SF Mayor Daniel Lurie announces hiring freeze on 1st day in office amid mounting budget deficit

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- On his first full day in office, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced Thursday there would be a citywide hiring freeze, with some exceptions, as the city faces a mounting budget shortfall.

In a video posted on social media, Lurie said he met with all of the department heads Thursday to let them know about his first action when it comes to addressing San Francisco's projected $876 million two-year financial deficit.

"We have to get our spending under control," he said.

However, with public safety as his top priority, Lurie said the hiring freeze will not include first responders. In particular, he listed out: EMTs, nurses, firefighters and police officers.

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Change in leadership is coming to San Francisco as Daniel Lurie is sworn in as the city's new mayor, with a historic Chinatown celebration to follow.

On top of a hiring freeze, the new mayor signaled layoffs might be imminent in his inaugural address Wednesday.

There are currently 1,843 sworn officers in the San Francisco Police Department, which is down about 200 from the recommended number of sworn officers according to a 2023 analysis from SFPD. The analysis says recommended staffing is determined "based on operation coverage needs."

Entry-level police officers in San Francisco get paid anywhere from $115,778 to $164,164 annually, according to SFPD's recruitment website. Hypothetically, it could cost the city upward of $32 million to get the department fully staffed, depending on a peace officer's level of experience. However, a 2024 audit showed the city spends far more on overtime pay for its officers, with the department spending over $108 million on overtime during the 2022-2023 financial year.

"We are too short-staffed. We rely too heavily on mandatory overtime," Lurie told ABC7 News in December.

The mayor's announcement Thursday comes as the first of what he said will be many "tough decisions" when it comes to cutting costs. Especially as he works to fulfill campaign promises to clean up the city's streets and add more crisis care for individuals suffering from behavioral health issues or addiction.