by JUNYAO YANG JULY 12, 2024 (MissionLocal.org)
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Welcome back to our weekly “Meet the Candidates” series, where District 1 supervisorial candidates who have filed to run respond to a question in 100 words or fewer.
Answers are published each week, but we are also archiving each answer on this page for District 1, to make it easier for voters to browse.
Next week, I will be at the Coffee Movement (1737 Balboa St.) at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 18. Come by and share your thoughts, or reach me at junyao@missionlocal.com.
San Francisco’s $780 million budget deficit over two years has been top of mind for many city voters. Late last month, the Budget and Appropriations Committee passed a budget deal with Mayor London Breed, restoring $59 million in funding cuts in child care, and food insecurity programs among others. The deal will be voted on during next week’s full Board of Supervisors meeting.
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For this week, we asked the candidates to share their thoughts on the city’s budget.
Connie Chan
- Job: Incumbent District 1 Supervisor
- Age: 45
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2011
- Transportation: Driving and walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of California, Davis
- Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin
As Budget Chair, I have been clear and consistent with city departments that we must control our spending and prioritize vital services that lift up vulnerable residents, working families and small businesses — programs like funding for oral health care for kids, food access particularly for our seniors, youth and family services and violence prevention. And we must always ensure that our neighborhoods are clean and safe for every resident. But the Mayor’s recent proposed budget furthered the budget deficit by creating the struggles between what is nice to have and what is essential.
This is why I fought to cut … read more here
Endorsed by: San Francisco Labor Council, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Local 21, Service Employees International Union 1021 … read more here
Sherman D’Silva
- Job: Owner of a laundromat on Geary Boulevard
- Age: 51
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 1973
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: Bachelor’s degrees from San Francisco State University
- Languages: English
San Francisco takes in massive revenues but we are always told there is “NO MONEY.”
We as San Franciscans bear much of the fault.
Every election voters pass ballot measures that have a cost associated with it that locks up sections of the budget in order to meet the initiatives requirements.Getting the budget to work requires something no one in government wants to do — go back to voters and modify and/or eliminate initiatives that have passed over the years that do very little but add a tremendous cost burden to San Francisco’s budget.
Jen Nossokoff
- Job: Vice president of a healthcare company and physician assistant
- Age: 38
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2020
- Transportation: Walking, biking, public transportation, driving
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and master’s degree from Samuel Merritt University
- Languages: English
San Francisco’s city budget for fiscal year 2024-2025 is approximately $14.6 billion, facing a $728 million deficit over the next two years. While we allocate significant resources to homelessness, public safety, and transportation, the outcomes are not commensurate with the investment.
Now, more than ever, we need to scrutinize where and how we’re allocating our funds. Budget cuts, while challenging, can be incredibly beneficial. They compel us to eliminate waste, prioritize essential services, and ultimately build a more efficient and resilient city. Ensuring that our residents feel safe, have access to affordable housing, and benefit from a robust public … read more here
Marjan Philhour
- Job: Business owner, former advisor and fundraiser to London Breed
- Age: 50
- Residency: Homeowner, born in District 1 and moved back in 2006
- Transportation: Biking, walking, driving and public transportation
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley
- Languages: English
Despite a significant population decline since the pandemic, San Francisco’s budget has increased dramatically over the past four years, raising concerns about spending efficiency. The city’s budget reflects our priorities and, unfortunately, current allocations fall short in key areas like public safety, small businesses, and housing affordability.
Ensuring public safety remains my top priority, and while the public safety budget has increased this year, it still doesn’t fully meet our community’s needs. San Francisco needs 2,200 sworn officers to tackle open-air drug markets and make residents feel safe. Last year, we saw advocacy for a $2 million cut to … read more here
Endorsed by: San Francisco Police Officers Association … read more here
Jeremiah Boehner
- Job: Marketing specialist and U.S. Army veteran
- Age: 39
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 1 since 2006
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: University of San Francisco
- Languages: English
The city’s budget reflects the inept leadership at City Hall. We went from having a surplus to a $800 Million deficit. The fact that the mayor submitted such a budget highlights her failure as a leader.
As supervisor I’ll work with other supervisors and the new mayor to balance the budget and bring spending under control.
How? Audit the nonprofits we fund for effectiveness and cut wastefulness.
Cut executive salaries at City Hall beginning with the mayor. Take a look at our departments and see which ones we can cut.
We can’t keep spending and hoping to tax our way out of things.
Candidates are ordered alphabetically and rotated each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at junyao@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the series here. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
READ MORE CANDIDATE ANSWERS
Meet the Candidates: San Francisco’s District 1 supervisor race
JUNYAO YANG
Junyao is a California Local News Fellow, focusing on data and small businesses. Junyao is passionate about creating visuals that tell stories in creative ways. She received her Master’s degree from UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Sometimes she tries too hard to get attention from cute dogs.More by Junyao Yang
