol, community engagement, and traffic enforcement. For example, as Mayor, I will expand and make permanent citywide illegal vending bans to increase street cleanliness and decrease police calls. Additionally, my plan to centralize shelter, social work and treatment facilities for the unhoused will remove pressure on officers to locate services, freeing up police to tackle public safety issues like traffic enforcement and open-air drug markets.
What is the #1 public safety issue today?
The biggest issue is that people feel unsafe and have lost trust in their government to provide them with a sense of safety. We have a broken social contract and a crisis in confidence that starts and ends with the Mayor. As Mayor, I know that providing a sense of safety and security is the first thing the government must do. I would do this by enforcing a zero tolerance approach for crime, restoring police staffing, accountability and responsiveness to the public through management - inspiring and supporting SFPD and holding leadership accountable to outcomes.
Public safety is the local government's most important responsibility, but London Breed has made it so complicated, difficult, and confusing for residents to get help that few even bother anymore. We need to make it easier for the SFPD to do its job and to restore public confidence in policing.
In my view, public safety issues and their causes are so often intertwined, and the piecemeal, ill thought-out, start-and-stop policies we've seen over the past six years haven't worked. Combined with San Francisco's police staffing crisis, London Breed's failures to address the open-air drug markets and large tent encampments have made our streets unsafe and unclean.
What will you change about how SFPD operates?
In addition to the policies outlined above, we need a central command for non-urgent issues and non-police responders. Currently, the City expects residents, officers, and other service providers to differentiate between at least eight non-police crisis numbers to call for non-urgent issues. That's ridiculous—residents should not have to follow an elaborate phone tree to get help from their local government. As Mayor, I will end this confusion by expanding and reimagining our 311 non-emergency number to help facilitate and coordinate responses to social problems that the SFPD should not have to be burdened with. In other words, I will create a streamlined, simplified system that allows for police to meaningfully delegate non-law-enforcement issues to street-based teams for resolution, without overburdening either police or residents seeking help.
What will you change about how the Police Commission operates?
As Mayor, I will appoint police commissioners who will promote public safety as their first priority. The Police Commission matters because it allows the Mayor to influence SFPD policies and command staff, which has a great impact on the SFPD's overall direction. A hobbled Police Commission means a hobbled SFPD, as the infighting and political posturing we're seeing today makes clear. That's why it is so troubling and disappointing that London Breed lost control of the Police Commission because of her hand-picked appointments, and it's why I will do everything in my power to ensure that the Police Commission operates with public safety at the forefront. I will not appoint commissioners that run counter to my or my Chief's vision for protecting and promoting public safety.
In addition, I am supporting the commission reform measure put forward by Together SF Action that will streamline the commission process, eliminate unnecessary commissions, and bring needed reforms to the police commission.
Some have argued that Police Chief Scott should be fired and replaced. Regardless of your position on Chief Scott, how will you ensure the Chief of Police is effective? If that position includes firing the Chief, please explain why you will fire him, and how you will hire a good replacement given the fact that the Police Commission picks the set of candidates.
Chief Scott is a good man, but I believe replacing Chief Scott is the best course of action to ensure renewed energy and accountability in the SFPD. The average big city police chief serves for on average three and a half years. It is my view that Chief Scott has lost the rank and file's respect, is having more difficulties recruiting and retaining officers, and has not adequately prioritized shutting down open-air drug markets. I will appoint an Interim Chief from the command staff, and I will hire a new Chief that has the operational expertise we need, the zeal to overcome the city's problems, and the ability to inspire younger officers.
Do you support the policies referred to as "defund the police"? Why or why not?
No. Mayor Breed defunded the police to the tune of over $120 million dollars and it created moral and other structural issues that the City now has to play catch up to fix her mistake. The communities most impacted by crime all want police and they want police that treat their communities fairly and equitably. As Mayor, I worked with the Chief and Department to continue the implementation of the Department of Justice reforms and have always supported police and clear rules of engagement that allow them to do their jobs fairly and effectively. .
SFPD is a prime example of the importance of diverse, community-based policing. Generally, we are looked at as a model for how policing should be done in a big city.. As I've said, in my view, the police have been asked to do too much—not only to enforce the law, but also to deal with every social issue, from administering medical aid to overdose victims to acting as social workers for the most vulnerable. My plans to boost staffing and centralize shelter and treatment facilities will remove those pressures, leaving the police able to better tackle the drug dealers that create and perpetuate the crisis.
