San Francisco transit officials are increasing fare enforcement efforts across the Muni system as the SFMTA faces a significant budget shortfall and seeks to boost fare compliance.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced the appointment of Mike Levine as the new executive director of the city's Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, a move city leaders say comes at a critical moment in addressing homelessness. Levine will take over the department as the current director, Shireen McSpadden, prepares to retire at the end of June.
The San Francisco Zoo is facing a financial crisis, and city leaders are proposing a short-term multimillion-dollar loan amidst a budget deficit. According to an analysis, the move would still be more affordable than finding the zoo a new operator or shutting it down completely.
Officials say the money supports essential services, including police and fire departments, rental assistance, services for unhoused residents, after-school programs and infrastructure repairs such as potholes. Without it, leaders warn, the county could be forced to scale back.
San Francisco city officials say they're forced to make the reductions because of state and funding cuts primarily stemming from President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill." Faced with a $643 million deficit that could balloon to $1 billion in the next five years, Lurie says action must be taken now.
"If we don't get those state dollars, we are in deep, deep trouble." A San Mateo County supervisor is warning that the county faces severe financial trouble without additional state funding, including the potential loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars to some schools and agencies.