What Powers Does the San Francisco Mayor Have? And Other Questions About the Election

With less than 100 days until the November election, KQED reporters are here to answer your questions about local, state and national races to prepare you for Election Day. Sign up for KQED’s News Daily so you don’t miss any answers.

This week’s focus is readers’ questions about San Francisco’s mayoral race.

Q: What powers does the San Francisco mayor have? What are the promises that a mayoral candidate, if elected, cannot fulfill?

San Francisco operates what’s known as a “strong mayor” system of government, which includes an elected mayor, a board of supervisors and other elected officials like the city attorney.

Legislative power

That system gives the mayor several distinct powers, including introducing, approving or vetoing legislation. Another primary responsibility for the mayor is overseeing and proposing the annual budget — which this year topped off at nearly $14.6 billion.

“Veto power over legislation and line item budget veto power — that is very much strong mayor power,” San Francisco State University political science professor Jason McDaniel says.

Appointment & Emergency power

The mayor can also appoint members to different boards and department heads, as well as a replacement for an elected office if there is an unexpected vacancy before an election.

In extraordinary circumstances, a mayor can also order a state of emergency, like during the COVID-19 pandemic. This allows the city to bypass certain bureaucratic steps to more quickly allocate resources and mobilize city departments.

Limited power

However, the mayor does not have unilateral decision-making power, and several ballot measures over the years have limited the mayor’s power, largely by creating new commissions, McDaniel says.

“Can the mayor hire and fire the police chief? Yes and no. It’s more complicated than it seems and commissions are part of that,” he says. “The mayor’s power has been curtailed more and more by commissions to hire and fire department heads.”

Power checks

San Francisco has more than 100 commissions that help oversee everything from the police department to public art. Some only serve to advise, while others have decision-making authority.

For some bodies, such as the Port Commission or the Public Utilities Commission, the mayor can only nominate members, who must also receive approval from the Board of Supervisors. However, others are not subject to board review, including the Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board, the Youth Commission and the Ethics Commission.

The commissions provide an important check on the city’s executive and legislative branches and allow citizens to engage directly with local politics. But critics like the city’s moderate group TogetherSF say the city’s relatively high number of commissions has gummed up the system from moving on.

Now, two competing measures are attempting to overhaul the city’s commission system.

Soft power

Even though the city has a so-called “strong mayor” system, exactly how strong the mayor is in practice depends on various factors, including their ability to work with commissions and the Board of Supervisors, which passes local legislation.

“It often requires soft power to exercise that power, like getting board approvals,” McDaniel says.

Next Tuesday, we’re answering listener questions about billionaires funding San Francisco’s mayoral race, approaches to solving homelessness, and public participation in city government. Subscribe to KQED’s News Daily to follow along.