Please explain why you did or did not support the recall of DA Chesa Boudin. If you were ineligible to vote in that election, please explain how you would have voted.
I supported the recall of Chesa Boudin, and my wife was an original signer to initiate the recall and volunteered for the recall campaign. It was absolutely unacceptable for the City's top prosecutor to politicize law, ignore rising AAPI hate, and fail to protect the public from drug dealers and violent criminals. We can see the consequences of Boudin's failed vision on the streets today.
| Should San Francisco… | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Try to achieve "full staffing" for SFPD? (Defined as about 2,100 officers, according to the City)? | X | |
| Retain the cite-and-release policy for misdemeanors like shoplifting and car break-ins? | X | |
| Arrest and prosecute street-level fentanyl dealers? | X | |
| Prioritize diversion instead of incarceration for fentanyl dealers? | X | |
| Investigate, arrest, and prosecute fentanyl distribution ringleaders (like organized crime and cartel members)? | X | |
| Arrest and prosecute street-level vendors of suspected stolen goods? | X | |
| Investigate, arrest, and prosecute the leaders of theft rings and fencing operations? | X | |
| Arrest and prosecute street food vendors operating without a permit? | x | |
| Fine street food vendors operating without a permit? | X |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Illegal vending is out of control in neighborhoods from the Mission to Fisherman's Wharf. It harms legitimate businesses, deters visitors, and facilitates other illegal activity, and the City's failure to address it is a direct result of the lack of follow-through from London Breed. As Mayor, I'll no longer tolerate this behavior. While state law doesn't allow criminally penalizing illegal vendors solely for the act of vending, the City can still enforce laws on the books that prohibit selling stolen goods, regulate unsafe food, and allow us to clear our sidewalks. I will focus on helping street food vendors come into compliance. We can't have a Department of Health who is handing out needles and straws and then arresting food vendors for operating without a permit.
Drugs
Today, people are openly dealing drugs, including fentanyl, with little or no consequences. Why is this happening and what will you do to change this?
People are openly dealing drugs because London Breed's policies allow them to do so. I will institute a zero-tolerance policy for drug dealing and will work with DA Brooke Jenkins to ensure that people selling poison on our streets are punished to the fullest extent of the law. I will also work with state and federal leaders to call for a state of emergency around the fentanyl crisis to free up the staff and resources necessary to get addicts into treatment and punish those who profit from the suffering of our most vulnerable. I intend for the state of emergency to bring in additional state and federal resources and more law enforcement and treatment capacity that we need to close open air drug markets for good and get people the help they need.
I also believe the Mayor needs to set the tone that doing drugs in public is not ok. We can do better and we must. San Francisco is uniquely attracting people from all over northern california and other parts of the country to do drugs here because they are cheap, accessible and we allow you to do them out in the open. People feel safe doing drugs here and it comes at the expense of the rest of the San Francisco community. I will no longer tolerate that as Mayor.
In general, how should the City handle people who are abusing drugs on City sidewalks?
Drug addiction and abuse can no longer be an excuse for dangerous behavior. It should not be controversial to say that consuming drugs like meth and fentanyl on the streets is unsafe for everyone, and when I am Mayor our sidewalks will no longer be treated like containment zones. People struggling with addiction and homelessness will be taken to my central intake center where they will be sheltered and connected with the medical and social services that they need to begin their recovery.
I have proposed a bold recovery plan that will provide recovery first-treatment options by leveraging city-owned property inside and outside of San Francisco to provide the help that people need to break their addiction and lead healthy and successful lives. We can't expect people to get better when they have the temptation for drugs right outside their front door.
Do you support the creation of safe consumption sites in San Francisco? If so, please detail how they should be run, including how the City should handle people abusing drugs in public, outside of those sites. If not, please explain a viable alternative to reducing overdoses and drug addiction.
No. Last year was the deadliest on record for drug overdose deaths, and that tells me that City Hall's over-reliance on harm reduction is a failed social experiment. We need to stop enabling people to death and provide recovery-first options that are proven to help addicts get sober and rebuild their lives. We have a duty of care towards those suffering from addiction that we derogate by facilitating the consumption of deadly substances.
