San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie pushes charter reform ballot measures

"This system works for the insider. It's bred corruption. Our city charter has grown so calcified and convoluted that it makes it harder for City Hall to respond to the needs of residents. These measures take a practical approach to modernizing our government to be more accountable to the people it's meant to serve, while maintaining strong checks and balances."

"One measure would give the mayor sole authority to hire and fire most city department heads and appoint deputy mayors to oversee certain policy - a change supporters say would clarify management and accountability within city government. The second proposal seeks to streamline city contracting by giving the city administrator sole authority over changes to the city's purchasing laws."

"What we are trying to do is to simplify ballots and actually make supervisors and the mayor work together, come to agreement and stop putting everything in front of the voters. Under that proposal, the signature requirements for ballot initiatives would be modified to reduce the number and complexity of measures voters are asked to decide."

Mayor Daniel Lurie filed notices to collect signatures for three proposed changes to San Francisco's 500-page city charter for potential November voter consideration. The first measure would grant the mayor sole authority to hire and fire most city department heads and appoint deputy mayors. The second streamlines city contracting by giving the city administrator sole authority over purchasing law changes. The third modifies ballot initiative qualification requirements to reduce voter-decided measures. Supporters argue these changes modernize government operations, improve accountability, and reduce the complexity of city decision-making while maintaining checks and balances.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco