New Supervisor Alcaraz Is Already Out
PLUS: SPUR Proposes Charter Reforms
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of November 9, 2025:
- New Supervisor Alcaraz Is Already Out
- SPUR Proposes Charter Reforms
- Board Makes Maria Su Permanent Superintendent
- Mahmood Launches Youth Violence Prevention Program in Tenderloin
- New Sobering Center for Drug Arrests
Recent & upcoming openings:
- Quik Dog Finds A New Home
New Supervisor Alcaraz Is Already Out
Published November 14, 2025
The Facts
Freshly appointed District 4 Supervisor Isabella “Beya” Alcaraz resigned Thursday night after just one week in office, prompting Mayor Daniel Lurie to apologize Friday. “This rests on my shoulders,” he said. “We are going to thoroughly review our vetting process, and we will get better.”
Alcaraz stepped down amid revelations about her pet store business, The Animal Connection. The store’s new owner told Gabe Greschler at The Standard that Alcaraz left behind dead mice, feces, and trash when she transferred ownership earlier this year. Text messages obtained by Joe Eskenazi at Mission Local showed Alcaraz admitted to paying employees “under the table” and misreporting business expenses to, presumably, avoid paying her business taxes.
Alcaraz has the shortest tenure of any Supervisor in San Francisco history, serving just seven days.
The Context
Alcaraz’s appointment on Nov. 6 was unusual from the start. She approached Lurie at a night market in September—having never met him before—to inquire about the supervisor role. She had no political or government experience and had never attended Supervisor meetings.
The District 4 seat had been vacant since October 18th, when Supervisor Joel Engardio was officially removed from office after being recalled by voters over his support for closing the Great Highway to cars.
The GrowSF Take
The ending was less of a surprise than the beginning. Insiders and observers alike questioned Alcaraz’s qualifications from the start. We were certainly surprised! We liked that she had a small business background, but worried about her lack of experience and unclear priorities.
The ending was inevitable, though, as soon as the revelations about her business practices came to light. Running a dirty store is one thing, but evading taxes, and paying employees under the table is disqualifying for any public official.
We hope the next appointee is better.
SPUR Proposes Charter Reforms
Published November 10, 2025
The Facts
Urban planning think tank SPUR released 10 recommendations to reform San Francisco’s charter (akin to our constitution).
A key recommendation is to restore the mayor’s ability to manage staffing in key roles, like regaining the ability to hire and fire department heads without the legislature or commission being involved. Other suggestions include lengthening the City Administrator’s term from five years to ten (to minimize politics and maximize stability in a key operational role), making it more difficult for Supervisors to bypass the legislative process by requiring a majority of 6 Supervisors, rather than a minority of 4, to put a measure on the ballot, and raising the signature threshold for ballot measures.
Additional recommendations include moving departments from charter to administrative code for flexibility and reducing mandated spending set-asides for specific services.
The Context
As we’ve written, San Francisco has the longest city charter in the country, at well over 500 pages. For comparison, the US constitution including all 27 amendments is about 15 pages.
Former SF Controller and PUC general manager, and current SPUR adviser Ed Harrington told Xueer Lu at Mission Local that stronger mayoral authority actually improves accountability: “If you want the mayor to be held responsible, you have to give them authority to make decisions.”
The GrowSF Take
We had been hearing rumors about this report for months and we’re excited to finally see it out in the wild! These recommendations align closely with GrowSF’s long-standing advocacy for a more accountable Mayor, streamlined governance, and right-sizing the charter.
Giving mayors authority to hire and fire department heads creates direct responsibility for city services (don’t like a department? Vote the mayor out!), while higher ballot thresholds reduce governance-by-initiative that clogs the system.
We’ll be digging in to all of these recommendations over the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
Board Makes Maria Su Permanent Superintendent
Published November 14, 2025
The Facts
The San Francisco School Board will vote November 18 to make Maria Su the permanent superintendent with a two-year contract, sources told Mission Local.
The teachers’ union, United Educators of San Francisco (UESF), opposed Su because she has an expertise in administration rather than teaching. The job of the Superintendent is purely administrative, with no teaching component, though the state does have credential requirements for the position. The School Board will waive those requirements to keep Su in the role.
The Context
Su became interim superintendent in October 2024 after Superintendent Matt Wayne resigned.