That's why I will scrap London Breed's current Overdose Prevention Plan and shift from an over reliance on harm reduction that has only enabled more drug use. Instead, my administration will provide more recovery-first and abstinence-based options through City-owned facilities inside and outside of San Francisco, adding more capacity at all stages of recovery. I will mandate a change in strategy at the Department of Public Health to create a laser-focus on preventing overdose deaths and achieving sobriety. I will oversee a recruitment and retention drive for behavioral healthcare professionals. I will mandate treatment-focused detention and a connection to services for individuals who are revived with Narcan.
Should fentanyl dealing be penalized differently from dealing other drugs?
Yes. Fentanyl is one of the most deadly drugs available and people selling fentanyl, especially repeat offenders should be penalized differently and more harshly to send the message that the behavior will not be tolerated in San Francisco.
The opioid crisis is the deadliest drug-related challenge we have ever faced as a City, and the conditions on our streets show that we need new approaches. We need to prioritize the arrest and prosecution of fentanyl dealers, and we need to ensure that those who are caught are no longer allowed to return to the same street corners to peddle death and victimize our communities. I will stop the cycle of catch-and-release by reforming pretrial detention practices and ending the failed multimillion-dollar contract with Pretrial Diversion that has taken pretrial supervision of criminal defendants outside the management of law enforcement agencies. Drug dealers must be held accountable for their part in profiting from the crisis and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This is the only way to shut down the open-air drug markets currently plaguing San Francisco under London Breed's tenure.
As Mayor, what directives will you give SFPD and other departments to end fentanyl dealing and clean up drug-dealing hotspots? How will you ensure they do their jobs effectively?
The buck stops with the Mayor. Closing open-air drug markets will be a top priority and I will achieve it through dogged determination and direction just like I did for clearing large tent encampments. Mayor Breed has failed miserably to lead on this issue and on Day One I will bring the dogged leadership with need.
Right now, San Francisco is attempting to fight fentanyl with one hand tied behind our back. The first thing I will do as Mayor to address this is to call for a fentanyl state of emergency and bring in more state and potentially federal law enforcement to address open-air drug markets, drug-gang violence, trafficking, and other dangerous behavior. This will ease the current burden on the SFPD and free up officers to patrol and keep the City safe. This will further unlock state and federal resources, free up contracting powers to stand up emergency shelters and treatment, rapidly deploy jail treatment and detox facilities, and allow for the reallocation of non-essential City functions to this emergency.
Mental Health
Some have argued that San Francisco should place people who are experiencing mental health crises on the streets into involuntary mental health holds at psychiatric facilities. Do you agree or disagree with this view? Please explain why or why not.
We should be connecting people with the help they need at the moment they need it, including through involuntary holds when necessary. My plan for a centralized shelter and resource intake center will mean that people experiencing mental health crises are not exited from the care system for weeks while waiting for appointments, for help, for lifelines. Instead, when they are brought into the shelter they will have direct and immediate access to mental health facilities and experts that can provide the right care and assess whether they are a danger to themselves or others.
I will also mandate treatment for individuals revived with Narcan by City workers. Preventing overdose is essential, but leaving individuals who have overdosed on the streets to do it again is cruel, inhumane, and a strain on emergency resources. My plan will require up to a 72-hour hold after the first instance of an overdose reversal, up to a two-week hold after the second, and a 45-plus-day hold after the third. We must send a message that San Francisco will no longer permit people to suffer and die on our streets.
If you agree with this view, please outline some guardrails and oversight the City must provide to prevent abuse.
There always have been and always will be situations in which it is necessary to detain people for their own or others' safety. Overseeing this process in a large facility, with a large staff of qualified healthcare professionals will ensure that the process is informed by the highest ethical and legal standards.
There is a team of legal and health experts involved in these decisions. Civil rights are vital but we must also consider the rights and harm to the general public as well as the individuals themselves when people are unable to care for themselves.
If you disagree with this view, please outline your preferred alternative solution, possible drawbacks, and the oversight it might need.
Education
What reforms should be made to the way the Board of Education is elected or conducts business?
I'm running for Mayor because San Francisco can do better by its children and families. To that end, the Board of Education's number one priority should always be improving outcomes in schools and contributing to success for all students and families in the City. In the past few years, some school board members have been driven by ideology at the expense of these goals, which is why I supported their recall in 2022. They lost sight of what should always be their top priority, and––like in City Hall–– a lack of accountability and failing to focus on results led to worse outcomes for our students. That needs to change.
