Commission Streamlining Task Force submits final recommendations to improve City boards and commissions

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Today, the City task force charged with reviewing San Francisco’s boards and commissions submitted its final report of recommendations to Mayor Daniel Lurie and the Board of Supervisors. The Commission Streamlining Task Force, established by Proposition E in November 2024, held public meetings over the course of a year to hear public feedback, listen to research on boards and commissions, and discuss changes to improve public bodies. The Task Force’s final recommendations will be considered by the Board as legislation this spring.

The final report, approved unanimously by the Task Force on Wednesday, outlines opportunities to strengthen civic engagement, improve accountability, and advance good governance in the City’s boards and commissions system.

Over the one-year review period, the Task Force convened 24 public meetings totaling over 85 hours, with more than 21 hours of public comment that included 320+ unique speakers and 700 pieces of written feedback. Staff from the Controller’s Office and City Administrator’s Office produced over 500 pages of research and analysis covering all public bodies under the Task Force’s review and maintained a comprehensive online library of materials, including a decision log, meeting minutes, spreadsheet of commission details, presentations, and decision-making tools.

Altogether, the Task Force identified 152 City boards, commissions, and other public bodies established by legislative mandate or voter initiative. Many of those bodies have existed for decades without review or evaluation of their efficacy, or updates to maximize their utility.

The Task Force’s driving goals were strengthening meaningful public engagement, creating clear lines of accountability, making the City more adaptable to changing needs, and making government easier to understand. The final report proposes keeping 86 active boards and commissions, consolidating some with overlapping responsibilities, eliminating others that have already achieved or outlived their purpose, and making broader changes to the commission structure, all while preserving public oversight and key functions.

“Through Proposition E, the Commission Streamlining Task Force was charged with taking a hard look at the City’s commissions and recommending ways to improve the administration of City government. I want to thank the Task Force members for the countless hours they spent thoughtfully reviewing more than 150 public bodies, as well as the staff—led by Rachel Alonso from the City Administrator’s Office and the Controller’s team—for guiding a transparent and open process,” said City Administrator Carmen Chu. “I also want to thank the many residents who shared their views through more than 1,300 public comments across 24 public meetings. As this work moves to the Board of Supervisors, I encourage the public to stay engaged as we work to improve our processes.”

“I want to acknowledge the extraordinary effort by members of the public, commissioners, and staff on this project over the past year,” said Controller Greg Wagner. “This report is the result of a thoughtful and deliberative process to tackle complex questions about commissions and other public bodies — asking whether we can improve our government to be as effective and responsive as possible. I believe the recommendations in the report give us some much-needed direction moving forward.”

“I appreciate the many hours of research, collaboration, and public participation that went into this report. This level of careful and transparent evaluation of our commission structures is exactly what the voters expected of the City when they passed Proposition E,” said City Attorney David Chiu. “I am hopeful this report will inform legislative changes that will make San Francisco government more effective in ensuring San Franciscans get what they deserve from their City.”

“I want to thank the staff from the Controller’s Office and the City Administrator’s Office for producing a comprehensive report that captures the Task Force’s complex discussions, methodologies, and recommendations, as well as the City Attorney’s Office for its legal expertise throughout this year-long process,” said Ed Harrington, Chair of the Commission Streamlining Task Force and public sector labor representative. “I am also grateful to the members of the public who spent countless hours providing comment, attending meetings, and engaging with the Task Force. Their feedback was critical to this work and will continue to inform the Board of Supervisors as it reviews the recommendations and considers legislative changes to improve the City’s boards and commissions system.”

Now that the Task Force has submitted their recommendations to the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors, per Proposition E, the City Attorney’s Office must send the Board legislation reflecting the recommendations by March 1, 2026. The Board must hold a public hearing on the recommendations and legislation by April 1, 2026.

Read the Commission Streamlining Task Force’s final report.

About the Commission Streamlining Task Force
Proposition E, approved by San Francisco voters in November 2024, established the Commission Streamlining Task Force to make recommendations to the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors about changing the City’s current commission system to improve its efficacy. The Task Force is comprised of five seats outlined by Proposition E: the City Administrator or their designee; the Controller or their designee; the City Attorney or their designee; representative of public sector organized labor appointed by the President of the Board of Supervisors; and an expert in open and accountable government, appointed by the Mayor.

Proposition E required that the Task Force submit their final report of recommendations to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors by February 1, 2026.

For more information, please visit the Commission Streamlining Task Force website.