She brings 16 years of city administration experience, having led the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families since 2009. She has managed complex budgets and navigated San Francisco politics under multiple mayors.
Su helped the district balance a $114 million budget deficit and implement a new payroll system, saving the district from a full state takeover. However, SFUSD faces ongoing challenges including possible school closures, a threatened teacher strike, and fixing the school assignment system. The district will remain under state oversight through December 2025.
The GrowSF Take
Su’s appointment rewards proven results over arbitrary requirements. She stabilized district finances and fixed operational failures that plagued her predecessors. We don’t need credentialism, we need skilled management that can run complex and important institutions.
Effective governance requires leaders who can deliver results, balance budgets, and navigate complex systems—all skills Su has demonstrated throughout her city career.
Mahmood Launches Youth Violence Prevention Program in Tenderloin
Published November 13, 2025
The Facts
San Francisco will launch a new violence prevention program in January targeting Tenderloin youth aged 12 to 24, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood announced November 12. The $200,000 pilot program will deploy four part-time community workers with “deep ties” to the neighborhood to provide mentorship and programming for up to 20 young people.
Developed by nonprofit United Playaz and the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, the program will create a “safe refuge space” similar to United Playaz’s existing SoMa clubhouse, featuring recreation rooms, computer labs, and recording studios. Services include job readiness training, mental health support, and presentations from community leaders, violence survivors, and formerly incarcerated people.
Initial funding comes from private donors including the Future Justice Fund, entrepreneur Chris Larsen, and investors Jeremy Liew and Michael Seibel. Mahmood hopes to secure ongoing city funding in the next budget cycle.
The Context
The Tenderloin houses 3,500 children and is encumbered by persistent drug dealing and violence. Mahmood cited the cases of two men charged with using a minor to sell drugs in the neighborhood this year as evidence that “young people are being targeted” for recruitment into the drug trade.
The supervisor highlighted the divergent paths of three young friends from his district: one died of overdose, another was shot, and the third graduated from the Police Academy. These outcomes, he said, depended largely on which resources they could access.
The GrowSF Take
This seems like a smart, targeted approach to addressing youth violence in one of San Francisco’s most challenged neighborhoods. United Playaz is well respected for its work with at-risk youth, and the support from outside funders will ensure it starts strong, without straining the city budget.
New Sobering Center for Drug Arrests
Published November 12, 2025
The Facts
A new “drug sobering center” is opening on 6th Street early next year to provide an alternative to jail for people arrested for public drug use. The Sheriff’s Office will operate the facility, where up to 25 people can be held while sobering up alongside addiction specialists who can connect them with methadone, buprenorphine, residential treatment, or shelter placement.
The center is a “fundamental change” in San Francisco’s approach to street drug use, according to Maggie Angst at The Chronicle.
The Context
San Francisco currently rarely arrests people solely for public intoxication despite the persistent fentanyl crisis. Officers cite the time-consuming jail booking processes as reasons for them not doing their jobs.
The new center complements the existing crisis stabilization center at 822 Geary St, which opened in April and provides voluntary treatment. In its first five months, that facility served 344 people, with 25% discharged to residential treatment, according to the Chronicle.
Supervisor Matt Dorsey supports the Sixth Street location, arguing it will address root causes of neighborhood concerns about drug activity.
The GrowSF Take
This is a sensible alternative to taking users to jail or to the hospital -- both expensive and time-consuming options. Officers will be able to drop people off and continue on their patrols after a quick intake process, rather than going through the lengthy booking process at county jail or the emergency room. Detainees will not be booked or charged but must remain until deemed sober and able to care for themselves; if they leave early then they may face charges.
This matches what voters tell us they want. In our September 2023 poll, we found that 64% of San Franciscans support bringing intoxicated people to a sobering center, with only 19% preferring jail.
Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
Quik Dog Finds A New Home
WHEN: Every Day, 11:30am - 10pm
WHERE: 1023 3rd St
What started as an experiment during the pandemic pause quickly became a local favorite. Now Quik Dog has found a new permanent home across the 3rd St bridge from Oracle Park.
From the team behind Trick Dog, Quik Dog brought burgers and hot dogs to the Trick Dog space while indoor dining was closed during COVID. According to Dianne de Guzman at SF Eater, now they’re expanding the menu to include fish tacos, mini corn dogs, loaded fries, and even cocktails.