We shouldn't accept inaction just because the Mayor lacks direct control over an organization or policy area like SFUSD. The Mayor's office can do more to support the Board of Education, educators, and public school families. That's why as Mayor I will mandate that the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood partner with SFUSD to adopt as its highest priority the improvement of third-grade reading levels. I will make the Free MUNI program permanent and expand its school routes and times to promote enrollment and attendance. I will enforce a zero-tolerance policy for harmful and illegal street behavior and conditions within one City block of any school through a new 311 priority code system. And I will make it easier for our teachers to live in San Francisco by implementing property tax rebates for property owners who rent to teachers.
Some parents prefer their children attend private religious schools, others prefer public magnet schools for specific skills (like the Ruth Asawa School for the Arts or Lowell), others prefer public or private charter schools with nontraditional curricula, and others prefer homeschooling. Should all of these educational options be available to students in San Francisco? Why or why not?
Yes, of course every parent should be free to make their own decisions regarding their child's education. My focus as Mayor will be on making the SFUSD the envy of the world so that kids can get an excellent, free education that equips them with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in today's world, and so parents can know that their children are receiving a world-class education in San Francisco's public school system.
As Mayor, how will you support SFUSD in its efforts to achieve financial stability and sustainability, especially in regards to school closures?
Our schools' fiscal health is key to student success, and we need an all-of-the-above approach to this issue. I have always supported, and will continue to advocate for, increased funding for teachers and schools on a state and federal level. During my time in City Hall, I always supported school bonds and public school funding through the City's budget, and I will do so again as Mayor. I have also committed to providing more financial assistance for preschool, which is critical to a child's education but can be very expensive for families.
Did you support the recall of Board of Education members Collins, López, and Moliga? Please explain why you did or did not support the recall of each member.
Yes. I did support the recall of Board of Education members Collins, López, and Moliga. In my view, they prioritized ideological experiments at the expense of improving student outcomes, which made them unfit for office.
| Should San Francisco… | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Offer Algebra in 8th grade to students who want it? | X | |
| Offer Algebra in 7th grade to students who want it? | X | |
| Require schools to improve student performance, and fire teachers who consistently underperform? | X |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
A focus on student outcomes will guide all of my work as Mayor, and I will push SFUSD to work similarly. Preparing all students for future success should be SFUSD's top priority.
Housing
Do you believe that San Francisco has a shortage of market-rate homes? Why or why not?
Yes, San Francisco has a severe housing shortage. San Francisco can be a welcoming and affordable place for families again, but to get there the City desperately needs to level up its housing capacity in all sectors and price ranges, including market-rate.
Do you believe that housing prices are set by supply and demand constraints? Why or why not?
Yes. In San Francisco we artificially constrain housing supply with inconsistent and unreasonable regulations around building new housing that are fundamentally anti-housing. This artificial constraining of the supply combined with exorbitant impact fees is what keeps prices impractically high for most people hoping to buy homes in the City. We can increase supply by raising height limits in the Financial District, SoMA, and Mission Bay, targeting corner lots and select transit and merchant corridors on the Westside and Northside, enacting form based density throughout the City, and focusing Planning Department staff on advancing reforms that make sense.
Under State law, San Francisco must build over 82,000 new homes by 2031. Do you think this is a good goal?
Yes.
Follow-up: Do you believe we're on track to achieve this goal?
No. Under Mayor Breed's tenure we have only been building on average a couple thousand units a year, and only permitted seven new projects in the first quarter of this year. We desperately need to build our capacity rapidly if we're to hit this target. In the first four months of 2024, San Francisco permitted only seven new homes.
Follow-up: What will you do to meet the goal?
Affordable housing means more affordable for everyone, not only those most in need or with the most money. To meet our housing goal, as Mayor I will work to increase the housing capacity of all neighborhoods while retaining local control and avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. This means height increases in denser areas and upzoning on corner lots and areas already close to tall buildings. A targeted, sensible approach will allow for form-based density development across the City to add housing while still preserving neighborhoods' core characteristics.
My plan will meet the state mandated goal, asks all of San Francisco to contribute to our housing shortage and crisis, and will provide more affordable and middle-income homes for families while adding to the vibrancy of our neighborhoods. I believe that I have released the most comprehensive and detailed housing plan of any candidate which can be read in full here: https://www.markfarrell.com/housing/.
Should homeless shelters be exempt from CEQA, Discretionary Review, and Conditional Use permits?
I have a history and track record of working with communities to get important projects through and I will do it again as Mayor. CEQA has been weaponized to stall or block projects and should not apply to these types of projects. I am committed to advancing significant reforms for discretionary review and conditional use permits, so that projects we need in San Francisco do not get delayed or killed by process.
I support the use of MOUs with neighborhoods to ensure that safety, cleanliness and any potential negative impacts from high intensity uses like a homeless shelter are mitigated. This is generally what happens with new homeless shelters and navigation centers and is a practice I support and plan to adhere to with greater commitment than the current administration.
As Mayor, will you order the construction of thousands of new homeless shelters across the City, even if neighbors object?
I have a history and track record of working with communities to get important projects through and I will do it again as Mayor. We have to add more shelter capacity to get people off the streets, clear tent encampments, and connected to services. My proposed 24/7 centralized intake center will provide a one-stop location for public safety and public health professionals
Should subsidized affordable housing be exempt from CEQA, Discretionary Review, and Conditional Use permits?
I have a history and track record of working with communities to get important projects through and I will do it again as Mayor. CEQA has been weaponized to stall or block new housing and should not apply to these types of projects. I am committed to advancing significant reforms for discretionary review and conditional use permits, so that projects we need in San Francisco do not get delayed or killed by process.
Should market-rate housing be exempt from CEQA, Discretionary Review, and Conditional Use permits?
I have a history and track record of working with communities to get important projects through and I will do it again as Mayor. CEQA has been weaponized to stall or block new housing and should not apply to these types of projects. I am committed to advancing significant reforms for discretionary review and conditional use permits, so that projects we need in San Francisco do not get delayed or killed by process.
Market-rate housing is currently infeasible to build in San Francisco even though it's being built elsewhere, such as Seattle and Minneapolis. San Francisco's fees and requirements make building housing much more expensive here, including the requirement that 12-16% of homes must be sold to income-restricted households at below market rates. Do you support lowering this requirement to an economically viable percentage, even if that percentage is 0%?
Yes. In my housing plan, I propose lowering the inclusionary fee to 10% and call for eliminating other onerous fees and requirements that are stopping housing from being built. San Francisco's current requirements are so onerous that many projects no longer pencil out once they're finally approved. Adjusting down our fees will incentivize development and actually help create the affordable housing that everyone wants to see built. Additionally, my experience as a former Mayor and the longest serving Budget Chair in the City's history make me uniquely qualified to create thoughtful tax increment financing options to convert commercial property into residences, and streamline permit approval to make the most of both private and public development to lower housing costs.
Should San Francisco retain, loosen, or even abolish existing limits on height, density, and bulk for residential buildings? If so, where and how?
Yes, my housing plan goes into full detail on where we can increase heights and add density across all of San Francisco: https://www.markfarrell.com/housing/
San Francisco Planning requires that new street-facing windows comply with City-imposed design requirements. Supporters argue that this policy enhances 'neighborhood character' while critics argue that these policies raise the price of window replacements while lowering their thermal and noise insulation. As Mayor, you can direct the Planning Department to maintain or discard these requirements. What will you do?
Yes, this is specifically listed in my housing platform, in addition to a number of other specifics around design and review, and no other candidate has mentioned it as an issue: https://www.markfarrell.com/housing/.
As Mayor, I will make the Planning Department's top priority and focus on building more 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 | ||
| Renovate your home (update bathroom, kitchen, etc)? | X | ||
| Demolish your home and redevelop it into multifamily housing? | X | ||
| Redevelop things like parking lots and single-story commercial into multifamily housing? | X | ||
| Build subsidized 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:
At the end of the day, our local government needs to work for our residents. When it's nearly impossible to change your home, or to create new homes for people who want to put down roots here, we need to make drastic changes.
Small Business
Should all businesses be permitted by-right? If not, which business categories should require special government approval?
Most businesses should be permitted by right, subject to underlying zoning. Most commercial uses should be permitted by right on commercial corridors and in mixed-use areas, which is most of San Francisco. However, some uses should require additional oversight either through a Conditional Use or streamlined discretionary approval. For example, adult entertainment should not be permitted by right next to a school or child care center. Bars should not be permitted by right next to recovery housing or treatment facilities. There are some areas where more intense uses should be permitted by right, but they should not be permitted by right throughout the City.
For businesses that require government approval or permits, what will you change about the process of new retail business formation in San Francisco?
I want to encourage the growth of our small businesses through tax reform. I will exempt every small business making less than $5 million in gross receipts from paying local business taxes, giving a much needed boost to our City's business owners and ensuring that our family-owned restaurants and businesses are here to stay.
Permit approval streamlining across departments will be a priority for my administration. This requires coordination between DPH, DBI and Planning at a minimum. I will empower the Office of Small Business to enact this coordination and drive any needed legislative changes.
Some in the small business community have argued that San Francisco should increase the number of available ABC permits (also known as liquor licenses). Currently, some bars and restaurants buy licenses from each other because there aren't enough licenses available, which increases those establishments' operating costs and deprives others who don't participate in trading licenses of revenue opportunities. Others have argued against increasing the number of permits because they don't want more competition, or have already paid a lot of money for their liquor license. What do you think the City should do?
As a City, we shouldn't find ourselves in a position in which our local business owners have to buy licenses from each other. San Francisco's nightlife is not only a huge driver of our economy and jobs, but is also one of the most vibrant and dynamic parts of living in the City. As Mayor, I'll do everything in my power to work with State representatives and the Governor to provide licenses to reputable businesses looking to expand.
| Should San Francisco… | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce the time to obtain all permits to open a new business to no more than 3 months? | X | |
| Reduce the cost of obtaining permits to open a new business? | X | |
| Reduce the number of activities which must obtain permits, and expand the number of by-right activities? | X | |
| Try to attract businesses of all sizes to the City? | X |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Transit Infrastructure
Some have argued that the cost of fare enforcement exceeds the benefit. Others say not enforcing fare payment starves Muni and BART of revenue, lowers the quality of service, and makes the systems less safe. What is your position?
I support fare enforcement in a balanced and proportional manner. When we provide fare waivers and discounts to children, seniors, and San Franciscans in need, it's unfair to other riders that some people choose to ride without paying or taking advantage of these programs.
As Mayor, will you direct SFMTA to build a citywide protected bike lane network? Why or why not? Please also explain how you will hold MTA accountable for this task.
Yes. A truly protected bike lane network gives clarity to drivers and keeps bicyclists more safe, and I will help get it done in a way that doesn't jeopardize the response of our first responders. Throughout my tenure as Mayor and Supervisor, I supported and helped advance bike safety infrastructure in District 2 and across the City. I remain committed to working with cyclists and safety advocates to do everything we can to improve the facilitation of green transportation infrastructure alongside safe pedestrian routes. All manners of transportation—walking, driving, cycling, and taking transit—should be safe and efficient in San Francisco, and I'll hold the SFMTA accountable by focusing on delivering results, not ideology or action for action's sake.
As Mayor, will you direct SFMTA to install more automated red light cameras and automated speed enforcement cameras?
Yes. Speed is what kills. Speed enforcement is crucial to preventing traffic fatalities and maintaining public safety on our roads, and red light cameras remain a critical tool to deter and fight crime.
Should Market Street remain off-limits to private vehicles and remain a bus/bike/taxi-only street? Why or why not?
No, I think it's time we admit that closing Market Street to private vehicles has not produced the outcomes we had hoped for. As Supervisor, I co-sponsored the Better Market Street project in 2015 and voted for it again in 2017. It was intended to breathe new life into Downtown, promising a safe Market Street for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles. Millions of dollars and countless staff hours went into the project. But London Breed gutted the effort without explanation. Not only did the original vision never come to fruition, but it simultaneously failed to stop collisions and caused nightmarish traffic on arterial streets. We need to do everything possible to create throughput and commerce and welcome people back to the downtown core, and that includes reopening Market Street to cars.
A thriving and complete Market Street is still possible and I'm committed to delivering it as Mayor. It includes vehicle lanes, widened sidewalks, transit lanes and protected bike lanes. All of this was in the plan I voted for and when enacted will restore Market Street to a place where people want to linger. Where they can shop and dine as well as traverse safely.
Should San Francisco prioritize buses over car traffic by creating more bus-only lanes and directing traffic enforcement officers to ticket drivers who ignore the restrictions?
I don't believe everything has to be a zero-sum game for transit decisions. I believe we can create more bus-only lanes in appropriate places to speed up public transit while making it easier for people to drive Reliable bus lanes and times are a surefire way to reduce environmental impact and congestion on the road while improving residents' experience. I have always been a strong supporter of measures that improve public transportation in the City.
As Mayor, how will you increase the frequency and reliability of buses and trains?
I will work with the Board of Supervisors, the SFMTA, and impacted communities to implement better routes and times so that our public transportation system can continue to improve. A world class city deserves a safe, clean, and reliable public transportation system, and I believe that focusing on the rider experience will restore Muni's status as among the best in the country.
As Mayor, will you order SFMTA and DPW to install more pedestrian safety infrastructure, such as protective barriers, bollards, crosswalks, and lighting?
Yes. My number one priority as Mayor will be public safety, including pedestrian safety, particularly in school zones. I will make the Free MUNI for All Youth Program permanent and negotiate and implement better routes and times between the SFMTA and SFUSD so students, families, and schools can rely on public transportation. Additionally, I will take bold, aggressive action to ensure all road users, especially bicyclists and pedestrians, are safe on our streets. I will support the installation of more speed cameras and protected bike lanes on streets that are wide enough to support them. And I am committed to installing bollards on sidewalks at major intersections that have multiple modes and are near hospitals, parks, and schools that are exposed to more vulnerable road users.
Budget
San Francisco is facing a large budget deficit due to declining tax revenues from our struggling downtown, increasing payroll costs, and inflexible budget set-asides for special programs. What will your approach be to fix this?
I am the only candidate with significant private sector experience, was the longest serving Budget Chair in our City's history, and the only candidate outside of Mayor Breed to put together a citywide budget as Mayor.
Our budget crisis demands a fresh, proactive, and unvarnished approach. Revitalizing Downtown is a central pillar of my campaign, and I have both the experience and a concrete plan to turn it around. As Mayor, I will create new tax incentives and programs across our City's economic engines, including the Financial District, Union Square, the Tenderloin, and SoMA, and allow taxes generated in Tenderloin and Mid-Market to stay in those neighborhoods to be dedicated to public safety infrastructure and services. On top of my small business tax exemption, outlined above, I will also provide incentives for businesses that bring workers back into the downtown core area specifically. I will reopen Market Street to cars and recommit to retail in Union Square to make Downtown once again a formidable economic engine. I will be proactive in working with our business community to help increase tax revenues once again.
| 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:
Generally, I believe that the growth in our City budget, particularly in the community health and welfare budget (has grown $2.5B over the last five years) has provided the type of results that residents expect and deserve for the massive growth in resources.
I believe we need a Mayor with a strong finance background, who knows what it's like to run a business and make payroll to go in with a scalpel to eliminate redundancy and waste and truly provide a better bang for your buck budget.
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 was born and raised in San Francisco, and I've lived here most of my life outside of when I left for school. I love San Francisco and know the City and our people are truly special. I believe in the future of San Francisco, but that we have lost our way over the last five and a half years. I know we can get San Francisco back on track.
I am running for Mayor because I've chosen to raise my kids here and I want to help make our City the best place in the world to raise a family. San Francisco was the best place in the world to grow up, and I know it can be again with new leadership and a new vision for the future.
What do you love most about San Francisco?
I love San Francisco's eclectic culture, natural beauty, its vibrancy, our civic pride and values, our unique neighborhoods, businesses, and cultures, and the diversity and dynamism that make it such a wonderful and enriching place to be.
What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?
As a native San Franciscan, it pains me to see how the City has fallen into decline and become the butt of jokes throughout the country. I also dislike how Mayor Breed has generally pinned the blame on others, or has made excuses for the challenges we face. As your next Mayor, I take pride in knowing the buck stops with me and want the residents and businesses of San Francisco to hold me accountable.
San Francisco is worth fighting for, and I'm fired up to turn things around as Mayor.
Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.)
I founded the Shared Schoolyards Project, which, in partnership with the City, opened up over 50 public schoolyards on the weekends for children, families, and residents to play in for free. I am an avid volunteer at my children's schools, my family and I regularly volunteer with City Hope Tenderloin (among many other organizations in San Francisco), and I have helped to coach most of my children's sports teams. I also serve on the Board of the Olympic Club Foundation, which is a purely philanthropic role to raise resources and distribute it to underserved kids sports programs through the Bay Area.
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.